MAGICAL MYSTERY TOUR
MAGICAL MYSTERY TOUR
Question: Do you have to be psychic to dance tango?
Answer: No, but it helps.
Here are a few of the magical mysteries that I experience in tango. Let’s explore.
tango touch
“Yes, and… ” Tango Improv
An invitation:
Let’s play the tango improve game next milonga by responding to whatever dance step our partner makes with a “yes, and.” If it is not the response we were expecting or desiring, we can chose to welcome it as an invitation to be creative.
An Invitation
With my hand extended
I invite you, my partner,
for the briefest of moments,
to nurture with me
this delicate warmth.
Tango Touch
It is easy to become mesmerized by the glitz and glamour and technicality of tango.
But the older I get, the more intrigued I become with the basics …
Do you have what it takes to dance Tango? Hats off to the gentle, excellent, chivalrous, skillful, sexy men who do.
“This is about men who have taken the time to go through the humbling and scary challenge of learning to dance Tango. And whose Tango gives me huge inspiration and a feeling of oneness that lasts for days.” Guest blog, Mitra Martin. Brilliant.
Salve for the Raw Ego.
10 years after this was originally posted I learned this lesson: Dance is play. Have fun. ego rub #1 The sign over the garbage can at the entrance reads: “DEPOSIT EGO HERE.” Missed that. When will introductory classes stop feeling like introductory classes? How many years will I be dancing before I can walk away … Read more
BREATH, CONNECTION and VULNERABILITY
The first time I was invited to breathe in unison with my dance partner in a close embrace, I froze. My gut twisted into a knot. I felt deeply vulnerable. What could it be about breathing in unison – in close embrace (Tango) or even generally in a hug – that would make one feel … Read more
VIOLENCE, VULNERABILITY AND TANGO
Exploring the calesita and volcada. (A tip of the hat to Vera and Daniel, Casa Tango Edmonton.) Vera: “Remember guys, no violence here.” Really? No violence? How rough can things get? This is a dance class, after all. Vera’s caution is simply about the lead. Last class the boleo, this class the calesita. But it … Read more
Tango: Wondrous and Preposterous
How do I nurture an appreciation for the magic and mystery of tango?
(even when I am screwing up the steps or dancing with my least favourite partner)
Answer: Breathe in the WONDER.
torso-torques
(3 minute read. This blog is part two of a post from about a decade ago. Still relevant and fascinating.) Session #2 with Jean-Sebastien, Studio Ten. Tango is communication. Learning tango is like learning a language. The only difference is that with each tango lesson, I seem to have to relearn the alphabet. Case in … Read more