May 21 - 27 in BsAs (Intensivo Notes)

Sabado, 23 Mayo 2009
Dante´s Car Service, Buenos Aires. It was good. Dante met us right where he said he would, and he took us straight away to our apartment. Very friendly guy. It was $30 per car (3 person maximum), which was steeper for 2 people than the usual remise service you can get from the airport (apparently $11 per person according to Pablo).

The apartment at Jean Juares 467 is nice. It is new, and there is super friendly, ample attentive security. It´s also extremely convenient -- just a couple of blocks away from my favorite supermarket (the Hiper COTO in Abasto with Banelco atm machine and foot\chair massage place in the lobby), and just a couple of blocks away from the Carlos Gardel subte stop. I think I am going to really enjoy living here for two weeks.

Banking. Surprisingly, I was able to withdraw way more than the 300 pesos per day of the past. In two transactions on the same card insertion, I withdrew 400 and 600 pesos = 1000 pesos.

Martha Anton & "El Gallego" Manolo´s Canyengue lesson at Escuela Argentina de Tango (centro), en Galerias Pacifico (25 pesos per class, 4 class card = 92 pesos, 8 class card = 180 pesos, 12 class card = 264 pesos). The class, as usual, was great. There were many more dancers than I had experienced previously, and most of them seemed to have some canyengue knowledge. So it was more like a guided practica since we were all of various skill levels. Maestros remembered us from the last time we were here, and promoted their new Monday milonga at Viejo Correo, which we planned on going to anyway (skipping Luciana´s El Motivo lesson and practica). I really like them as teachers, and consider it an honor to learn with them. There was a lot I had forgotten since my last lessons with them -- like the embrace coming from the belly. I did remember how to correctly place my arm though, and I remembered a lot of the footwork. At the end, maestros did a tango demo (not canyengue) with some pretty slick moves.

Visit to Taconeando shoe store. (Arenales 1606) www.taconeandoshoes.com.ar. This is a new shoe store, just opened 5 months. The owner herself was there to serve us. What piqued my curiosity about this store, causing me to go over there on the very first day I arrived in BsAs, was their ads in the local tango magazines. It is clear that the slim stiletto heel is what Taconeando is all about. And indeed, all of their shoes have slim stiletto heels. One great thing that is unique about Taconeando is that they offer many shoes with 7 cm stiletto heels (8 and 9 cm are much more common, it´s probably easier to find 10 cm stilettos than to find 7 cm heels). I didn´t end up buying any of their shoes because they were out of my size in many of the 7 cm heel, and I believe their fit is more suitable for someone with slimmer feet than mine (many of the size 36 shoes were too narrow for my foot, and when I tried the same shoe in size 37, the width was OK, but the length was too long), and who is a more delicate dancer (I dance hard and aggressively). Still, the owner said she would be getting another shipment of 7 cm heel shoes in the next week or two, so I will likely return before my flight back. Shoes range from 250-320 pesos (about US$67-85 when exchange rate is US$1 = 3.75 pesos).

Lesson with Olga Besio (Peron 2450, 7 pesos, includes practica afterwards). The space is in an open terra cotta tile courtyard, that you go through by walking up some stairs in a building owned by the Catholic Church, and through a salsa restaurant. It was warm, about 75 degrees, and quite humid. What an experience! The dancers were of quite good skill level, but unfortunately followers outnumbered leaders by 3:1. There were also some students from her children´s class. Since we all danced with each other, we got a very wide range of heights and skill levels to dance with. First, we began with walking/connection exercises, and everyone took turns at leading and following, even if it meant you had some very short leaders (like me and the children) partnered with very tall followers that they couldn´t see around (like Pablo and the other men). Next, we did a freedom of body exercise where we were split up into groups of four. One person was in the middle, and his goal was to have one side very strong like a column, and be free and heavy in his other nonweighted limbs (nonstanding foot, both arms). The three other people would move his nonweighted limbs slowly and deliberately to the music, and the person in the middle was to remain balanced while his limbs were being manipulated. Next, we did a technique exercise where we worked on our pivots, by ourselves, making them as smooth and as elegant as possible, and doing them simply or with embellishments or however fancily we knew how. Next, there was a very strange exercise where the Leader went into groups with 3 followers, and would dance with them one by one, returning them to a different part of the dance floor mid-song. I didn´t really get why we were doing this (the instructions were given to the men in a cloistered group away from the Followers), but Pablo later said that it was an exercise to see how the Followers interacted with each other and how they responded to being taken out of a group setting, and then placed in a new-to-them setting with another new group of followers. The Leaders didn´t do their part very well, so I don´t believe the exercise/experiment was a success or what the point of what we were trying to do was. Next, we did a free dance individually to a di Sarli song, doing any move and dancing in any way we want. Next, the Leaders and Followers were separated to opposite sides of the dance floor, and then the Leaders danced to the same side the Followers were on, then took each Follower and danced her to the other side. After that, he went back and did the same to the next batch of followers until all dancers were on the other side of the dance floor. We did this in a series of dances of different types of tango music (tango, milonga, rhythmic, romantic, nuevo, etc.), so the Leaders led all the Followers to all different types of music. It was a good lesson, and I felt this was a more "authentic" BsAs experience of how a porteno/portena would learn how to dance, like Silvana Anfossi (likely maestra´s former student), who came by later on and did a performance during the practica. We didn´t stay for the practica because we wanted to rest before going to Sunderland. But unfortunately, our spirits were willing, but our flesh was weak (particularly in our feet and ankles), so we were too tired to make it to Sunderland after such a full day.

