After a long absence, I am finally making my return to tango on January 18 (yay!). As we haven't danced since last April, my partner and I have decided to repeat Beginner II.I was tempted to go back to Beginner I, but the holiday potluck at AYM changed my mind.
I had just shuffled into the yoga studio with my socks on, balancing a box of clementines on my arm, when I heard Allison call out, "Adriana can tango!"
Before I could worry about the veracity of that statement, I found myself divested of my oranges and gathered in the arms of a pleasant looking man I had never seen before. With a reminder to not "look at your feet," I spent the next 20 minutes rediscovering my not-so-deeply buried tango skills.
To my quiet amazement, my feet knew the way. I was dancing with an experienced tanguero who indicated our next movements with Morse-like precision on my back. I knew exactly what he wanted me to do and my feet followed with no prompting from my brain.
It was exhilarating - my breath bubbling in my chest with happiness. I cannot wait to return to my lessons.
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6 comments:
you know i love this, don't you?
Of course :)
Hola Adriana!
I just happened across your blog - great that you are re-upping with tango.
I'm wondering about your statement "I was dancing with an experienced tanguero who indicated our next movements with Morse-like precision on my back."? As in Morse code I presume?
Was he tapping or pulling or pushing or pressing on your back, with his right hand?
We had a friend accompany us to a milonga last night, and she said her "experienced" porten~o teacher taught her the same thing. Certain taps and signals meant certain things.
You may already be aware of this, but this is NOT a proper tango lead. The lead comes from the torso, and yes, the arms (and hands) are connected to the torso. So there will be slight indications of what the leader's "intention" is, but never tapping or signaling a code of any kind.
My right hand stays relaxed on the woman's back, holding her gently in my embrace, but never "does" anything more than that, except perhaps for a sweet pat or squeeze at the end of a dance.
If your teacher is teaching a "Morse code" for leaders and followers, I would recommend finding another teacher. I would also recommend avoiding dancing with leaders who are "handsy" or "arm-y" or tapping a morse code on your back.
You should be able to follow a lead without too much thought or concentration, especially trying to remember the code/language for different steps.
The guy you danced with may have been involved with tango for many years, but "experienced"? I think not.
Perhaps I'm off-base in my unsolicited advice. I hope I am.
Happy tangos in 2010!
Alex
Very nice to meet you Alex!
I was not at my tango studio when I met this dancer and so I have no idea what he was taught. He was introduced to me as someone with a lot of tango experience - and displayed much confidence while we danced.
His fingers changed pressure on my back, and after a while, it seemed as if those changes in pressure matched the flow of the dance. I didn't mind his technique so much because I'm still in the learning phase, but I will definitely keep your words in mind when I return to my lessons.
What I really want to focus on next is disengaging my intellectual brain from tango - and as long as people are measuring out the rhythm on my back, I won't be able to make that leap.
Our teachers tell us to listen to the torso of your partner, so I feel like I'm in the right place.
I'll keep you posted :)
I struggle with the same thing, the "flowing" or disengaging of the brain, I tend to anticipate what the leader will be doing... not good... I suppose it takes time... great that you are dancing regularly now
It's a victory that I don't stare at my feet anymore :)
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