Learning Tango

[timbp]

This year I am really and truly going to learn Argentine tango.
(Yeah, right! I start a new job at the end of the month; full-time again for the first time in 8 years. And I'm still doing my Masters; term starts end of February.)

Last weekend I planned to have dinner with some (non-dance) friends at the Italian Forum (Leichhardt, Sydney) -- a space designed to sort of mimic an italian piazza with italian restaurants all around. Immediately after we made our plans, I received an email telling me about an outdoor milonga to be held at the Italian Forum, the same night I was having dinner there with friends.
So I had my dinner, and we all enjoyed watching the dancers. Then I danced one tanda. I did little more than walk around the floor (with my partner telling me to relax!), but it was crowded and we never bumped anyone and I think we stayed on time.

I had a class earlier this week that really helped my confidence (and perhaps my dancing). I'd been to the venue before, but the regular teachers had been in Argentina when I went before, so this was my first class with the usual teachers.
They made tango seem so easy. (But I don't know how leads with no dance experience would have found it.)
Apart from the general frustration of being a beginner again, my main problem with AT has been the huge number of things to think about.
These teachers reduced that to two things: where to lead my partner, and the timing from the music. And once I stopped worrying about anything else, and concentrated on just moving my partner where I wanted her by using my body (chest, centre), my own footwork generally sorted itself out, based on my experience with MJ and WCS.
In summary, this couple seem to be teaching AT in the way I've always wanted to dance it, with the focus on the follower and my steps just a consequence of what I am leading her to do. Classes that teach me where to step put the focus on me, where I think it should be on my follower.

(I reserve the right to change my mind if I find a different teacher with a different approach that I like better.

[Feelingpink]

Good luck with that Tim! Think somewhere earlier on this thread, someone suggested there is wisdom in finding a teacher you like & staying with them for consistency, (rather than being as mad and flitty as one of DJ's waistcoats). I found a teacher who moved/walked a way that I wanted to and she is good at explaining. Last night, she said there were all kinds of ways of walking that were taught and made clear that what she was teaching was only one way, but it was chosen because it made beautiful lines (well, she's convinced me).

Figured out last night that I can't think about all the aspects of walking at once, or I simply revert to how I've always done things (like an otter, apparently) so am working on EITHER nice hips, feet turnout, glidey S-shapes on the floor (forward and back aspects) or softening & straightening, with raising the heel off the floor to counteract the bobbing effect (vertical aspects). At some point, hope they can be joined together.

[David Bailey]

Great comment from another forum, in an "Advice to leaders" post:

There is always an elderly, overweight, argentine guy in a suit who slowly dances around the edge of the dancefloor, and all he does is waking and maybe an ocho once in a while. And he has usually an amazingly beautiful girl who dances incredibly well plastered all over him. Be that guy.

There is also always a someone on the dancefloor who wrestles his partner through all kinds of maneouvers, interrupted only by short pauses where he repeats a move 5 time till it "works", or where he explains just exactly how the follower has to move to make the 40 step sequence he wants to do work. Note that he dances mostly with beginners. Note the frozen smile on his partners face. Don't be that guy.

Words of wisdom - all I need now is a suit and an Argentinian accent and I'm sorted

[Feelingpink]

"There is always an elderly, overweight, argentine guy in a suit who slowly dances around the edge of the dancefloor, and all he does is waking and maybe an ocho once in a while. And he has usually an amazingly beautiful girl who dances incredibly well plastered all over him. Be that guy."

Now there's someone with no moves at all!

[David Bailey]

Originally Posted by Feelingpink

Now there's someone with no moves at all!

Exactly, I did think of posting that on the "moves" thread.

Seriously, that description is so true - there are those guys around in every milonga, they always look slow and casual, and they're always fighting the most gorgeous stunning dancers off with a stick.

[gebandemuishond]

I went to Negrachas last night! The beginner lessons I went to were really good, I think if I could go regularly, I'd learn a lot. I really feel that the lessons in tango are more important for dancer development than the freestyle (opposite to MJ).