Domingo, 24 Mayo 2009
Tango (Intermedio-Avanzado) with Rosalia y Alejandro Barrientos at EAT Centro. This was a good class. Los Barrientos are gifted teachers, and because the class was small, we got lots of individual attention. They are of the school of thought that the Follower should be as up as possible (like a fountain). They also believe her shoulders should remain down and perfectly straight across, even if the leader is much taller, because if her left shoulder is up, more of her weight will be on her right leg and she will never be in balance. They also believe that the Follower should really stretch back her leg as far as she can from her rib cage when stepping back. The sequence was the cadena, resolved by a Leader right leg gancho of Follower´s right leg as she steps back with her left leg, into a parada fake-out where instead of stepping over, he stops her and leads her to do the first step right leg back in a clockwise molinete instead, then her left leg sweeps his parada foot on her side step to the left. It was a good class, enjoyably not too crowded since it was a Sunday night IA class. It is amazing how much EAT has expended its offerings, with two fully scheduled rooms and many regular weekend classes in addition to their special seminars. It looks like they got rid of the Rodriguez Pena facility, and have a new one instead close by at Talcahuano (y Av Santa Fe y MT de Alvear). It also seems like more of their classes are PIA (Principiante-Intermedio-Avanzado), and they´ve also added a lot more technique classes (especially women´s) classes.

Lunes, 25 Mayo 2009
Luciana Valle Intensivo: Day One: pivots, propelling, keeping our bra line to Leader and core engagement. In the morning session, we began with walking, paying attention to keep our axis forward. Then we worked on ochos, paying attention to keep our axis fully vertical, and pivoting with our feet first (instead of hips), and Followers keeping their bra line to the Leaders. Next, we worked on molinetes, with the Followers keeping their axis slightly back (but not from the shoulders), and the Leaders keeping their axis fully vertical (if they are forward, they will push the Follower away, if they are back, they will pull the Follower in). Followers were also supposed to propel themselves in their steps, and check their axis at each step. The molinete is a curve, so all the steps need to curve. We worked on molinetes clockwise and counterclockwise, with the code being Q-Q time on the back and side step of fwd-side-BACK-SIDE-fwd. The Follower is supposed to propel herself into the open space opened up by the Leader, and to really manage the weight change by really arriving to the forward foot. To be successful in the back cross, there has to be enough pivot. In the afternoon session, we continued our work with the turns, working with the concept of the Leader being the center of the circle and moving the center through the space (dance floor). Leader sacada was added to the Follower molinete. Next, we were to change the center of the circle through space. Follower should use the pivot in the molinete, to commit to the step and not fall into it. For Followers, they needed to slow down, and step with power in between the steps (this does not mean to step fast). Lastly, we concluded with planeos from the molinete, both left side and right side, forward and back.

So what did I think of the first day? It was amazing how fun it could be doing ochos, molientes, and planeos with the student assistants. They are all amazing dancers, and with different sizes, heights, and styles. Some had more feedback than others. All were a pleasure to dance with. Interestingly, there was a very strong showing by the San Francisco Bay Area tango community (6 of us out of 20).

Martha Anton & "El Gallego" Manolo´s milonga at Viejo Correo, preceded by a Canyengue lesson by Laura Collavini, and a tango salon lesson by maestros (20 pesos for both lessons and milonga). The canyengue lesson was very basic, and I was surprised Laura taught it (not Martha y Manolo). I had taken a lesson from her before last September at EAT Centro, when she subbed for Martha y Manolo. She is a very nice, enthusiastic teacher, and it was interesting to see how their teaching styles were quite different, but maestros did not interfere with Laura´s teaching, but were quite supportive of it. For the Tango Salon lesson, maestros taught a very interesting play on the sandwich, where the Follower does two back ochos, then when she is back on her right foot, the Leader sandwiches her left foot with his right and then left foot, and then pulls her back in to do a pasada, then sandwiches her right foot, and then can do a number of sequential sandwiches by sliding his foot along the floor, and making her stop so she doesn´t step around or over his feet. It was an excellent, very fun lesson. Viejo Correo means "old post office" but there is nothing about the interior that suggested that it once was it´s namesake. Now there´s a disco ball in the center, and it looks like a typical milonga space with black and white baldosa (stone composite tiles), and tables lined along the walls. For the milonga, seating is traditional style with women on one side of the room, men on the other side across from them, and couples on the side in between. This was only the second week for this new milonga. What was nice about it was that there were canyengue tandas, and many dancers who danced it reasonably well. There is a full bar and limited menu (empanadas).

