The Topic is Tango

Posted by joegrohens at 03:44 PM | Comments (0)

Research on high heels and flip flops

A new study suggests that walking down stairs while wearing heels raises the chance of foot and ankle injuries. But don't go too far the other way: A second study shows that flip-flops may lead to lower-leg pain.

High-heel researcher Lalitha Balasubramanian says several studies have shown that just walking down the street in heels can lead to everything from blisters and bunions to backaches and sprained ankles.

In what she believes is the first study of its kind, Balasubramanian and colleagues looked at the motion of the ankle joint in 11 college-aged women as they descended a flight of stairs. Balasubramanian is a graduate researcher in bioengineering at Louisiana Tech University in Ruston.

Posted by joegrohens at 03:34 PM | Comments (0)

April 02, 2008

dance and the brain

via mash on tango-l

THE DANCING BRAIN

"How can watching one dance performance, whether classical ballet or the newest modern choreography, be so engaging—even thrilling— and watching another leave us indifferent? Dutch choreographer and researcher Ivar Hagendoorn argues that contemporary neuroscience points at the answer. The limbs move, but it is the brain that dances."

Posted by joegrohens at 12:10 PM | Comments (0)

Recoleta

Beatriz sends me links to several of the artistic masterpieces of monuments that one finds in Recoleta.

above Liliana Crocciat



Rufina Cambacerres



Luz María García Velloso -La Dama de Blanco-

Posted by joegrohens at 11:32 AM | Comments (0)

March 19, 2008

yvonne on tango styles 2

See also: Interview with Yvonne for El Once

Firenze ... KI DOJO ... Tango - Articles - Styles of Tango, Part I

Continue reading "yvonne on tango styles 2"

Posted by joegrohens at 02:28 AM

Yvonne Meissner on Tango Styles

Firenze ... KI DOJO ... Tango - Articles - Styles of Tango, Part II

INTERVIEW “STYLlES OF TANGO” - Part II

Tango de Salon - Stile Milonguero - Stile Tango Apilado

Interview with Yvonne Meissner

(translation E. Marsiglia)

We continue the interview with tango teacher Yvonne Meissner concerning the different styles and terminologies of Argentine tango, which was published in 2000 on the “E-American List”.

(Y = Yvonne, J = giornalista)

J:        We’ve arrived at the term “Tango Salon”. I have heard different definitions of this, such as Club Style, Milonguero Style and others, but do these expressions always refer to the same style of tango?

Y:        The expression Tango Salon encompasses all the styles of tango which are danced in a social context where, collectively, it is necessary to consider the movements of other couples. The name itself derives from the kind of place in which it is danced. It was born in the 1940s, when the middle classes began to attend the milongas (dance halls), and has two particular characteristics: 1) that the couple keeps the front part of their bodies and their shoulders directly facing each other throughout the entire dance, and 2) that the couple respects the speed and direction of the “ronda” (the rotating movement of the entire group in the milonga). Also in this salon style the dancers keep their heels on or as close as possible to the ground and do not execute figures that might interfere with other couples on the dance floor. The essential feature is that the dancing remains within the physical space created by the couple.

Salon Tango can also be danced with a close embrace, as many tango tourists to Buenos Aires have noticed. This was, and remains, the practice in the centre of Buenos Aires, whereas in the Salon Tango of the barrios, or outer districts (Saavedra for example) the dancers keep a certain amount of space between the leader and the follower, while still maintaining the other features mentioned above. In the province of Buenos Aires (for example Avellaneda) the couples assume a horizontal V position with the apex at the right hand shoulder of the leader. Salon Tango uses steps that we can still define as “figures”, but these are not pre-determined and are not always danced from the beginning to the end of the sequence, as they can be interrupted according to the sense of the music and the available space in a salon.

J:        We can say then that the term Tango Salon refers to all the styles of tango that are danced socially, but how many of these styles exist?

