tangobrat

I had the great fortune to attend a 3 day workshop and a private lesson in San Francisco with the legendary Geraldin Rojas and Ezequiel Paludi. Geraldine moves with the ease of a goddess, while Ezequiel moves with a panther-like grace. Geraldin and Ezequeil share an affectionate camaraderie that is heartwarming to witness. They are not only skilled in demonstrating how to do a technique correctly, but also showing what not to do. Ezequiel has a comedic bent to his presentation, and Geraldine makes a willing “fall gal”. Geraldine is the uncontested Queen of Tango, and together she and Ezequiel are the epitome of Tango Royalty.

Geraldin and Ezequiel teach concepts that are a little different than most other tango instructors teach. They emphasize freedom of movement and walking. Here is a rundown of the concepts they conveyed to me:

1. Keep a straight [base] leg.
2. The walk should be natural, like you are walking down the street.
3. The upper body moves freely [contra-body motion], just like you are walking down the street.
4. Feet are in 2 tracks when walking, forward and back. Don’t walk down single track. Better for balance.
5. Tango (for the lady) is just walking (forward, side, back). The walking is changed in direction (pivot), speed, tempo, stopped (baleo, gauncho) , etc by the leader.
6. Pivots are just walking with change in direction.
7. Do not collect. Do not press the knees together. Doing either slows you down, restricts movement, and puts you off balance.
8. Dance with the whole body (independent of the arms). The body moves first, moves freely, then legs and feet follow.
9. Really hold the leader close to you by pressing your hand against his (upper) back. Hold your arms up, and press your hand on his back to hold him close. If he does not like, tough, this is Tango.
10. Pivots start with the body, then hips, then legs and feet follow. The leader leads this by moving his body in such a way that your body follows first and then your legs and feet follow.
11. Leader and follower upper bodies should not always be parallel. Leader and follower upper body moves through being parallel and perpendicular and back to parallel, etc. Give and take of perpendicular motion. This makes Tango dynamic. The whole body moves.
12. Dance within the space of the leader’s arms. The follower can move freely in the entire space.
13. Legs should follow fastest path (physics). If you watch Geraldin’s ochos, she rarely collects but allows her foot to follow the path of least resistance. This results in an economy of motion and grace that is Geraldin’s signature.
14. The leader does not move the lady. The leader moves [his entire body] in such a way that the lady must follow. There is always a lag (~2 secs) between his movement and hers because of inertia.
15. The lady does not “follow”. The lady moves as a natural reaction of the man’s movement.
16. When walking backward or forward, don’t stand in a “V”. Stand with upper bodies parallel so that leader/follower can walk directly backward or forward. This can be done outside partner (you are parallel, but offset, not angled) or inside partner (you are parallel and directly in front of each other). Leaders, do not restrict the motion of your follower. Allow her move/rotate inside your embrace so she can walk directly backward (or forward).
17. Leaders, set yourself up so that you end up where you want to be when she arrives.

Now, learning to do all these things naturally requires a lot of practice. Both dancers put a premium on being on their own axis and economy of motion. As a result, they can move extremely quickly yet gracefully, and fluidly. If you watch their videos, you can see how they move effortlessly, allowing the body to move freely but without any extraneous motion or excessive gestures. The result is a seamless, beautiful connection where they are totally tuned into each other. Gone are the flashy moves of the Javier era. What Ezequiel and Geraldin are about is a smooth, effortless, graceful and total connection.

Argentine Tango is the “dance of the heart”. Tango is a conversation between leader (masculine energy) and follower (feminine energy). To dance well requires connecting with your partner.

Learning to dance Argentine Tango can be intimidating. The key to dancing well is to learn the basics, which are easy steps (if you can walk, you have the ability to tango), and to master them – i.e. learn them well enough so you don’t have to think too much when you do them. This is a simple thing, but not so easy for most people because most of us tend to think too much. Tango is more about the connection, less about the steps, or thinking about the steps. It is only when you get to the point when you don’t have to think too hard that, ahhhhh, that is when the tango “magic” begins to happens. Once you experience that magic, you will fall irrevocably in love with Tango.

Argentine Tango is FUN no matter what level you are at. We are lucky to live in the Bay Area. There are plenty of lessons (group and private), practicas, and milongas going on every day of the week. No matter what level you are there is always somewhere you can go to dance, and there is always someone to dance with. Lessons are a good idea at all levels. You never know what you will learn or who you will meet. The Bay Area is fortunate to have many world-class instructors, both in residence and visiting.

Most lessons are inexpensive (sometimes free!), and partners are typically not needed except for the most advanced classes. Most instructors say that you will improve faster if you dance with different partners. Everyone has a different style and you will dance better with some people than with others. However, you will become a better dancer as you learn to accommodate various partners’ style.

It is a good idea to find an instructor that you like, and stick with that instructor for awhile. That is not to say you can’t try other instructors too, but it is safe to say that when you find someone whose dancing and communication style feels comfortable to you, you will probably improve faster with that instructor. And when you begin to master the tango basics, you will begin to experience the “magic” that can happen when you are in tune with your dance partner.

There are also a number of Practicas and Milongas happening on any given day, many with great free refreshments. And no, you don’t have to be single to come, or an advanced dancer. Tango is for everyone!

“Dancing is an experiment to bring your body, your mind and your soul, in tune. When, through the movement, the body and the mind are flowing and melting into each other, when the two become one, a certain alchemy starts happening. That’s why you see a new kind of grace on the face of the dancer, it is alchemical – the body-mind meeting, merging, becoming one rhythm, one harmony. When this harmony has happened then the third, the soul, starts entering into it. The soul can enter into your existence only when your body and mind are no longer in conflict, when your body and mind are deep in love, embracing each other…. that’s what happens in dance. Then immediately you will find the third entering also.”

Osho from: Sufis, the People of the Path

My first exposure to Argentine Tango occurred at Naropa University.  The class was called “Tango from the Heart”.  The concept was a movement class where the primary goal was to establish a “heart” connection with your partner.

Now, 10 years and many, many tango classes later, I have finally gained enough experience where I can reliably establish that heart connection with most dance partners, male or female.  I cannot establish this connection with everyone, though.  The caveat is that my partner must carry a similar frequency to mine if we are to connect. 

What is this “heart” connection in Tango?  The connection feels like you are ”coming home” to the place where you belong, to the warm embrace of a loved one.   It is a place that is deep inside each of us that is the Source of all that is, a space that is peaceful and loving. 

Have you ever been to a place and immediate felt like you have come home? I felt it the moment I stepped off the airplane on the Big Island of Hawaii.  That is what the Tango Connection feels like.  There is something profound in this connection that makes tango dancers the nicest people in the world.  It also keeps us tango dancers coming back for more.