We were starving, so we gave Ugi pizza next door a try (12 pesos for a cheese pizza), which actually was pretty good. The chef-server was extremely nice, and was thrilled at the 2 peso tip we left. They do not have water there, only cola or lemon lime soda, but they will let you fill your water bottle from the tap, which we appreciated, hence the tip.)

Martes, 26 Mayo 2009
Luciana Valle Intensivo - Day Two: Boleos. We began with a review of yesterday´s material, focusing on the concept of the spiral, and moving from top down (from chest to feet), and from down to up (pivoting in our feet, and our bodies up above spiraling as a consequence). A boleo is a cut, an interruption to change the direction of the previous move, such as to back from forward. We began with boleos fro the back cross, interrupting the motion of the hips by going in the same direction "with" boleos. If the Follower absorbs the lead in her arm or opens out in the chest, she will not feel the lead for the boleo. That is why it is important for her top\bra line to stay with the Leader (this is the same as for the ocho), and to pivot A LOT to really work the down to up spiral of the body. The free leg being truly free is a consequence of the standing leg being very strong and supportive. The bra line is where the body separates top to bottom, not in the arms -- that´s cheating (using the arms to keep the chest toward the Leader). The key to boleos is the pivot of the standing leg -- Follower needs to keep the bra line with the Leader, and keep her standing leg strong with LOTS of PIVOT at the foot. For the with boleos, we did the front and back, left and right. We also did contra boleos, front and back, left and right. Regarding Maestra´s thoughts on boleo Follower technique, she believes the free leg need to be really free, so it is OK that the legs open up a little bit (as opposed to the school of thought where the thighs need to be together and/or one knee has to be behind the other). She also believes a true boleo (not a lying cheating one) will have a more circular shape as a consequence of the energy going down into the floor first and then the foot coming back up as a consequence of the spiral coming from her foot up the body and the freeness of the leg coming entirely from the hip down (as opposed to a linear up V shaped type of boleo where only the part of the leg below the knee comes up). It was a good class, though exhausting. I now know the wisdom of Maestra´s suggestion that we really take it easy after class and not go to the milongas. But then again, that didn´t stop me...

Luna Palacios Milonga lesson at EAT Centro. I had been looking forward to this class immensely, and was sorely disappointed that I will have to miss her technique classes because of the Intensivo. I have been captivated by her dance style, musical virtuosity and crisp, creative technique. So despite my feet and body being very tired from the Intensivo that afternoon, I made my way over to EAT Centro for this lesson. Maestra ended up being 15 minutes late, and I was getting antsy. All was well though because it turned out to be a very small class -- just three students. This surprised me, as I personally think someone as skilled as a dancer as she is, and with as much International teaching experience, should have a lot of good information to convey, and I was right. Since it was such a small class, part of it was more like a guided practica where Pablo and I worked on some of our milonga issues, which Maestra said was our embrace (it has to be very solid and connected in the chest). Then we did a series of exercises to explore the concept of play in milonga (or embellishments for Leader and Follower). Maestra had us do a series of exercises: while walking back, the beat back of the left foot to the right side of the right foot, back to collection on the left side of the right foot, and then stepping back. While walking forward, the right foot tap back cross, back open, and step forward cross. Then we tried to dance together fitting in these embellishments where time and space in the milonga music allowed. We were to be free to play... It was a disaster... But the point was to feel free to experiment and not be afraid of the mistakes. Next, we worked on a series of exercises to improve our pivots, making us more quick, balanced, and precise. First, it was just walking backward and forward, really collecting at the knees. Then we did a series of grape vines, really focusing on the pivot in our feet. The pivot and the connection in the chest are the most important aspects in milonga to make us more connected to each other, and more agile and responsive in our footwork. Since women are in high heels, they are naturally on the balls of their feet in milonga. However, for men, who are taught many different ways of stepping (with their heel, on their toes, or with a flat, whole foot), Maestra emphasized that for milonga, the Leader should be slightly forwardly intended on the balls of their feet so that he can step with more precision and pivot better. Maestra noted that Followers have an 6th sense -- they can smell doubt. Therefore a Leader must not have any doubt when he steps or he will lose the Follower. He must step with definiteness of purpose and intention, hence the need for Leaders to step with precision. Maestra noted that the chests for both Leaders and Followers needed to be up and connected to each other so the line isn´t compromised by hunching over or sagging. The goal for embellishing in milonga is to work within the time and space provided by the music, and milonga music provides a lot of time and space to play (even though it seems very fast). We worked the entire class with the same song which had a lot of variation in the stretching of the notes. For the Follower, to embellish, to be able to play with the free leg in milonga, requires that she be very precise and controlled in her free leg. Maestra showed us an exercise to help us get stronger feet: rising up 4 different lengths on your toes to as high as possible (you can press against a wall to do this). It was an excellent class, and I wish I were able to take more of her classes in the future (she has Wednesday and Thursday technique classes at EAT), but the Intensivo schedule won´t allow it. :o(

