Today I lost a long-running battle with Fede … He kept wanting me to use cross-system, arguing that it would open up a whole new world of possibilities. I kept resisting because I felt like it would open up a whole new world of complications.
But as what I wanted was more simple ways to turn, and he said the answer to this was to be found in cross-system, I relented …
Continue reading Finally losing the cross-system battle, and ‘the best you’ve ever danced’
I’d always shied well away from the Tango Space intermediate class, having seen the end of the Tuesday class a number of times. It always looked like a complex sequence, well in excess of my step memory.
But several friends told me I’d like the Thursday version with Luis, not because the final sequences were any shorter, but because he has a strong technique focus and breaks down the sequences really clearly – though it turned out Pablo and Amy were teaching tonight as Luis was away …
Continue reading A first venture into the Tango Space intermediate class, with cambio de frente
Having re-added giros to my milonga repertoire, two things have become apparent. One, I was worrying unnecessarily about them. My standard was, in fact, perfectly typical of someone at my level.
Two, that isn’t saying very much …
Continue reading One perfect lesson, one beyond me, and the best compliment yet
I hadn’t had the greatest success with vals workshops in the past, so was hoping that the third time might be the charm.
Fortunately, that turned out to be the case – despite the inclusion of a decidedly intermediate-level sequence. My working theory is it’s because I’ve become Irish, and therefore automatically a better dancer …
Until today, the side menu simply listed all previous posts, most recent at the top. You could just scroll all the way down to the very first post.
But it seems WordPress thinks I write too much …
Continue reading Why the side menu has changed (aka I write too much)
Ok, this one, too, might sound a bit like a return to The Crazy Days, with a practica, group class and milonga all in one evening – but it’s not as bad as it sounds.
Tonight’s Tuesday milonga was temporarily relocated to O’Neill’s this week due to redecoration at the normal venue. As there was no separate room for lessons, they were offering an all-levels class which sounded like it might be fun (‘Tango Secrets’). Plus the milonga was likely to be crowded given the smaller space, so I thought the pre-class practica might be a good plan if I hoped to do any walking …
Today was a little like going back in time to my crazy days of tango, when I signed up for every class and workshop on offer, peaking at seven classes and a milonga in one week.
Today was a two-hour practica, a 90-minute intermediate class and a milonga …
I had to work late, meaning I would – shock! – not make it there for the start of the Tuesday Tango Space milonga.
I like to be there early for one of two reasons. One, I love to walk, and at most milongas the floor will be at its emptiest at the start. Two, at the Tuesday milonga, most people there have already done a class so many only stay for the first hour of the milonga – so that’s the main window of opportunity when it comes to dancing with my fellow students …
I could only make the final hour or so of the Spitalfields milonga, and had four tandas, two of which were hilarious for different reasons.
Regular readers will know that when it’s clear I’m dancing with an experienced follower, I will do my best to create space for her dance via the parada-and-pause approach: lead a parada, pause, relax the embrace and see what happens. Prior to tonight, I would have said there were three levels of response to this – plus a level zero …
Continue reading Two hilarious tandas at the Spitalfields milonga
journey of a trainee tanguero 
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