I’m not generally going to the pre-milonga Tuesday lesson these days, but the topic was one I must have missed before: ocho cortado with circular movements. That sounded both fun and useful, so I headed over for that.
As it turned out, we didn’t get as far as the circular movement part, but I didn’t mind at all …
Continue reading Making friends with ocho cortados, and my first milonga fix for a fortnight
A couple of my Ms had both suggested I try a new school: Tango y Nada Mas. They run three classes, all on a Monday evening: fundamentals, improver/technique and intermediate/advanced – followed by a one-hour practica.
The plan was to try the improver/technique class, have a drink with M while we sat out the intermediate/advanced one, and then do the practica. This, it turned out, was a very sound plan …
Continue reading Trying Tango y Nada Mas for the first time; a lesson in levels
I’d warned Fede and Julia that I hadn’t danced for a week, and would need to see first whether I could remember how. We danced a warm-up song, and Julia told me I could.
She had one piece of feedback to offer and a number of compliments, but I knew that ratio wouldn’t last when we got to work …
Today was quite a long day. It started with a severe hangover thanks to dinner with friends on Friday night (where there was Drunk Tango), then the anti-Brexit march. It ended with an 8-10pm workshop with Veronica Vazquez.
I’ve done a number of workshops which were billed as pure technique, but many of them include step sequences which I personally find distracting. Fortunately, tonight’s one completely lived up to its billing …
Continue reading A great workshop with Veronica Vazquez: axis, embrace, and a little role-swapping
Los Angelitos is normally my dream milonga. Lots of slow music, and plenty of followers who enjoy it as much as I do. This past Sunday, however, was a relative disappointment.
But the Tango gods made it up to me by giving me my usual Los Angelitos experience at the Tuesday Tango Space milonga instead. This is usually a really good experience, but generally doesn’t hit the heights of LA; tonight it did …
Continue reading Tonight the Tango Space milonga was my Little Angel
There’s a turn I saw once in a Pablo and Anne video and which I’ve seen several times in milongas, and it always struck me as one I ought to learn as it had three characteristics I liked.
First, it looked like it would feel really nice for the follower. Second, it seemed a very practical tool for a milonga, as it allowed a significant turn in a relatively small space. Third, it seemed rather simple. Two of these things turned out to be true …
Continue reading A Diego-engineered turn, and no wonder my barrida was messy!
Today was a rather a mixed day. Started well, went downhill and looked like it wasn’t going to get any better, but was rescued in the end.
It began with the unofficial practica, which we’re currently hosting at home while the numbers permit. There were eight of us today, which was a full house …
Continue reading A mixed day, but began and ended on a high note, so calling it good
My tango engineer, Diego Bado, was back in town, and I had the first of two privates with him today. We started by just dancing so he could give me his current assessment of where my focus should be, and after that we would work on my giro technique.
He complimented me on my musicality, but then we were straight into the long list of technique issues on which I need to work …
Continue reading Engineering my giro technique, and a great way to end them
I’ve long said what I really wanted from intermediate classes was not additional vocabulary, but work on technique within my existing vocabulary. Quality, not quantity, of movement.
Tonight’s* Tango Space class seemed to be promising exactly that …
Continue reading Feeling at home in the Thursday intermediate class
Yeah, this is another lengthy blog post. You know the drill: grab a cup of tea or glass of wine before reading …
Some might argue that a 2-hour practica, 90-minute group class and 3-hour milonga is a touch enthusiastic. Indeed, an unkind person might be tempted to suggest this has shades of a return to The Crazy Days.
Especially as I was doing all of this instead of going to a friend’s birthday party, but then she is a tango teacher so is understanding of the early-stage addiction to all things tango …
Continue reading A really useful hiphop-free practica, and a crowded but fantastic milonga
journey of a trainee tanguero 
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