Miercoles, 27 Mayo 2009
Since we were going to do review, go over Luciana´s terminology (open step versus cross step), and sacadas, Pablo allowed me to cut class and go to Luna Palacios´s technique class at EAT instead. So I made my way over to the new Talcahuano facility, and burst through the door into the classroom. Unfortunately, it was a technique class taught by Cecilia Gonzalez (la otra, no la famosa) -- not that she is a bad teacher (in fact, Cecilia Gonzalez is also an excellent teacher), but I wanted to go to Luna´s class and it entailed a bit of sacrifice for me to attend it (forgoing one Intensivo day). Since Luna wasn´t teaching, I went back outside and told the receptionist that I did not want to take that class, and he gave me my card back. Then I took a cab to Villa Malcolm to attend the half-Day Three of the Intensivo, making it just in time for the review portion. After that, we worked on Leader sacadas first (on Follower´s open steps and cross steps, and with Leader´s open steps and cross steps), then we worked on the Leader leading Follower sacadas into him. It was a good half-day.

Since we were pressed for time to fit in shoe shopping in the afternoon, we had lunch right there at Villa Malcolm, which was decent, quick, and reasonably priced.

A trip to Buenos Aires would not be complete (or really begin?) without a trip to P.H. (Grito de Ascencio 3602 x Cachi, en Pompeya). Their women´s shoe selection has gotten more fashion forward (way to go Lilliana on the design front!), and they have added the option of quick release buckles. In addition, they can add additional arch support or cushioning elsewhere if you ask for it, as my shopping buddy did, and since they do it on site, it can be done while you wait.

Next, we cabbed it over to the Abasto neighborhood, and after having an unremarkable but serviceable dinner at Percerutti (sp?) on the corner of Anchorena and Corrientes, we made our way to Artesanal (Anchorena 537). Nothing there suited our fancy, so we quickly made our way over to Lolo Gerard (Anchorena 607) down the street as it was quite close to closing time (8:00 p.m.). There, we had much better luck as their material selection and styling is exquisite. My shopping buddy remarked about the arch not fitting her foot quite right, and the shopgirls told us that they could add the same arch supporting she got at P.H. Needless to say, she was thrilled. And I was pleasantly shocked and delighted that such modifications could be made. Since Lolo Gerard is not a factory, it would take them 3 days to put the same arch support that it took Lilliana 10 minutes to do at P.H.

It was just 5 minutes to 8:00 p.m., and Pablo was trying to rush us across the street to Tango 8 (LaValle 3101) before it closed. We suggested he go over there, and tell them we were on our way if they could hold the store open for us just a few minutes. Happily, they complied. They had a wide selection of shoes on sale for 200 pesos (shoes are normally 320+ pesos), one of which I scored.

April 30 - May20

Thursday, April 30, 2009
Verdi’s Back Champagne Celebration – It seemed the entire SF Bay Area community came out to celebrate the grand reopening of the Verdi Club Thursday night milonga as Victor passes the organizing torch to Cristy and Adolfo. It was super crowded, and floorcraft was problematic. Still, it was nice to be among such a vibrant crowd, with a good showing by the CCSF tangueros. Pulpo and Stephanie and Luis Bianchi & Daniela Pucci did separate performances, which I suppose were fantastic, but I could only see the tops of their bodies from where I was standing (in the back along the wall on a chair). Though I didn’t partake in any, the food looked good. It’s nice to have another Thursday night milonga option, and at such a nice place (great floor, good ventilation, excellent DJ).

Saturday, May 2, 2009
Colgada Boot/Heel Camp with Luis Bianchi & Daniela Pucci
1:45-3:15pm Making Colgadas Effortless: All Secrets of Colgada Technique
3:30-5:00pm Linear, Circular and Continuous Colgadas in Open and Close Embrace
5:15-6:45pm Challenging Combinations! Mixing Colgadas with Sacadas, Ganchos and More

First workshop: We began with basic technique, and maestros noted that our real work would begin after the workshop (when we practiced doing colgadas 10,000 times). The basic idea is that you find the colgada from the walk; it is an interruption of a step. Thus, we began with walking exercises with emphasis on Follower’s technique. We first focused on our hip movement. When we reach back in our walking back step, our hip movement should be more like riding a bicycle, pushing from our hip. Also, we were not to fall backward on the step (no kerplunking). The standing leg moves forward into the ball of the foot as the other leg reaches back. For the Leader, he should have forward intention on the balls of his feet, and be very grounded and anchored into the floor. The Leader needs to work with his axis too, creating a wave, crossing the axis when the weight transfers. His movements should be controlled, with less impulse. We did some walking exercises, with our hands palm to palm, dancers facing each other. As Follower crosses the axis, the Leader feels Follower’s weight and moves forward to counterbalance her up. The Leader’s energy is maintained up, like over the hill, and then down. When the Follower is at axis, this is the apex of the hill. Follower should not go down or sink in her steps. From this walking exercise, we started with very simple, basic colgada. Here, the Leader and Follower walk; then he lets her out straight back in a little colgada, then he brings her back to axis and they walk. This is similar to a linear boleo, but in the linear boleo he keeps her axis closer and keeps her body up (whereas it goes down in the colgada after cresting the hill). Next, we worked on suspending this, with the Leader walk around as Follower’s leg remains straight back in colgada. Here, the Leader needs to respect the Follower’s axis and not pull her off. The Follower doesn’t need to change anything, but she does need to hold on to the Leader with her left hand on his right arm. The Leader is straight on his axis, but a little backwardly intended. He needs to let her out, but his body must not cross her forward leg as this will destroy any counterbalance.