Y:        There are a number of forms of Tango Salon: Tango Liso, for example, is a simple tango walk. At most, the follower is led into a cross, but there are no turns or other figures. This form of tango was born at the beginning of the forties, when a part of the middle class in Argentina became interested in the tango and began to frequent the milongas (the daughters always being accompanied by some member of the family). They wanted to experience the pleasures of the new dance without having to mix with the lower social classes, who had been dancing the tango since the end of the thirties. Some of their figures, the ‘gancho’ for example (which in the thirties was only performed by men) or other similar sequences, had a sexual connotation both for the dancers and for those watching. Because of this, Tango Liso became the only form of tango that the daughters of the ‘respectable’ classes were allowed to dance. Some milongueros today still dance the Tango Liso but only in the authentic milongas, which the tango tourists do not normally attend. Tango Confiteria and Club Style are also forms of Tango Salon which are danced socially in the milongas, either with a close embrace or with a certain distance between the leader and follower

J:        Tell me ’one last thing’: what differentiates Milonguero Style from Apilado Style?

Y:       The Milonguero or Close Embrace Style are terms which describe the tango danced by the milongueros of Buenos Aires in contrast to the Tango Fantasia which was introduced by Todaro, and is now danced throughout the greater part of Europe. In 1993, a performing group of authentic milongueros came to Holland and taught what they called the Milonguero Style, which, for them, was just a general term for Tango Salon, but because they danced with a close embrace, Milonguero Style became the term for this ‘Buenos Aires’ way of dancing. Tango Salon in the Apilado manner is the same as Milonguero Style i.e. with the couple dancing in a close embrace. The term Apilado can be interpreted loosely as “put yourself forward” for the leader or “lean towards the leader” for the follower, which describes the kind of close embrace used by the milongueros from the centre of Buenos Aires. As the dancers lean towards each other (more or less according to preference) they share a third axis, creating, vertically from the heels, a /\ formation in which the apex of the /\ corresponds to the upper part of both bodies where the couple are in contact. In addition the follower embraces the leader by putting her left arm around his neck towards his left shoulder. Since the 1990s, this style of tango, which historically was danced only in the centre of Buenos Aires, has become more and more widespread, especially in Holland.

J:        Thanks, Yvonne.

Posted by joegrohens at 02:24 AM

December 12, 2007

Tango Lessons for Blind Teens

Tango lessons for blind teens - Nightly News with Brian Williams- msnbc.com

In an age of hip-hop, rock and salsa, they and about two dozen other blind or visually-impaired teens were learning the intricate art of Argentine Tango, and in the process found they had gained a whole lot more in terms of physical stamina, social skills and confidence in themselves.

"This class has helped me mature a lot," said Alvarez. "I'm not a big ice-breaker. To start to ask somebody to dance is not my thing, but I can do it now that I've gotten more involved in this class."

Posted by joegrohens at 10:25 AM

December 09, 2007

Pablo Redux

As Dekay and others have noted, Pablo, the not-so-good leader, is blogging again. Tango: my life as a not so good leader -the sequel-

Posted by joegrohens at 04:34 AM

December 08, 2007

What it's like to dance tango with an Argentine man

Tina, in her blog Things to consider - siguiendo mi corazon, talks about what she is learning about tango while she is in Buenos Aires. She starts by talking about the differences between tourist tango dancers and the native ones. And that tango dancers in Buenos Aires are not all professional dancers like the teachers we meet here in the U.S.; they are "regular people with families, jobs, normal lives, who just like to go out dancing."

Then she hits on the point-of-view of the native milonga-goer of Buenos Aires

The rest of the porteños in the milongas are people who don’t always have the extra money to pay for private lessons every week. Or perhaps they don’t feel the need because technique isn’t necessarily their main goal. A lot of times they are people who learn in the milongas and have a deep “something” inside for Tango that is hard for us to understand consciously … they are what we call milongueros.

