Tuesday, December 13, 2011

eternal music


Some time ago I met two wonderful elders, parents of a good friend. Knowing they like tango, I made a CD with some of my favs and gave it to them.

My friend's father passed on today and I am listening to the music that I imagine he listened to as well. I play it and listen to it in his honor and good memory - he's done good.

Lagrimas y sonrisas, Rodolfo Biagi
Melodia De Arrabal, Carlos Gardél
Criolla Linda (Tango), Francisco Lomuto Y Su Orquesta Típica
Milonga con Variaciones, Donato Racciatti
El Adios De Gabino Ezeiza, Nelly Omar
Catamarca (Tango), Francisco Lomuto Y Su Orquesta Típica
La Revoltosa (Tango), Francisco Lomuto Y Su Orquesta Típica
El entrerriano, Donato Racciatti
Desde El Alma, Nelly Omar
Mascarita, Pedro Laurenz
Tristezas de La Calle Corrientes, Miguel Calo - Raúl Berón
Un Crimen, Miguel Calo - Raúl Berón
Toda mi vida, Anibal Troilo
Parque Patricios, Francisco Canaro
Balada Para Un Loco, Roberto Goyeneche,Astor Piazzolla Y Su Quinteto

Ah, there is one more, he loved "Los Ejes De Mi Carreta" 

Dear friend, may your journey be light, may your destination be eternal love!

Monday, November 14, 2011

teaching during a milonga

Most of us are aware of the no-no habit of some of us to teach as the dance goes on during a milonga. I absolutely distaste it and would not do it even if my dance partner asks for it. I am there to dance, not to teach. On top of that, I am aware of the disturbance such behavior may create for other dancers.

Well, this past Saturday, at the milonga I and "team Pavadita" host in Gainesville, i observed a flagrant violation of this code. A man, known to like to be "helpful" to his partner by offering an advice while dancing, stopped right in front of me (I was DJ-ing) for a lengthy period of time (it seemed like forever, but was probably something like 20 seconds) explaining something about a giro. The two stood apart and he was explaining, she was listening, others were either waiting or trying to squeeze by. I was about to intervene as they moved on and I felt relieved since I really did not want to create a scene.

During the same song, I saw them stop at the other end of the floor, apparently involved in the same sort of activity. I decided I, as a host, had to intervene. So, I waited for the end of tanda and for the couple to separate and go back to their seats before I approached our man and told him to please not teach during the dance since it disturbs the flow of traffic. He did not take this well.

An hour or so later, I approached him again while he was at his table, suggesting to him that my intervention was not a personal matter but a matter of a host making sure that the dancers have a comfortable environment to dance in. He continued arguing how I was wrong, etc.....

The whole incident was quite unfortunate, but I feel I have to intervene in the interest of the whole group.

Wednesday, June 29, 2011

new and improved

Had a great dinner/evening with my friends Mimi, Wanda, and Gordon last evening -- Mimi had just arrived from her Europe tour of teaching tango earlier in the day. And, of course, things tango were the major conversation. Mimi, being her usual self, never ending to seek and produce more and more ways to bring her experience as a teacher and dancer close to us tango lovers, introduced yet another way of deconstructing the embrace, the central element of the dance.

I tried her suggestions and experienced the "aha!" moment. Unbelievable! Quite a simple concept or realigning various components of the embrace (hands, arms, shoulders, torso, head) in a particular way. You have to see it to believe it. I immediately felt the improvement. Of course, I will now have to play with it and practice until I am completely comfortable so that it enters my subconsciousness and provides a qualitative jump in my dance experience and, hopefully, of that of my partner.

Looking forward to these 10 days with Mimi around (workshops in Tallahassee this weekend and in Gainesville the next). How lucky we are to have two master teachers come teach in the "provinces" - Mimi, the absolute authority on the posture, and Jorge Torres, the pivot and dissasociation guru - thanks to my friend Gordon.

Sunday, June 5, 2011

Pavadita Tango Regional Workshops w/ Victoria y Federico June 25/26

We at Club Pavadita in Gainesville are hosting a tango weekend of fun, learning, socializing, dancing, etc. with our good friends Victoria and Federico conducting wonderful workshops on Saturday and Sunday, June 25/26.

Review our program and if you decide to preregister (before June 25), use the convenient payment/registration via PayPal (you do not need a PayPal account).

(Since this is a past event, no registration for it is available.)