Second workshop: We started with the Follower doing a back ocho. When she is on her right leg, her left leg goes over and back into colgada. Leader does sandwich with his left leg of her right leg. Follower maintains colgada. Here, there is a circular sensation, doing a circular colgada from the back ocho. Next, we tried to set it up so that there’s already circular movement. So, from the clockwise molinete, the Follower back step is an overturned back ocho; the Leader does a sandwich immediately, letting Follower do a colgada pivot for a while, taking a long time before the Leader’s left leg lands. Technical Point for both: In colgadas, the Movement is not the most important part; BALANCE is the most important part. The Follower steps side right (Leader steps side left); dancers’ upper bodies are in 90% angle to each other. The Follower’s body should be straight and she should be on the balls of her foot near the big toe on her right foot; she needs to be off her heel. Her body should be straight (like a board). The Follower’s hand should be on the Leader’s back or arm. Follower needs to really stretch her body; her left leg comes out in the forward step. In doing a close embrace colgada, we went from forward ocho, to side, to step forward with her right leg, left leg steps over Leader’s right leg; Follower’s left hips go back first, then forward. We can also do this from a counterclockwise molinete on the Follower’s side step with her right foot.

Third workshop: From the forward ocho, we did overturned forward ocho on her left leg forward step; her right leg wraps around the Leader’s left hip. Follower’s right leg goes out circularly as Leader sends her out as they step forward outside in the forward ocho Follower left leg step. We did a counterclockwise molinete; with Follower’s forward left leg with weight on her right leg, her hip goes down, the leg flies out, then gancho of Leader’s right leg. We did some Leader and Follower exercises with the right leg standing and weighted and the left leg free, forward and back. The Leader’s right leg is forward, and Follower back ganchos it and goes forward out. In 90% angle to each other, the Follower is on her right leg while her left leg goes forward, then Leader leads it back to gancho his right leg, paying attention to maintain counterbalance with each other in the chest. Next, we played with sacadas. The Leader does left leg sacada on Follower’s forward step of her left leg in the overturned forward ocho, out to chests in Americana position, to the other leg colgada. Here, there can be continuous colgadas as the Leader keeps going around the Follower. There are also different resolutions: (1) plain; (2) then she steps on her right leg into colgada with her left leg outside, (3) outside colgada with her left leg going up and over with her left leg around. Bottom line about colgadas: It is a regular Follower step that the Leader interrupts.

Sunday, May 3, 2009
Workshops at Alberto’s with Luis Bianchi & Daniela Pucci
3:00 - 4:30 p.m. Explosion & Expression: Spicing up your dance with Rebotes (Rebounds) and Counter Movements
5:00 - 6:30 p.m. Colgada/Volcada Combinations

First workshop: We did some exercises to play with movement. First, the Leader goes to the opposite side of Follower while she does ochos. The goal was for Follower to keep her chest toward the Leader at all times to really feel the contrabody movement and really work her spine. Exercise 2: Connection. With Follower’s right hand against Leader’s left hand, we were to feel compression, counter balance using our bodies, our knees, and our own weight to feel it in our elbow and wrist, and have our shoulder give a little. Exercise 3: We worked on the sensation in the Americana position of stopping and being face to face with each other, and to return back when Follower is on her right leg and Leader on his left leg, really using our hips. Exercise 4: Boleo. Leader extends from shoulder blades. Leader returns with Follower at the same time. Leader plays with different degrees of motion. Leader steps side left; Follower does forward left foot cross step, pivot, right leg boleo, pivot, right leg back step. Here we played with the counter movement around partner after the boleo. The Leader uses his shoulder blades to control where his hips go. Next, we returned back to the closed side, with both dancers facing forward in the Americana (Follower left foot forward, Leader right foot forward). Next, we added a boleo of the Follower’s right leg out to return (back Follower right leg, back Leader’s left leg. Next, we played with rebotes (rebounds). The Follower does forward cross body boleo with her right leg, Follower does back boleo with her right leg; Follower does forward cross body boleo with her right leg. Leader steps in the Americana, does weight change, then does American back step with his left leg. Next, we worked on sacadas. Leader left leg sacada of Follower’s right leg, causing Follower right leg back boleo (while he does quick weight change); Leader steps forward with his right leg, Follower does forward Boleo, transfers weight, then Follower steps back right leg, Leader steps forward left leg out to resolution. We were to be free and relaxed in our shoulders, and really use and stretch the muscles in our back to keep our chests and torsos up, stretching especially on the boleo-ing side.