Sure, some of them do want to challenge themselves and sign up for lessons here and there, but what I witnessed when I was in Buenos Aires and took a class with Geraldine Rojas and her husband Ezequiel, was that most of the students were foreigners. I found out that they really don’t get a lot of locals.

Next time you are lucky enough to have a lesson with one of the Tango greats down there, try to be sensitive and remember that not everybody in Buenos Aires is able spend their money on lessons with expensive teachers.

And then, here's the good part:

Why do I have a preference for dancing with the men of Buenos Aires? It’s not because they know fancy steps that they learned from a well-known teacher, and it’s not because they lead perfect turns. It’s because they dance WITH ME. They’re not dancing with me to see how well I follow, to test me, to show off, to see if I’m good enough - they are dancing with me to dance with me. They find me, they find where I am in the music, they somehow magically understand where my center of gravity is and take good care of me on the dance floor. This, my friends, does NOT come from countless private lessons with (insert hot shot teacher here). In my opinion, it comes from something else.

Posted by joegrohens at 11:57 AM

Connection vs Steps

On her blog Sallycat’s adventures, Sallycat tells the story of facing a choice between having connection or learning choreography.

The first time I danced with Carlos in April it felt like a dream come true. [...] I hadn’t cared what he had done with his feet, what his technique was like, whether he led the ‘wow’ moves… oh no, none of that. And perhaps more to the point he hadn’t cared what I had done with my feet. He was dancing with a beginner, but he never once showed me that he noticed. He never spoke a word about my tango. He just made me feel beautiful.

Posted by joegrohens at 01:02 AM | Comments (0)

November 06, 2007

Cicero on Dance

"For hardly any man dances when sober, unless he is insane. Nor does he dance while alone, nor at a respectable and moderate party. Dancing is the final phase of a wild party with fancy decorations and a multitude of delights."
["Nemo enim fere saltat sobrius, nisi insanit, neque in solitudine neque in convivio moderato et honesto. tempestivi convivi, amoeni loci, multarum deliciarum comes est extrema saltatio."]
--Marcus Tullius Cicero, Pro Murena

Posted by joegrohens at 06:40 PM | Comments (0)

October 29, 2007

More on Levels

Sorin's Review of the NY Tango Festival (Oct 2007) expresses frustration with beginners who enroll themselves in advanced classes.

Group classes - My frustration with group classes was renewed. Unless one goes with a partner, it's a complete waste of time. There were people in the advanced class that could not lead or follow the cross. So, for whoever reads this, taking a group class significantly above your level is not only a waste of your money and time, it's also a waste of money and time for whoever is unlucky enough to be partnered with you. I wish teachers would have enough balls to kick people out of the class if they are not at the level required.

Well stated, Sorin. I have been at festivals where the festival hosts put you into one of three groups, based on what they knew about you. You had to stay in your group and rotate with your cohort into each teacher's class. Some people rebelled against this and jumped into another group, which caused some problems in gender balance. For the most part, I thought that I was in the right level for me. Also, teachers do not have to teach in such levels as "beginner" and "advanced". The teachers could give something for everyone. It's the participants who want to have 'advanced' classes, which seems pointless given the way that beginners overestimate themselves and underestimate the tango. Even dancers of 3-5 years experience often underestimate the tango.

Posted by joegrohens at 07:39 PM

October 24, 2007

The line of the S

Brassai, Conversations with Picasso, excerpt

Among all the letters of the alphabet, the capital S is the most graceful.

"And what other movement determines the S line? Its aesthetic efficacity has long been noted by artists; the great English painter Hogarth, in his Analysis of Beauty, even extols it as the most perfect line, calling it the 'Line of Beauty.' In the engravings that illustrate his book, which he himself did, he shows multiple examples of its success, in the forms of the human body, in those of a flower, in the felicitous fall of a drape, or in the outline of a piece of furniture" (René Huygue, La puissance de l'image).

S is the shape of the ocho. Flip an S and superimpose it on another S, and you have 8.

