234 Thoughts
Date: Tue, 18 Sep 2001 20:30:32 EDT
From: Digest Polly McBride <ATANGO2@AOL.COM>
Subject: Thoughts
Let us dance through...
Our sorrow
Our losses
Our fears
Our differences
Ourselves
Through Dance we share
Treasured embraces
Comfort of a caring community
Strength in our unity
Gratitude for our blessings
Thoughts that bind us
Tears that blind us
Let us feel the magic of dance and each other.
Polly McBride
Portland, Oregon
Date: Sun, 26 May 2002 21:01:02 -0700
From: Trini or Sean - PATangoS <patangos@YAHOO.COM>
Subject: Sean's Thoughts on women asking men to dance
Suzanne Ryan wrote:
I might be a lone wolf howling in the wind but I personally think
this idea of women inviting men to dance is not a good one. I think
it
makes men passive and in some cases feeds egos that don't need any
more food...lol!
I have my own "Thoughts on women asking men to dance":
I am a lead who is often invited to dance by follows. I am sometimes
flattered, but more often annoyed, when women ask me to dance. There
is one local venue that I no longer attend, at least partially
because the follows are so predatory. I think it would help if women
were to adopt basic rules of etiquette when asking men to dance.
7 Learn to accept rejection graciously. (Men seem to have a lot more
practice in this area lol.) It is perfectly acceptable for the man
to say no thank you . If you get angry, or act like a spoiled brat,
there is a good chance that the man will avoid you from then on.
7 Learn to accept acceptance graciously. If the man accepts your
invitation, you are obliged to thank him when the tanda is finished.
If you act like you are entitled to dance with him, the man will feel
used and unappreciated, and may avoid you in the future.
7 It is fine to ask a lead to dance if he is talking or watching, but
not if he is moving purposely through the room. Don t ask someone who
is moving off of the floor, or toward another follow.
7 Don t ignore men who dance at your level, and invite only those
more skilled to dance. If a woman regularly asks me to dance, but
doesn t ask men at her level, I will tell her no .
7 Do sometimes ask men who are not quite up to your level. It is
very encouraging to them, and, as they become more skilled, you will
be a preferred partner. I had a very difficult time learning this
dance. For many years, most people considered me a basket case
(albeit a persistent one). A few experienced follows invited me to
dance, and gave me a great deal a help and encouragement. I now
dance with these women every chance that I get. They had to wait 5
years for me to be a decent lead, but each of them would tell you
that it was worth the wait.
7 Most importantly, at least once in a while, allow the man to choose
the partner that he wants to dance with. No one wants to be so
barraged with invitations that he feels he has no control over who he
dances with, and to which songs. Accept that an experienced lead is
going to have favorite songs, and he may have a different preferred
partner for each of those songs.
Sean from the 'Burgh
=====
PATangoS - Pittsburgh Argentine Tango Society . . .Our Mission: To make Argentine Tango Pittsburgh's most popular social dance.
Date: Mon, 17 Jun 2002 18:16:48 EDT
From: Stephen Chin-Bow <CHIN-BOW@SACC.HSCBKLYN.EDU>
Subject: Thoughts about Tango Fantasy 2002
Dear Tango-L,
It has been a while (more than a year) since my last post.
I attended the entire full Tango Fantasy 2002 program and I want to thank
Randy and Lydia for organizing such a fun event. Hosting the event at the
Fontainbleu Hotel is a great idea because the program feels like a VACATION.
I recommend the program in the future. The pool and the beach are wonderful.
Lydia and Randy made many good changes to the program, but for me, the best
change was to NOT hold workshops on Wednesday. Everyone was able to enjoy the
beach and sun (it was a cloudless day). We were all very rested for the
Wednesday evening milonga and the workshops on Thurs, Fri, and Sat. The total
number of workshops days was unchanged since in 2001 workshops were held on
Wednesday, but not on Saturday.
In a few days I will post my summary of the program at:
https://www.tangocentral.com/ustc
One of the more interesting moments I experienced during the week (and which
is described in the summary) is how, with the help of the hotel concierge, I
successfully repaired the only pair of dance shoes I had with me!
A week ago Nicole Dowell <bailadora2000@excite.com>, who I did not meet in
Florida, described taking a class where Diego diFalco and Carolina Zokalski
described dancing in the most crowded part of the floor. I also took a class
where Diego said something similar, but I forgot his exact words. My
interpretation is slightly different than Nicole's.