Second workshop: Colgada and Volcada combinations: Exercise 1: in hand to hand hold while dancers are face to face, Follower’s right leg goes back, then Follower’s right leg goes forward. Here, we were to imagine two chairs, and try to sit, working back and forth on compression and resistance, and moving the axis back and moving the axis forward. The Follower needs to control her center with her supporting, standing leg. The Follower’s leg goes back, but not down, and the leg goes forward, but not down. If the Leader releases, the Follower walks back. This exercise was to help us understand the concept of how we balance our partner. The step: Follower left leg volcada into 90-degree right leg colgada. From the regular Follower left leg volcada, the Leader adds extra impulse at the end front cross of her left leg over her right leg, the strength of which sends the Follower’s right leg straight back out into colgada because of the strong tuck of the left leg. Here, if dancers are in 90% angle to each other, Leader can lead a colgada to the side, and then return her to axis. Next, we played with pivot around the Follower. While Follower is on her left leg, the Leader steps around her; as he steps back with his left leg, then forward with his right leg. For these steps, the Follower’s posture is key with strong core engagement and staying as upright as possible. Her hips should be relaxed as her left leg goes into the volcada and right hip is free as right leg goes into colgada. Next, we did a combo: The Leader’s right leg sacada of Follower’s right leg to an outside side right leg colgada, back into to front cross (during which Leader goes back with his left foot), into a left leg volcada (during which Leader steps forward with his right leg). We were to try mixing all three types of movements, twirling around each other.

I found Luis and Daniela to be excellent teachers, with a clear, thoughtful and organized instructional style, and fun, entertaining delivery. This series of colgada workshops was an excellent way to learn and drill the material, and it began at a very basic level, bit also had material that would be interesting and beneficial for those who are more familiar with colgadas.

Wednesday, May 6, 2009
CCSF Classes with Chelsea Eng. Since we were close to the end of the semester, this was review day. In Follower’s Technique, we reviewed our musicality and adornment walking exercises, along with our core strengthening, balance, and flexibility floor exercises, and our tango technique barre exercises. In Advanced, we focused on milonga, and she taught us “the waggle”, which we learned last semester. It’s a crouching step of the Follower’s left leg going back cross right, and then back out to the left side, and the Leader doing mirror image with his right leg forward. Here’s the step done by Luna Palacios and Oliver Kolker at 0:37-0:43 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uz7C_MbhrOM&feature=channel_page. As usual, it was an excellent class.

Saturday, May 9, 2009
Ernest Williams workshop: Super Connection & Communication Tango -Learn to evoke a truly sublime experience within the closed embrace (Int). We began with a discussion of “tango moments” – those really great dances we have with people where there feels like there is a profound sense of oneness/connection. These tango moments can happen to just one person of the couple, or two people. We are to try to find our own “tango moment” through the embrace. We begin with working on internal stuff, as it is an introspective journey. This was a close embrace, apilado class, so we focused on dancing slower, with slower movements. We started with standing and closing our eyes, and just being in me. Next, we started a connection exercise with the Follower’s hand on Leader’s chest, working on weight transfers, specifically lifting our front foot before settling back on our back foot. This causes the Follower to lean much more on the Leader than she normally does. The goal was to not let the Leader fall, but to keep the pressure on his chest consistent, as well as the usual fluidity of weight transfer and our free leg having to be really free. Next, we attempted this pressure/connection in close embrace. The Follower really needed to stay forward in her chest, pressing against the leader, as her leg reached back to step back. Next, we did another connection exercise with the Leader and Follower in close embrace, with leader moving his upper body every which way, but with the dancers trying to stay connected as much as possible from sternum to belly and with pressure like in the other exercises. The goal here was for the Follower to melt into the Leader. Maestro mentioned that Mariana Flores once mentioned that in getting into the embrace, the Follower should try to get right into all the cracks and crevices of the Leader. For all this to work, the Follower needs to trust, and the Leader needs to provide support (but not be too stiff). We concluded by dancing with each other, trying to maintain connection and pressure from sternum to belly. Afterwards, we discussed whether or not any of us felt any “tango moments” by dancing this way. I didn’t, though I did give the sensation to other people. Maestro said that I need to give more to myself when I dance, not just give to my partner.

Saturday, May 9, 2009 Luiza Paes & Adam Hoopengardner workshops
2:00-3:30 p.m. Contact & propose
4:00:-5:30 p.m. Cortes y quebradas - expression phrasing, pauses

Crazily enough, when I was waiting for maestros’ workshops to start, I was (figuratively and literally) called upon to drive maestros down to Sunday’s workshops in Alberto’s in Mountain View from their apartment in San Francisco. (Imagine seeing maestra talking on the phone, asking for Anne’s number, writing it down, then dialing it….a cell phone rings in my purse which is three chairs away from maestra…I go answer it… Then heaving a conversation in stereo since we are talking to each other three feet away from each other… “Anne?” “Yes…” “It’s Luiza…” and we look over to each other… and laugh…).