Posted by joegrohens at 06:38 PM

October 23, 2007

Utopia by Juan Carlos Caceres

Juan Carlos Caceres has a new album out.

Listen to: UTOPIA MP3 samples

Posted by joegrohens at 12:33 PM

October 07, 2007

Tango Art by Roberto Scadutto

Paintings, Engravings, Commentaries by Roberto Scadutto. "Tango Que Me Hiciste Bien" (Tango that you did to me well)

Posted by joegrohens at 09:59 PM

October 01, 2007

Levels in Tango Workshops and Classes

Following tango workshops I frequently hear women say that the guys weren't "ready" for the level of class they were in. I can understand the frustration, because in a class the women are at the mercy of the men in a way.

On the other hand, it often happens that these very same women who are complaining have put themselves in an intermediate or advanced class when they themselves are also beginners. It's no excuse that the men did the same thing, but women who have sufficient experience will know enough to work effectively with the men in a workshop at higher levels. One of the young women who went to a national festival in August told me in detail about the low abilities of the men in the intermediate and advanced classes. But she herself started learning tango last Spring. I said, but, why were you not in the beginner classes? She said she thought the men would have been even worse on those classes. It makes sense that you will progress more if you are practicing with someone better than you. But it is very difficult to build good tango skills and concepts when you skip over the fundamentals, impatiently going for the more difficult material, the fancier movements, the styling, etc. When I study with ANY teacher for the first time, I take his or her beginning classes. One finds the most detailed explanations of that teacher's personal technique philosophy in the foundation classes. And everyone is brought up to speed together. One learns a lot. Whereas it is possible to come away with nothing when taking a class above your level, because if you can't experience it in the class you can't retain it.

Another think that I see is that men need to have someone to practice with. Otherwise they won't learn anything. As soon as women start to get good they avoid classes and just take privates or the occasional workshop. From the woman's point of view it may possibly be the right thing for her development. But it doesn't help to grow the men so that we end up with a nice community of dancers. Maybe men need to practice with each other until they are good, like in the old days.

When I practice doing the woman's part, I don't mind practicing with men who don't know what they are doing, because together we can usually figure out what they and I both need to do (tactfully). But I really dislike practicing with guys who think they know what they are doing when they really don't. They tell me what to do and blame me for not doing things right. They talk rather than lead. That's hell. I would expect that women should feel the same way - enjoy practicing with men who are "learning" and not enjoy men who tell them what to do despite the man's ignorance. But that doesn't seem to be the case. Women often only want to practice with the best dancers. And maybe that's because the men dominate them and abuse/hurt them in practice situations.

Everyone is in the game to enjoy dancing, and there should be a way for beginners and advanced dancers to practice together with mutual enjoyment.

I personally think that dancers of all levels should take the same classes together and practice together, and the teacher should have material in every class that is suitable for beginners as well as advanced. That's how I try to teach (but people don't seem to like it). I guess people feel that they need to be socially promoted and don't like being in a class with less experienced dancers... as if they are being held back from learning things. Sometimes that can happen, I guess, but I think that everyone needs to help pull each other up.

Posted by joegrohens at 11:22 AM | Comments (0)

September 17, 2007

La Tangomana

by Kevin Johansen

Posted by joegrohens at 02:49 PM | Comments (0)

September 14, 2007

Review of Gustavo Naveira in San Francisco

The Greatest Maestro of Tango in The World

Terence Clarke, writing in the September 12, 2007 issue of Blog Critics, describes the teaching and impact of Gustavo Naveira following on his workshops in San Francisco this summer.

A class from Gustavo and Giselle Anne begins simply enough. He is not a tall man, in his forties with very dark hair, who dresses for the classes simply in a pair of slacks, a sport shirt and shoes. Seeing him walk across the street, you would not suspect that you were watching a volcanic arbiter of great dance and a noted historian of the genre.

[...]