He encouraged leaders to challenge themselves (and to improve their navigation
skills) by dancing in parts of the dance floor where it may be crowded. He
was NOT saying to jump blindly into the frying pan. However, by GRADUALLY
challenging oneself to dance in more more and more crowded situations a leader
will gradually improve. If the leader is always "safe" the leader will not
know what to do when the leader finds himself in a situation which is new or
unexpected.
In NYC I do not enjoy dancing on an empty dance floor because I get "energy"
from the other dancers. Like Stephen Brown (who replied to one of Nicole's
messages) I get positive energy even when the floor is very crowded, provided
the other leaders near me do not do crazy stuff and the line of dance
progresses in a predictable way (even if the progression is very slow). If
the dance floor is very crowded and there are leaders who have little respect
for other couples then I feel the energy is negative (and I prefer to sit and
talk to friends).
Does anyone else feel this way?
I am not surprised the master teachers who taught at Tango Fantasy did not
dance a lot at the milongas with the students. What has not been stated in
other postings to the Tango-L is that the master teachers did NOT dance much
with with each other. They were all teaching 3-6 hours a day for seven days.
Plus they taught extra classes, privates, and they also had to rest for the
grand finale "Master's Show". They had to maintain their energy throughout
the week and they needed to avoid injuries.
I really like Facundo y Kely. Not only are very friendly people, but they are
also very "classy" people. At the milongas Facundo danced with many dancers
who took their workshops. I feel this is a very accurate statement because I
took many of their workshops and I recognized the women who Facundo danced
with from the workshops. Facundo also did this during Tango Fantasy 2001.
I also saw Diego diFalco dance occasionally with women from the classes he and
Carolina taught.
BTW, I am NOT "Tanguero Chino" (someone from NYC said he thought I was).
Ciao-
Stephen Chin-Bow
New York City's first internet tango calendar (and still the only calendar
which can be "personalized/customized"):
https://www.tangocentral.com/calendar
email: stephen@tangocentral.com
Date: Thu, 12 Sep 2002 22:59:29 EDT
From: Arthur Greenberg <AHGberg@AOL.COM>
Subject: Instructions to a Man/Leader in Tango (Thoughts of a Learner!)
Hi Listeros: Frank is the ficticious name of the
pupil/subject..............
Thoughts, observations & comments of my first ArgentineTango group lesson
I have not done any Tango before. Why am I here! I have got to learn a few
Tango moves so I can ask the chicks out onto the dance floor and get to know
them better!!!!!
I have observed a few couples dancing at a Milonga. I have attended one
milonga. It cost me ten dollars admission at the door. There seemed to be
more girls than men! I never got out onto the dance floor and I left soon,
being too embarassed to stay as a "non-dancing observer"!
I am now, for the first time, in attendance at a Group Tango Class. The
class is scheduled to start at 8 PM. It is now 10 minutes to start-time.
I have the flyer advertising the class in my pocket. It is in a seperate
pocket than my 20 dollar bill. I don't get paid till Friday and that is all I
have in the world between me and going hungry! And I still have to get some
gas for the car so I can get home! Sigh!
I await the start of the class while a few of the other waiting pupils
(couples) dance to the Tango music I hear playing. They seem (to me) to
look like they are dancing Tango. Although I have'nt a clue as to what they
are doing, I like what they are doing. When a couple returns to the
sidelines I introduce myself and engage them in conversation. I discover
that I am not as shy and introverted as I thougt myself to be!
When I ask them why they are here, they tell me that they are not beginners
but have been dancing for a year or two. They also tell me that they plan to
take lessons perpetually since there is such an immense amount of knowledge
that they must learn until they become intermediate/advanced Argentine
Tango dancers. They tell me that they plan to visit Buenos Aires, Argentina
to take Tango work shops and a vacation. I nervously feel for the twenty
dollars in my pocket. I have come directly from work and I am wearing the
clothes that I have been wearing all day. I remind myself that I need to
buy some gas for my car parked out in the lot so that I can get home
later, after the class. The teacher calls us all onto the dance floor and
has us form a circle without partners. He tells us that we will "work" in a
counter-clockwise formation. I am not sure but I think he referred to that
as the line of dance. He says that the first thing that we all have to
"work on"/learn is how to walk. I was a bit perplexed at this idea as I
have been walking for over thirty years, successfully getting where I wanted
to go! There is no music playing! Only the teacher imploring us to "reach
out" and to "maintain balance and control". I am not sure what he means but
I get in line anyway and for the next 5 to 10 minutes I am walking alone
(without a partner) just as everyone else was doing in a counter-clockwise
direction around the perimeter of the dance floor. We then are told to turn
around and walk backwards. Walk "naturally", I am told. I do not recall the
last time that I ever tried to walk backwards natrally or otherwise. Nothing
I am doing feels "natural"! I feel like an awkward misplaced person,
klunking around the dance floor! When will I start to learn how to dance??