First workshop: The idea was for the Follower to generate ideas to the Leader. Here, the Follower needs to be aware of where the weight is. That way, her free leg can play with his free legs. She touches his leg, and he may or may not accept the proposition/idea. The Leader needs to be stable, with extreme density in his lower half. The point of this workshop was to free ourselves from playing with the same box of toys, to give us a new toy to play with. We began with an exercise to work on stability, and reaching or covering up mistakes. The first exercise was an awareness exercise where the Follower goes from back ocho into cross system mistakenly, as if she is a clueless beginner, and see if Leader can feel it and what he does in response. Next, we did an exercise where the Leader walks forward and the Follower dances doing whatever she wants around/in front of him. His goal is to keep moving forward, and her goal is to be independently strong. Next exercise: Leader walks forward very slowly using four beats per step and maintaining smoothness. The Follower moves however she wants, but she plays with the steps and makes contact with his feet. The Follower strongly influences things, and suggests things. She needs to be aware of her axis, her free foot needs to be present, and the goal is like trying to have eyes in your feet (NOT ON your feet), always seeing/knowing where his feet is and playing with them. Next exercise: The Leader walks, steps sides, or leads ochos, but changes the tempo; Follower plays with his feet. Next exercise: In the embrace, every step we take, the dancers feet touch each other’s. Here, everything is happening on the floor, and our chests/upper bodies move as a consequence of what is going on in the floor (this is the exact opposite of what we are taught when first learning how to tango). Next, we discussed posture, attitude and musicality, and the concept of dancing airy versus dense. Followers can transmit the intention of how we want to be led (airy or dense). We tried this while doing the ocho cortado, really slowing things down at the point of pivot, by keeping our left leg back out and extended as it sweeps around. Of course any type of slowing down needs to make sense musically – which means the Follower has to know the music.

Between workshops, maestros were hungry, so Adam, Pablo and I went over to Susie’s café, where the retro charm and friendly service surpassed the food. But we were starving and Mars was closed, so we made due with Susie’s hamburgers and tuna melts. Adam mentioned that they took public transit over to La Pista, which was surprising to me, though I suppose most folks in NYC and Buenos Aires do use public transit. We also spoke a little bit about his life in NYC, and time spent teaching tango (workshops versus festivals).

Second workshop: A “cortes” is an interruption of the music re-emphasizing the music by REALLY stopping. A “quebrada” is really twisting the Follower, with dancers intertwined around each other, touching seemingly from knee to neck. There is a lot of spinal torque, and our pivot needed to be very sharp and snappy. We worked nearly the entire class to Donato’s “Carnival de mi Barrio” so that we could really know the song, and could punctuate appropriately since knowing where to do the quebrada and cortes are just as or more important than how to do it. In doing the quebrada, the Leader’s slight left tells the Follower that the quebrada is coming.

After the workshop, Pablo and I drove maestros back to their apartment since they needed to be at the Late Shift later on and if they took public transit, they basically would have been on buses the entire time back to the apartment and back to Cheryl Burke. This way they at least had a little bit of time to kick back and relax without the SF Bay Area tangueros being all in their face. I asked Maestra where she first learned to tango, and surprisingly, she said in Portland, from Clay. She came to the area to study singing and got hooked on tango. Maestro came to tango when he saw it being done in Paris at a private room in a fancy restaurant.

Sunday, May 10, 2009 Luiza Paes & Adam Hoopengardner workshops
2:00-3:30pm Musical adornments for leaders and followers
4:00-5:30pm Musical ganchos and boleos

Bright and early, Pablo and I made our way over to maestros’ apartment. During the drive to Alberto’s we chatted amicably. Maestra travels 8-9 months out of the year, and considers BsAs home. Maestro is based out of NYC, and typically teaches with Ciko. I asked what the best way for a new dancer to learn tango was. Maestra said to study study study (take lessons, practice what you learned). Maestro said you need to dance at least two hours ever day for at least six months. The most exotic place Maestra taught was Japan; Maestro the US Virgin Islands during a beauty pageant. They both knew immediately that they wanted to teach (not just dance well or perform).

First workshop: The best adornments are the ones that the Leader doesn’t feel, so they do not interrupt what the Leader is doing. When a Follower does adornos, she must know the music. First exercise: We listened to Di Sarli’s Organito de la Tarde, really trying to organize the information. The phrase is introduced in the beginning, and is repeated throughout the song, but reproduced using different musical instruments. Our recognition of the repetition helps us understand the space in which we dance. In the quarter beat, we can find the Leader’s pattern/flow. Exercise: Leader walks on the beat, collecting on the half beat; Follower can collect faster, but still step on the beat. The goal here in collecting faster is so that from walking, we can add the adornos of the tap, tuck (beat back), beat, drag. Next exercise: One person dances as the piano, and the other person dances as the violin, both dancers in no embrace. Here, we tried to express in our dance the variation of the instruments in the first phrase, and the mood of the instrument (sharp, soft). Next exercise: Leader steps side left, Follower steps side right, Leader walks around her, dancing with adornos and musical emphasis, while Follower is the center and doesn’t do anything. To be in charge, you need to know more. Listen to the music and make the music a part of you. Next exercise: Leader and Follower do embellishments, with one the center of the circle, and the other going around. The center does not move from the spot until it is necessary from a body spinal torque perspective. Next exercise: The Follower is in the center and dances like/to the violin; the Leader dances around her in a circle and dances the rhythmic part of the music. Concluding remarks from Maestro: Take what you learn in workshops and focus on that at the milonga. You might piss some people off for a few weeks, but eventually, you will get it, but you have to do it for 1,000 hours on the dance floor.