When she and Gustavo first walk onto the dance floor to address waiting students, those who are unfamiliar with them will not be prepared for what they are about to see ... and to learn. Gustavo will begin with something like, "Well, today we are going to think about 'ganchos'," the widely-known move in which one partner's leg encounters that of the other partner in a kind of hooking motion. It's an invasion by one partner of the other person's space that, when done properly, provides an electrifying moment of conflict, engagement, and resolution. It at first appears, if not impossible, at least rather risky, and to be sure there are simple ganchos as well as very complicated ones.

Gustavo will survey the circle of students, holding his hands out, his shoulders hunched, a questioning look in his eyes. "Now what do you suppose a gancho really is?" he will ask, and therein begins a long, thoughtful, and conscientious discussion and demonstration of a move in tango that defines the very form itself.

He and Giselle Anne will demonstrate the various concepts of the 'gancho' upon which they've based their ideas, and the demonstrations become more and more complicated as the session moves along. What is heart-stopping is the beauty of what they have to show and the organization of thought that Gustavo brings to his teaching. They have ruminated deeply about these moves and interactions, and this is especially clear in the interplay between showing the thing to their students, helping the students do it, and then talking about it. The dance sequence takes just a moment. But the practicing and the talking may take all day, with many, many more illustrations, in which the gancho changes from something we students have seen and maybe can do in some elementary way into a living, breathing personification of the entire history of tango ... and all the possibilities that exist in it for people of ability and adventuresome creativity.

Posted by joegrohens at 02:26 AM

September 08, 2007

Robert Fulghum

Robert Fulghum, OFFICIAL Website - Recent Entries

Robert Fulghum is learning tango and writing about it very nicely.

Posted by joegrohens at 09:24 PM

September 05, 2007

Who is Petroleo?

Petroleo was an influential dancer who is said to have changed the tango during the 1940s. Something like the Gustavo Naveira or Fabian Salas of his day, I suppose, in terms of innovation and scope of influence. Petroleo died in 1995.

Below are some articles that reference Petroléo.

• Petróleo

• Petroleo, the great renovator of the 1940's

• Mingo's Golden Anniversary

• Daniel Trenner

• The ascent of tango | 2006

Posted by joegrohens at 02:04 PM | Comments (0)

September 03, 2007

Tango Paintings of RJ Karlstrom

Click to enlarge

Artist Ron (RJ) Karlstrom's tango paintings are exhibited at the Cowboy Monkey restaurant and bar, in Champaign, Illinois. There one can often see Ron on Wednesday nights, watching the tango dancers, sketching, and getting ideas for his dramatic acrylic works.

See more of these paintings at RJKARLSTROM.COM

Posted by joegrohens at 04:18 PM

September 01, 2007

Tango in Purdue

Jill and Luca represent the Purdue Tango Club (La Milonguera) on the cover of the Journal & Courier weekend magazine. Purdue University is having Global Fest this weekend (Sept 1, 2007), their celebration of international culture.

Looking good, you two!

Purdue Tango Club

Posted by joegrohens at 04:45 PM | Comments (0)

August 27, 2007

Mundial 2007 - The Final Round

Mundial de Tango Salon 2007: La Final

Posted by joegrohens at 08:04 PM

Videos: Tango Mundial 2007

Videos from the Tango World Championships 2007

tango mundial 2007 - Google Video

Posted by joegrohens at 07:06 PM

Official Judging Criteria for World Tango Championship

V Campeonato Mundial de Baile de Tango

Evaluation Criteria

• 28. Salon Tango (Unrestricted Entry, Amateurs and Professionals): Once a couple is formed, the partners shall not separate as long as the music is playing. This means that they cannot break the embrace, which is considered the tango dance position.
• 29. For the position to be considered correct, the partners must constantly hold each other by means of the embrace. Even though during certain figures this may be flexible, this should not continue throughout the entire piece.
• 30. All movements shall be performed within the space allowed by the couple's embrace.
• 31. The Jury will give special relevance to the couple's musicality and walking style.
• 32. Within these guidelines, participants may perform any figure commonly used, including barridas, sacadas close to the floor , enrosques , etc.
• 33. Ganchos , leaps, trepadas (climbs) and any other typically stage tango possibility shall be completely excluded.
• 34. Couples, as in a real dancehall, shall constantly move counterclockwise and avoid remaining in the same place for too long, in a way that may disrupt the regular circulation of dancers around the dance floor.
• 35. No contestant may raise his/her legs above the knee line.