The muscles in my legs are beginning to complain that they hurt! I thought
that I was in "good shape" but obviously I am not in as good shape as I
thought I was!
Next we are told to take a partner and assume a practice position facing
each other and holding each other at arms length as prescribed by the
teacher!. I am one of two men in attendance who do not have a female
partner. We are paired off with each other and I am now practicing the walk
with Ted, my man partner who seems to be very uncomfortable walking
backwards with me holding onto his shoulders. I too am somewhat
uncomfortable since I have never thought much about dancing with another man!
Just as I am about to have a mental breakdown the teacher gives the command
to change partners and a very attractive lady walks toward me to take the
"hold-the-shoulders-practice-position". I say, "Goodbye!" to Ted. Phew! I am
beginning to perspire and I am aware that I have been holding my breath
during most of the walking exercises.
The teacher must have known because he just reminded us all to be sure that
we breathed naturally rather than hold our breath!
I wonder if I am in the right place. I have the feeling that I am about to
get into something that is beyond my skill and with a learning schedule that
stretches into months and years. The twenty dollar bill in my pocket seems
to be safely there but is very lonely. The cost of the class is priced at
ten dollars per person. There seems to be more men than women who are in
attendance. I did not know the names of any one waiting for the class to
start. Most of the people I said, "Hello!" to, told me their names. They
seemed to be very sociable. Many of the people changed into their
special dance shoes that they brought with them in little shoe-bags. I was
not aware that I might require special dance shoes for the class. They
(the pupils) all seem to be dressed "well" excdept one guy who was wearing
shorts and white adidas basketball shoes. The teacher assured me that my
shoes were "adequate" for the amount of dancing I would be dong in his class.
Some couples are conversing in foreign languages. The Teacher is a
handsome Latino, along with his beautiful dance partner. I recognize them
from the picture on the advertising flyer. They seem to be in their late
twenties and very sophisticated.
The flyer pictures them in a Tango "dip", a very exotic pose, with her leg
draped over his while her thigh was exposed up to her silk black underwear!
I have not seen so much bare skin since I last went to the beach. The
flyer says, "Feel the Passion of the Tango!" Here I am, ready to feel the
passion of the Tango. First I have to learn to walk, I guess! When do I
start feeling the "passion"?
My thoughts return to Sylvia, the lady who is newly "my dance partner"! She
is very beautiful and although she seems to be much older (maybe ten years)
than myself I find her very pleasant. My thoughts of dancing with Ted a
minute ago are into history and I think how great it is to be dancing with
Sylvia.
The next thing we would learn would be the Tango Basic, an eight step
pattern that starts backward with my right foot proceeds aroound the side of
my partner brings m feet together and ends with a "walz basic resolution"!
After trying to accomplaish this I think that this pattern might have been
conceived on Mars or at least from outer space. The ladies were on the
opposite side of the room learning their "part" and I was told later that it
included a
"cruzada", something that I should lead but did not do during my 8 count
basic. Confusion prevailed in my already anxiety filled mind. We were
introduced to the dance hold which the teacher called, "an abrazo". The hour
of instruction ended on the note that I should practice what I was just
taught at the "practica" and to go home and listen to Tango music and
practice what I learned to my music at home!
As I turned out the lights and lay quietly in bed......I thought that I was
very courageous and adventurous. As I closed my eyes and fell into a deep
sleep that night I thought how nice it would be if I could take some "pill"
that would somehow get into my brain and muscles to assure a short cut to
reach the dance floor with a complete portfolio of Tango moves. I dreamed I
was a dashing Tango Dancer doing all those things I saw my teacher do with
his beautiful partner. I wondered where I was going to get my ten dollars
for next weeks class!
(To be continued.)
Arturo
West Palm Beach, Florida, USA