I met a friend who dances loads of tango in London there, so I didn't feel quite so alone, although I see what you guys mean about the atmosphere being quite intimidating. I asked one lady to dance and she just looked at me for ages before agreeing, which was quite disconcerting. I had a couple of okish dances, one or two fairly good (relatively speaking) and a couple of absolutely terrible ones. The decor/ambience was fantastic, why they don't have chillout rooms with coloured and dimmed lamps at MJ freestyles I don't know.

Apparently Pablo Veron was there, although I didn't see him in the milonga, although I decided to leave before 12 to get the last tube back to Victoria.


I'd like to go back, although next time I'll try harder to drag a partner along.

Dan

[rubyred]

Originally Posted by gebandemuishond

I really feel that the lessons in tango are more important for dancer development than the freestyle (opposite to MJ).




Dan

I met a friend who dances loads of tango in London there, so I didn't feel quite so alone, although I see what you guys mean about the atmosphere being quite intimidating. I asked one lady to dance and she just looked at me for ages before agreeing, which was quite disconcerting. I had a couple of okish dances, one or two fairly good (relatively speaking) and a couple of absolutely terrible ones. The decor/ambience was fantastic, why they don't have chillout rooms with coloured and dimmed lamps at MJ freestyles I don't know.



Dan[/quote]

Whilst I agree that the lessons are important, for me I feel it so important to get up and push myself to dance at Milongas. I need to learn how to follow as much as learn the patterns, and if you can have a few dances with different partners it can help your confidence.

There is another culture with tango and some people , not the majority, can be stand offish ,they have the problem not you. I agree that the atmosphere at Tango venues can be fab, I had one of most fantastic nights in Bristol around Christmas at a venue run by a lady called Jocelyn, it was probably one of the most memorable for ambiance, decor and the music was amazing, even if you didn't dance just listening to the music was so dreamy. If you are dancing around the North again I would like to dance tango with you.

[David Bailey]

Well, I'm planning to brave Negracha again on Friday - it'd be good to see any other forumites there

[gebandemuishond]

Originally Posted by rubyred

Whilst I agree that the lessons are important, for me I feel it so important to get up and push myself to dance at Milongas. I need to learn how to follow as much as learn the patterns, and if you can have a few dances with different partners it can help your confidence.

There is another culture with tango and some people , not the majority, can be stand offish ,they have the problem not you. I agree that the atmosphere at Tango venues can be fab, I had one of most fantastic nights in Bristol around Christmas at a venue run by a lady called Jocelyn, it was probably one of the most memorable for ambiance, decor and the music was amazing, even if you didn't dance just listening to the music was so dreamy. If you are dancing around the North again I would like to dance tango with you.

Maybe it's just the level I am that I don't feel confident to take any follower out and have a good dance. Give me time though... I think I have an attitude to learning dance which is useful when tackling tango, in that I never think 'Oh, I'll never be as good as him over there'. In fact, if they're a massive hotshot show off I almost think, 'is that the best you can do? I'll easily be that good once I've practised'. Same in most dances. Does that make me seem incredibly arrogant? I should add that I probably won't ever astound the world with my dancing, but it doesn't stop me thinking I will.

I'd love to dance with you again, Rubyred , but I hope you won't restrict me to tango! I'll steal a jive or two if I may! And yes, I'll be back oop north in a couple of months to scorch the dancefloors black (I think I must be in a very arrogant mood tonight! It's a facade, honestly!)

Dan

[David Bailey]

Negracha, 25th Jan

I did the class with Stefano and Alexandra of Tango In Action - along with about 40 others

Stefano is a great teacher, he's authoritative, clear, personable and charismatic, and he had no problem with teaching to such a large crowd, I was officially impressed. It's a shame he's not teaching at an MJ weekender...

He also had quite a cool suit, and he came round to shake students hands and say hello individually before the class. That's style

The class involved a nice simple routine - a few barridas in a sort-of-giro pattern, finishing off with a backwards turn. It was very useful, and I got some good technique ideas from it, which hopefully I'll put into practice.