Second workshop: Musical Ganchos and Boleos. Maestros demonstrated what musical ganchos versus non-musical ganchos where. The Follower helps the Leader understand what the song’s musicality should be. For ganchos on the melodic part, the lead and follow is slow. Done on the rhythmic part, it is fast. To lead ganchos, the leader has to place the Follower next to him. The timing is “rah” – “ting” – “boom” – “jhoom”
Rah =
Ting = twist; where the Leader’s toe wraps around the Follower’s heel
Boom = gancho; Leader’s heel is up during the gancho
Jhoom = step forward for Leader, back for Follower, out to resolution

Exercise 1: Leader places Follower in different places around him without moving his feet (just move his chest, arms). The Follower should always keep her hips with the Leader. Exercise 2: The Leader pushes from his left leg with purpose behind himself to take the step and change with onto that leg. Ganchos are interrupted steps of the Follower when she is trying to collect. In ganchos and sacadas, the positions are almost the same, but the feeling is different (away versus together). Next, in 90 degree to each other, Follower’s right leg ganchos Leader’s right leg. Here, the Follower can’t float away, she needs to step near the Leader. Next, we did the same gancho, only the Leader catches the Follower’s right leg between his knees, then sends it back out after catching it. The Leader should use his hips, bringing his left hip and whole body into the movement. Leader closes his hips/thighs. The Leader’s right leg flows around with the Follower’s right leg out to resolution, swooping around and down (“jhoom”). Here, the Leader must follow the Follower’s hips and legs on his exit. Then we tried to get musical with it, doing it from the walk, and from the ocho cortado (whereby it is complimented with counter energy). We were really trying to match the music with the boom (gancho). To do the boom (gancho) on “1”, the preparation has to be earlier (on “3”).

The last two days’ workshops with Luiza and Adam were excellent, and were more like group privates since turnout was not high (likely because of the Mother’s day holiday and several other maestros being in town at the same time). They are both enthusiastic teachers, and there was plenty of individual attention to each couple, and feedback for every Leader and Follower.

Café Cocomo Milonga with lesson beforehand by Luiza Paes & Adam Hoopengardner. Here, we did a series of combinations in parallel system, that mostly focused on back crosses of the left and right legs. We began with rock steps, and trying to create a back cross from there, whereby the Follower’s right leg hooks behind her left leg, immediately into the left foot hooking behind the right foot in a diagonal line. During this time, the Leader does a forward cross. Leader uses the bounce of the rock step to go forward in the forward cross. Follower tries to step through, away from Leader, and Leader tries to hang on. The energy is similar to colgadas, only the Leader moves her swinging out and then the leg back in to settle into a back cross. The milonga itself was good; I had more fun that night than I had ever had there. Maestra celebrated her birthday with chocolate cake, and a vals to die for – it seemed that every local maestro and maestra in attendance gave her a whirl around the dance floor. I got to dance with maestro.

Wednesday, May 13, 2009
CCSF classes with Chelsea Eng. In Follower’s Technique, we did a review of our floor exercises before our practicalonga for Advanced. It was a good class.

Wednesday, May 20, 2009
CCSF classes with Chelsea Eng. It was the last day of the semester, so we had 2 hours of practica time, followed by a Feldenkrais class co-taught by another CCSF faculty member, followed by a half hour of body awareness / lead-follow exchange exercises that built on that Feldenkrais class.



So maybe some of you have been curious why I’ve fallen so far behind on my weekly writing. Well, like all artists, sometimes I run into experiences in my life that kill my inspiration (or drastically derail it). I recently had such a series of experiences. Am I over it? Time will tell. And on a practical level, I was also studying for a professional licensing exam…and yay for me… I passed!!!! So congratulate me, because now I am Anne, NCG (soon to be CLPF, as soon as I fork over the huge licensing fee).

Join me tonight… Verdi club milonga with lesson beforehand by Oscar Mandagaran and Georgina Vargas.

Then after that Scouting Tour continues in Buenos Aires for two weeks covering Luciana Valle’s Intensivo (if I have any strength at the end of the day), with supplemental blurbs from Luna Palacios’s milonga class at EAT (I am TOTALLY stoked about that!!!!), visits to P.H. and Galauno, and milongas at Sunderland, Sin Rumbo, Maipu 444 on Sunday/Monday, etc.