Hold Me Tight & Tango Me Home

I almost forgot to let everyone know about this. There is a new tango-centric book out there, about to be released to the whole wide world on February 9th. Congrats to author/tanguera Maria Finn on this...no small task to conceive/nurture/write/publish a book. Much less experiencing the "stuff" of which the book is made. I'm looking forward to reading it.

Here's the "About the Book" from the website ::

Hold Me Tight and Tango Me Home is the tale of surviving a broken heart. Maria Finn’s husband was cheating. First she threw him out. Then she cried. Then she signed up for tango lessons. It turns out that tango has a lot to teach about understanding love and loss, about learning how to follow and how to lead, how to live with style and flair, take risks, and sort out what it is you really want. As Maria’s world begins to revolve around the friendships she makes in dance class and the milongas (social dances) she attends regularly in New York City, we discover with her the fascinating culture, history, music, moves, and beauty of the Argentine tango. With each new dance step she learns the embrace, the walk, the sweep, the exit she is one step closer to returning to the world of the living. Eventually Maria travels to Buenos Aires, the birthplace of tango, and finds the confidence to try romance again.

And this, from the "Recent Reviews" section of the website ::

“A gracefully rendered memoir of a woman seeking post-divorce healing through tango.”
— Kirkus (Read Full Review)

“A lively debut memoir, brimming with tango history and lore.”
— Booklist

“This story of heartbreak and healing unravels the complexities of tango, which gradually becomes a source of addictive joy.”
— Sally Potter, writer and director of the film The Tango Lesson

“Beautifully told. Maria Finn relays her adventures in the world of tango with excitement, wit, and insight.”
— Robert Farris Thompson, author of Tango: The Art History of Love

“Along with her personal story, involving a trip to a wedding in Buenos Aires and documenting there the gay tango scene, she nicely elucidates the evolution of the dance, through the music of Astor Piazzolla and Carlos Gardel, and traces briefly its flashpoints across the globe, from America to Finland and Turkey.”
— Publishers Weekly

Looks like it's gonna be a goodun'...order yours today...I just did.

Here's her official website :: http://tangomehome.com/

Here' a link to the book store finder on IndieBound...buy locally if you can :: http://www.indiebound.org/indie-bookstore-finder

http://alextangofuego.blogspot.com/2010/01/hold-me-tight-tango-me-home.html

Нужно ли женщинам быть мужчинами в танго?

Не утихают дебаты вокруг женщин играющих мужскую роль в танго. То, что началось, как уличный танец мужчин в Буэнос Айресе, теперь продолжается женщинами, которые ведут  в танцевальных залах всего мира.

Традиционно танго социально и его танцуют мужчина и женщина. Танцевальные заведения Вуэнос Айреса следовали этой традиции только с двумя исключениями в последние годы. Это было редкостью увидеть двух женщин, танцующих друг с другом в традиционных салонах Буэнос Айреса. Недавно я была свидетелем такого явления в танго клубе Lo de Celia. Это был вечер среды, когда танцующих немного. Пара, сидящая рядом со мной, рассматривала кого-то танцевальной площадке. Я сразу поняла, что их внимание привлекли две женщины, танцующие милонгу. Я не видела такого за все 9 лет, которые я посещаю это место.  Было похоже, что женщина тут впервые и потеряв надежду быть приглашенной, подошла к столику другой женщины и пригласила ее на милонгу.  Она играла мужскую роль не слишком удачно. Пока они танцевали, все изумлённо смотрели на них. Хозяйка клуба проходила мимо  моего столика и я сказала, что никогда такого не видела. После того, как закончился их второй танец, охранник сказал новой женщине, что танго клуб Lo de Celia это традиционное место, где женщины танцуют с мужчинами. Обе женщины вернулись за свои столики. Я была немного удивлена тому, что мужчины приглашали ее танцевать и после того, как она продемонстрировала такое пренебрежение традициями.

Позднее, переодевая туфли в туалете, я встретила ту женщину, которая была приглашена новенькой. Я спросила ее, как это произошло. Она мне объяснила, что просто на знала, что сказать или сделать, когда та подошла к ее столику. Она знала женщину по другой милонге и просто растерялась. Ей было некомфортно танцевать, потому что до этого она танцевала только с мужчинами.  Освободило её вмешательство охранника.  Ситуация разрешилась быстро и тихо. Но это определенно заметили все.

Сегодня все больше женщин учат других танцевать танго и соответственно учат мужской роли. Рикардо Видорт сказал, что как только женщина научилась танцевать как мужчина, она не может больше танцевать как женщина.

