2742 Labor Day tango festival in Denver minus three pounds later
Date: Tue, 7 Sep 2004 17:33:06 +0000
From: Oleh Kovalchuke <oleh_k@HOTMAIL.COM>
Subject: Labor Day tango festival in Denver minus three pounds later
These are some of my personal impressions from the festival. Not a
comprehensive review.
Impression number one. The lessons: the farce and the poetry.
Two most lasting impressions (besides an amazing display of root chakra by
Robin):
1. Two bickering leaders at Doing nothing to Pugliese lesson for ten
minutes doing nothing but bumping into each other and locking horns over
where the inner and where the outer line of dance is and (in roaring
underbreath) why the other one is such an imbecile because _he_ crossed that
imaginary line. I personally have not taken sides and agreed with both. I
wonder what their partners thought about these guys? Granted the step taught
at the lesson can be wide and intrusive why not spread a bit more or move to
other part of the room altogether - it is just a class after all.
2. New fantastic feeling of actually flying through the single axis turn.
This was something I was looking forward to learn for some time now and
Hsueh-tze has delivered in spite of all the poetry she spreads liberally
throughout her lessons (yes, she is a poet and I remain obstinately
unenthusiastic about poetry). It is hard to pick single axis turn just by
watching others - the mechanics are significantly different from other
steps. All I could do was admire the flair, but I would always loose my
balance when I tried to do it myself. Now I have the privilege of doing it
because she knows how to break it down to important elements. Thanks
Hsueh-tze.
She tantalizingly pointed out that she knows at least twelve different
single axis turns and I happen to believe her, but restrained myself from
taking private anyway because my rule of thumb is "learn no more than two
new steps in any given weekend, you ll forget the rest". Hsueh-tze demoed
one of the additional turns per my request in one stealthy swoop, which
looked uncunningly similar to a move from kung fu movie - quick, beautiful
and entirely incomprehensible.
Overall the classes I went to where not bad at all.
Robin and Jeniffer s class on Doing nothing to Pugliese was hands down the
most entertaining and covered not only the footwork, but also root chakra,
follower embellishments, root chakra, fundamentals from the root chakra
perspective and of course musicality (root chakra implied). One of the
followers told me that I am great Pugliese dancer - dubious compliment if
you think about it, because now I have to work on being good with hundreds
remaining individual orchestras. Robin often uses connecting side steps
around the follower. I don't do it nearly as often - new perspective gained
(there is another valuable lesson hidden around here somewhere).
Hsueh-tze s lesson on "a" single axis turn, as she put it, was great as I
have mentioned above. Meticulous and well paced. Also pleasant to the ear if
you happened to like poetry. I have caught only the last ten minutes of her
another, milonga lesson where I have learned that I can do one of my usual
milonga steps backwards (also by going back) and weaving it a bit (new
variation). I have added the weaving brush to my forward step and it does
feel good especially with slow milongas. There must have been more in the
hour I have missed.
Robert and Barbara Durr lesson for beginners certainly opened new horizons
to me too. At some point during the lesson Robert solemnly informed the
beginners not yet hardened by rigors of hours of back ocho exercises that he
can tell if leader is any good by looking at his behind while he walks and
proceeded with demonstration of essentially Travolta walk from Saturday
Night Fever as far as butt is concerned (my personnal connection of the
styles).
While I have admired the nonchalant suavity of his butt movement I couldn't
help pondering if I ever be able to be a good dancer in Robert's eyes,
considering that I prefer to use muscles of my entire leg to maintain good
balance instead of just buttocks. Then to my utter horror I have recalled
that Cacho Dante seemed to be doing the same thing and when later on I
shared my concerns with Jani he happily informed me that this is what all of
them do in Buenos Aires. Wellllll, I have never analyzed the finer points of
my buttocks movement while I dance, maybe I still have a chance? Or better
yet one can still be a good Argentine tango dancer without excessive suavity
expressed via his butt? I'll have to investigate this matter during upcoming
visit to Buenos Aires. By the way I should keep it to myself probably but
Barbara happens to be a very good follower (I am talking from connection,
not behind perspective).
Impression number two. The dancing: humiliation and humility
It happened again, a follower walked out on me after just two dances in the
tanda. Quite a blow, since it does not happen all that often lately. As any
average Joe I blame this occurrence on combination of conspiring forces:
shoes, floor, afternoon nap, differing dance styles and of course lawyers.
(By the way if one does not wish to ever dance with me again the easiest way
to achieve this goal is to walk out on me after only two songs in the tanda.
Human, only human.) To heal the humiliation I have decided to perform an
exercise in humility and not to walk out on any not so great dancers if I
were to dance with them for the rest of the festival. As a precaution I
decided to dance with only those followers who I know for sure will enjoy
the experience. By 4 AM on Monday morning the selection narrowed down to one
follower and boy would I be a happy puppy dancing with her only if it were
not for painful life experience she went through and shared with me. Only
now do I understand what makes her such an amazing tango dancer. The sword
is brittle.
The music. I have a simple question: "Where can I get Harlem Tango, besides
bribing Robin in some way?" The alternative milonga he DJed this time was
absolutely fantabulous. The conventional milongas were also quite good. All
DJs even played no more than three milongas in one tanda and played slow
milongas mostly, a pleasant surprise. Less people came compare to Memorial
day weekend, but overall quality was high especially from the dancers coming
from New York.
Cheers, Oleh K.
Colorado Springs
https://TangoSpring.com
Date: Tue, 7 Sep 2004 20:05:07 +0000
From: Oleh Kovalchuke <oleh_k@HOTMAIL.COM>
Subject: Re: Labor Day tango festival in Denver minus three pounds later
Update.
"Tango in Harlem" is by Touch and Go and is available at Amazon:
https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B0000AB16T/qid94587301/sr=ka-1/ref=pd_ka_1/002-2055578-6923231
.
Enjoy, Oleh K.
https://TangoSpring.com
Date: Tue, 7 Sep 2004 20:05:07 +0000
From: Oleh Kovalchuke <oleh_k@HOTMAIL.COM>
Subject: Re: Labor Day tango festival in Denver minus three pounds later
Update.
"Tango in Harlem" is by Touch and Go and is available at Amazon:
https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B0000AB16T/qid94587301/sr=ka-1/ref=pd_ka_1/002-2055578-6923231
.
Enjoy, Oleh K.
https://TangoSpring.com
