Last lesson

this last lesson gave me a lot of confident. As chuck sort of reviewed steps with us, i realized how much i had really learned. And although maybe I just learned some of the easiest and most basic steps, I know that I can mix all of those steps wherever I want and it looks like I actually know what I am doing. I realized how much easier the steps were coming to me the more time I practiced them, I dint have to think as long and I hardly ever looked down on my feet. I also noticed my posture improved a lot more which made it easier for me not to look down to my feet but also for my partner to understand what I am trying to lead her into. Overall this class increased my interest for tango. Even if its not something I do right away, its something I am interesting in doing more. I will continue to dance tango whenever I have the chance to take a lesson. Thankfully because of this class I will know where I can access these tango resources that exits in Denver.

Milonga at the mercury

I usually attend the Mercury Cafe for other events. It was great to come in to the Minlonga it really made me love the place more each time. The milonga itself was such a cool thing to watch. Although the majority of the folks there were older than most of us in class there were surprisingly a quite a bit of young folks dancing that night. I had predicted me and who ever else from the class went would be the only young people around but I was wrong. i noticed that all of the older men in the rooms were great dancers though. It seemed as though tango was in their bones, they moved with such patience and determination. The people seemed pretty nice  and welcoming. I felt comfortable being there, I just wished I would have been a little more comfortable and actually danced. I really enjoyed how the alternative music was put in between tandas. It was really cool listening to these modern songs and seeing how tango could easily be incorporated. It seems as thou all that really matters is finding the tango rhythm in every song.

Cultural Event

Attending the milonga at the Mercury Café was an extremely unique and eye-opening experience, and helped my understanding of tango come full-circle. The milonga environment was very cozy and inviting, and everyone seemed very happy to be there and open to dancing with a variety of people. For a while I just sat and watched couples dance and observed the movement around the room. I was amazed to see the unique style and movement present in each different couples dance. I was most interested in watching the followers (particularly since that is my role) and seeing the different ornamentations that they used that we haven’t yet learned. Many of the couples seemed so at ease on the dance floor, and some women even closed their eyes while moving around the room. Other couples seemed tentative, sticking to certain steps and moving more slowly around the room. I wasn’t planning on dancing with anyone but I ended up dancing milonga with a man. This was quite difficult because he dances with more complex attention to rhythm and we haven’t work as much on milonga steps as traditional tango. I got pretty nervous and dropped quite a few steps but it was a good first experience and my partner was very patient and encouraging. I really enjoyed the experience and would love to go to another milonga once I build up the courage and skill to do so as well as cabaceo someone.

Never done learning

Today was our final tango lesson. Around this time of year, students are accustomed to the last lesson of the quarter being a wrap up, and leaving that class feeling like they are the masters of the subject in which they took the class. This class was the first class where I left feeling like I was about 10 years away from even beginning to be able to call myself a master in the subject of Tango dancing. Although this sensation left me with an empty feeling right after class today, it is also one of my favorite parts of tango. Nobody is ever done learning, tango really is a lifetime struggle. In tango, there is no such thing as perfect, there is no such thing as done, and that is really the beauty of this tricky dance. I will miss coming to class every friday and to be honest still do not know if I will continue dancing the tango in the future, but it has been an absolute pleasure getting my start in such a warm and welcoming atmosphere where 'perfection' was never an expectation during the start of nearly everyones tango journey.

Dancing With Javier (event)

A couple of weeks ago I went to tango club while Javier was teaching.  He is a very funny Argentine man and his excitement for the tango is apparent.  Javier also has a method of teaching that really makes sense.  Most of the class we spent on technique rather than steps and I think this really helped my understanding of the basic structure of the dance.  He placed a heavy focus on the embrace, specifically how to lean into one another and dance in a close embrace without losing balance.  Also, his explanations on how to follow enhanced my understanding of the role.  He explained that followers should place some resistance on the leader so that the follower does not go until the leader asks her to.  This also makes the leader pay better attention to his signals, ensuring that he gives clear intention before making a move.  The final thing that Javier focused on was how to keep your partner from changing feet so that you can walk outside of her during the basic eight count.  His explanation of slightly lifting the woman while you change feet to go outside of her helped me to again better understand full intention.  Though I was hardly able to dance in a close embrace, this class really helped my understanding of the dance.  

I never thought Tango could be used as a networking event. I was wrong. I am very excited to meet Dr. Newman of the CU Dental School at Anschutz Medical Campus on Friday. So thank you very much to Ann and Steven! I was also very bummed that it was the last Tango Club of the year. I still had a lot of fun dancing with everyone. I think that I am getting better at piecing different steps together so that I am not doing the same thing over and over and over again. I also figured out that I hate the Vals. Its hard enough for me to listen to the Tango music and then to add that on top of it, its just cruel! It will definitely take a lot more practice and a lot of listening to the music to be decent at dancing to Vals music. It was still a fun evening though, and I had a great time!

Week 8

Tango dance is interests me because it is fascinating that so many people relate and share a strong passion for their love of Tango.  I wonder what it is like at other Tango practices and communities in various areas around the world.  I imagine that not one of them is the same.  They each probably have their own personalities, their own style or tweak in how the dance is portrayed and practiced.  I am inclined to check out Tango practices and milongas in the San Diego area when I get home for summer and am done studying the dance.