Monthly Archives: October 2011

In Memoriam Anne-Sophie Ville

Posted on October 31, 2011 by

We will miss her.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged | 6 Comments

The gaze

Posted on October 30, 2011 by

I am cringing as I clutch the tiny silver box which has so much power to do me psychological harm. A Pandora’s box that releases Disappointment, Disbelief, Frustration and Embarrassment into my mental world. That drags me outside my comfort … Continue reading →

Posted in Frustrations, Practising | Tagged | 9 Comments

Retaining Shoshin*

Posted on October 26, 2011 by

Warning: This post unavoidably gets a little technical. On the whole, I try to avoid this, as I don’t find it useful to talk in detail about tango technique without being able to demonstrate what I mean. (I am a … Continue reading →

Posted in Buenos Aires, La María Práctica, Practising, The embrace | 12 Comments

The beginner who didn´t know that he was one

Posted on October 23, 2011 by

“Do you like this song?” he asks hesitantly, the slightly crumpled lines of his face betraying the timidity of a man who has received many rejections. I have been gazing up at the DJ, whose handsome, dark eyes are visible … Continue reading →

Posted in Bad dancing, Beginners, Buenos Aires, Divertango, Floorcraft | 32 Comments

Two Beginners

Posted on October 20, 2011 by

She watches with round eyes. A dozen couples, almost all of them young Argentines, circle the floor in the somewhat dingy, windowless, echoey, grey-on-grey space of El Juvenil. People are slurping from a communal mate gourd; grazing on a plate … Continue reading →

Posted in Beginners, Buenos Aires, De Querusa Practica | 7 Comments

Somatic musicality

Posted on October 19, 2011 by

Today’s blog post will be rather different from usual. Instead of sharing a mini narrative with you, I am going to jot down some musings on musicality and dance which have been racing around in my head, demanding to be released onto paper … Continue reading →

Posted in Canaro, Musicality, Orchestras | 20 Comments

Natural Selection

Posted on October 16, 2011 by

When you think of Buenos Aires, dear reader, do you think of sober older dancers — suited and brillcreamed — dancing close embrace at packed milongas; traversing the dance floor in a perfect circle; expressing their musicality through the tiniest … Continue reading →

Posted in Buenos Aires, Milonga 10, Tango Styles | Tagged | 14 Comments

Decorations

Posted on October 13, 2011 by

Hmmm, I think, this will be interesting. She is a tall, handsome Italian woman with a beautifully precise and, above all, clean style of following, largely free from superfluous decorations. It is like strong, black coffee in a slender espresso … Continue reading →

Posted in Active following, Decorations, Laurenz, Musicality, Orchestras | 8 Comments

Milonga Sweet Milonga

Posted on October 10, 2011 by

For a moment, as I survey the scene, I am a little disappointed. There is only a scattering of men, in their dull blacks, browns, greys and whites, occupying their traditional places at each end of the room, while the … Continue reading →

Posted in Buenos Aires, Decorations, El Beso, European versus Argentine tango customs, Multiple tandas with the same leader | 19 Comments