I wrote last time about my challenge with motivation. About the wonderful theory of lockdown being the perfect time to hone our technique, and the less wonderful practice of dancing feeling like such a distant dream it’s hard to maintain the motivation.
I had figured out one thing that helped a little with technique exercises …
Continue reading Dancing the exercises, and three levels of collaborative dance
A lot of friends seem to be having similar experiences with the lockdown at present. There’s this idyllic theory, that we could be using all the extra time we have productively. Writing plays. Learning languages. Reorganising our homes. Doing tango technique exercises.
And then there’s the reality, which is not feeling the motivation to do any of these things …
Continue reading Tango in lockdown: motivation, practice and confidence
Aside from a single tanda with Steph a month ago, it’s been seven weeks since I last danced. Worse than that, I haven’t done much solo practice either – which is unusual for me.
I realised it’s because I just haven’t felt motivated without the reward of dance. Usually, I do regular solo practice, then get to feel the difference it has made within the next two or three days. With no milongas, it felt like all work and no payoff …
Continue reading My first time dancing for seven weeks – and it showed …
Where there’s a will, there’s a way, right?
I had a private scheduled with Fede and Julia before the apocalypse, and we decided to try a video lesson as an experiment. This did lead to a bit of an argument between us …
Continue reading Another tango first: a remote private via video
Drunk tango can be a lot of fun; hungover tango, not so much.
After very much over-indulging with neighbours on Friday night, I was still feeling exceedingly delicate by the time my private started at 4.30pm on Saturday. The first song was so bad I think Julia was planning to send me back to the first beginner’s class …
Continue reading Calesita and planeo fun, despite an unpromising hungover start!
There’s bad news and good news with pure technique lessons. The bad news is that, because you’re always working with the fundamentals, it can feel like: what, this again/still? And today’s lesson was working on basics:
Continue reading A private that was hard work for all the right reasons
I know, a lesson in improvisation sounds like a contradiction in terms, but it was a private I really needed!
In trying to work toward truly improvised dance, I need a better understanding of the core elements and the possibilities. I also need to find ways of freeing myself from auto-pilot. I can kind of do that when dancing quickly, but slow dance tends to gravitate back to my core vocabulary …
Continue reading A lesson in improvisation, switching between lead and follow
This weekend was going to be pretty tango-centric, with a practica and private on the Saturday, and a milonga on the Sunday.
Saturday got the weekend off to an excellent start …
My last lesson with Maeve was way back in March of last year, when we devoted a two-hour lesson to following instead of leading. That turned out to be one of my most valuable lessons.
Today’s lesson was me leading, but the theme was very much the same …
Continue reading Around and around: an excellent ocho technique class with Maeve
Scheduling challenges meant I didn’t have any private lessons last month, but now have three arranged for this month: two with Maeve while she’s in London, and resuming my regular privates with Fede and Julia toward the end of the month.
A lot changed for me in BsAs, so I realised I needed to take a fresh look at what I wanted to get out of my privates. Two elements are easy …