Танго это не танец ведущего и следующего. Это танец между мужчиной и женщиной, смесь мужской и женской энергий.

By jantango

http://jantango.wordpress.com/2010/01/25/do-women-need-to-be-men-in-tango/

Navigation... Where it all comes together

When I first saw a tango floor a few years ago, I thought (as many non-tango people thought) that it was a simple dance as there was not much going on. I was so wrong.Is there anything easy in learning Argentine Tango? It seems that things get progressively harder the more I learn, with milonga navigation being one of the biggest struggles I've had to deal with.

I've found that as a leader (in tango), this is where my brain blows up on the dance floor. Why? You have to lead your partner well (which is a lot to think of), dance well (yourself), keep your partner safe, pay close attention to your environment, anticipate the moves of those around you, dance with (acceptable) musicality—Simultaneously MOVING across the floor in erratic heavy dance traffic!

Practice and perseverance have helped me to cope over the years. The following are what I think (I need) to take into consideration while leading my partner though the controlled chaos of a crowded milonga floor...

Going with the ebbs and surges of flow

When I merge onto a milonga floor, the flow does not stay consistent. Depending on what the dancers on the floor do, the flow may ebb into a barely moving mass. Or, turn into a surge moving away and leaving me behind, which forces me to keep up the pace... only to be stopped by another ebb in flow.

This constant shifting of flow on the floor is something a leader must deal with constantly. It's not so bad when the milonga is sparsely attended, a leader will have floor space and is forgiving of mistakes. The challenge happens when I dance in a pack, much like being caught in a very tight cycling peloton where I have to be able to bring to bear, all skills and be flexible in dealing with this conundrum.

My partner needs to be able to trust me... Implicitly!

I dance for my partner. I try to make her look good and feel good. She needs to trust me without question, otherwise that supernatural "Tango enchantment" will not happen.

In order to achieve this level of trust, I try not get carried away and get lost in my own dance that I lose touch of the environment around me. I keep my partner away from the couple using the flailing tango stiletto heels of death. I try to keep her safe from being slashed, stepped on, kicked, cut, and impaled.

I don't use my partner as a battering ram by NOT running her into chairs, tables, walls, posts, and other people.

Giros, molinetes, check steps, rock steps, etceteras

Remember all of that stuff your teachers taught you in tango class? Notably, figures like giros, molinetes, check steps, ocho cortados, rock steps, and other related "stationary-possible" moves.

I talked about "Ebbs" in traffic flow. When this happens, what do you do? You stall, but, gracefully keep moving in place. You don't want to just stop, rather, you need to keep you and your partner moving in poetic motion. This is a good time to use your "Figures."

Respect space, dance small

I respect my space, and the space of others. Its a common courtesy. I learned to dance in as small a space as possible. That way, when I find myself in a tightly packed floor, I can dance a small yet intensely beautiful tango—At least, I try.

I was taught that one should learn to tango in a space (roughly) 4 ft long by 4 ft wide—The size of 4 large floor tiles. Dancing this small also gives me the ability to keep my partner safe from the following:

Overtakers and speeders
Those who are in such a hurry that they feel compelled to overtake everyone in their way (*Cough* I USED to be a perpetrator... Apologies)
Lane-cutters
Those who suddenly cut in front of people (related to the over-taker)
Tailgaters
Those who follow so closely behind other couples (I'm occasionally guilty of this... Sorry)
Windbags
Those who engage in A LOT of trivial talking BEFORE they start dancing. Thus, (inconsiderately) blocking all dance traffic behind them causing a traffic jam.
BIG move dancers
Those who dance big (which is not a problem on a sparse floor) and insist on doing so when the floor is very crowded

I try to dance as smooth as possible

Its easy to march, stomp, and lumber along like an elephant. It's easy to bounce up and down like a ball. All of which makes for an unpleasant experience for my partner.

Being smooth was very difficult for me as it required me to learn to walk by adjusting my gait and how I landed and rolled my feet. I practiced walking in front of the mirror. I (briefly) did the book atop the head thing. I tried to be elegant and smooth, yet still dance manly. Oh, and I had to do all of that with a partner in close embrace... I'm still trying.

The Lynch pin—bringing it all together

So, after learning a lot of the nuances of tango and (trying) to make it special for my partner, it all comes together in moving across the dance floor in a crowded and packed milonga. It's a lot to think of, plan, and execute. It requires A LOT of concentration and care.

There was no easy way to do it, and required copious amounts of practice. In the end it pays off when you get it right.
http://ampstertango.blogspot.com/2010/01/navigation-where-it-all-comes-together.html