After the class, we headed pretty much straight downstairs for the Neo Tango Sound - it's vastly better there, now that there's an actual DJ downstairs rather than a CD playing.

All in all, a good night. Lovely also to see KenR, and PuddyTat there.

[Ghost]

Originally Posted by DavidJames

After the class, we headed pretty much straight downstairs for the Neo Tango Sound - it's vastly better there, now that there's an actual DJ downstairs rather than a CD playing.

Could you elaborate? (Do you mean it's actually possibly to get dances without bringing your own follow or waiting 15 mins? :hopeful: )

[David Bailey]

Originally Posted by Ghost

Could you elaborate? (Do you mean it's actually possibly to get dances without bringing your own follow or waiting 15 mins? :hopeful: )

Much more busy - still a bit couple-y, but much less so than before. Feels like a proper social night, rather than a practica, basically.

[Ghost]

Originally Posted by DavidJames

Much more busy - still a bit couple-y, but much less so than before. Feels like a proper social night, rather than a practica, basically.

Woo hoo - hopefully this is a permanent change rather than a one-off

[David Bailey]

I think it will be - at least, as long as they keep the DJ there.

Who fancies a group trip to Negracha - say, mid-Feb?

[Ghost]

Originally Posted by DavidJames

Who fancies a group trip to Negracha - say, mid-Feb?

Can't do the 8th, but 15th and 22nd are fine at the moment.

[Feelingpink]

Originally Posted by DavidJames

I think it will be - at least, as long as they keep the DJ there.

Who fancies a group trip to Negracha - say, mid-Feb?

Fab! Can do those Fridays.

[Ghost]

There is always an elderly, overweight, argentine guy in a suit who slowly dances around the edge of the dancefloor, and all he does is waking and maybe an ocho once in a while. And he has usually an amazingly beautiful girl who dances incredibly well plastered all over him. Be that guy.

Originally Posted by Some world reknowned BA trained AT dancer

The problem with those guys is that after the first dance you know exactly what they're going to do next and the second dance is so f***ing boring

*The sound of Ghost smacking his head against a wall can be heard*

Ok I think I've got it. It's the embrace. If the lady stays in open embrace it's a good bet she wants to play, a la Jivecat. If she gradually (or not so gradually) sinks into closed then she's happy with connection and walking. If she declines leaving close embrace (that came as a surprise) then she's definitely happy with walking. If she accepts leaving, but then sinks back in, she's happy with a mixture of both.

Probably.

*thud, thud, thud*

[Feelingpink]

Tango South London Milonga

Probably this should go in a feedback thread of some kind, but given that all the tango people are more likely to read this thread ... here goes.

First time there last night - they've been going about a year. Very friendly welcome and a milonga lesson at the start of the night, so we had some techniques for dancing to faster music. The floor was a bit sticky but relatively balanced numbers and regular changes of partners and all the women seemed to be happy to take turns out.

Lovely mix of people of varying abilities. Don't think anyone was turned down and really friendly. Lots of room to dance & mostly older style tango music.

Quite a few of people from the milonga are also up for a negracha night, too!

[timbp]

I tried a different class tonight. It was advertised as suitable for beginner and intermediate, but I thought, first class of the new year, they'll probably start from the beginning. When asked about experience, I said I had had "a few" lessons. Two others were complete beginners, and the rest the teachers knew.

After the obligatory walking, I suddenly found myself struggling through left and right giros. It was almost 10 minutes before I realised they had split the class -- I saw the teachers showing the beginners contrabody motion, and then the basic 8. So I had been put with the intermediates on no assessment other than watching me lead a basic walk -- without a cross or even walking outside the follower.

The teaching didn't suit me as much as the teaching at my monday classes, but the two probably complement each other. Monday's teacher focuses the leaders on what they want the follower to do; tonight's teacher told us what to do ourselve