Stage

• 36. Stage Tango for Couples (Unrestricted Entry, Amateurs and Professionals): Participants will be able to express their personal view on the tango dance: they may resort to movements, figures and applications that are not usually related to traditional tango.
  
• 37. Couples may break the embrace and use additional techniques derived from other dance disciplines, as long as these are justified and performed for the benefit of a particular rendition.
  
• 38. The Jury will take into account the following criteria:
  
  
  
  • Choreographic composition (creation or recreation)
    
  • Preservation of tango essence
    
  • Use of stage space
    
  • Choreographic and postural techniques
    
  • Body and space alignment
    
  • Couple's synchronicity
    
  • Choreographic effects
    
  • Interpretation
    
  • Musical accuracy (relaxation, music-dancer-style)
    
  • Costumes and make-up
    
  
  

Posted by joegrohens at 06:58 PM

Tango Championships Final Awards

V Campeonato Mundial de Baile de Tango
List of participants and rank.

ABC News: American Couple Tangos to World Finals
Story of a couple from New York who competed in the Bs As Championships.

ABC News: Fancy Footwork: Judging Tango
Interviews with several judges talking about what they look for and value in the dancers.

Posted by joegrohens at 12:25 PM

August 21, 2007

Orquesta Tipica Fervor

I love this band. I think they are the most real sounding traditional band. Remind me of Di Sarli.

More: Tango Fervor (Google search)

Posted by joegrohens at 02:01 AM | Comments (0)

Gotan Live

These guys are really good. A spectacular jam by the pianist (Supervielle, I presume) on Revancha del Tango shifts to a very free arrangement of Julian Plaza's magnificent composition "Nocturne". The New giving way to the Nuevo. ha ha.

Could dancers learn to dance milongaishly to this level of improv?

Posted by joegrohens at 01:12 AM | Comments (0)

August 20, 2007

Tango Cups

Tango World Cup

Click to enlarge

Gardel Coffee Cup

Click to enlarge

Posted by joegrohens at 12:36 AM | Comments (0)

August 17, 2007

Teaching Guidelines

guidelines for teachers at tango colorado classes

It is interesting to speculate on the motivations and rationale behind these guidelines. I infer that these classes are aimed at newcomers to tango, and it seems that they want to get people off to a good start in dancing, and to set the tone for a positive relationship with the Tango Colorado organization.

Some rules must be a reaction to the bad results of specific teaching methods and behavior.

Synopsis:

Posted by joegrohens at 02:28 PM | Comments (0)

It is said

"The first step to wisdom is silence. The second is listening."

Posted by joegrohens at 11:28 AM | Comments (0)

Three Women of Tango

Three Women of Tango

By Terence Clark.

Worth reading.

I asked Julietta if she knew the lyrics to this tango. When she replied that she did not, I translated them for her as we danced.

Tengo miedo ... A pause, in which you can feel Falcon's search for the correct words, which she delivers with considerable intensity, as though she's looking up at her lover and saying, with a smile, "Yes. Yes, I will." Tengo miedo ... de quererte.

Toward the end of the tango, I sensed that the emotional state in which we had begun dancing had changed. For one thing, the front of my shirt was damp. The music came to an end, and as I released Julietta from the embrace I saw that she was in tears.

"It's just that ... that translation ... it reminded me of my father," she explained. "I ... I loved him so."

Posted by joegrohens at 01:30 AM | Comments (0)

L.A. 'Fiesta' - Preview

Two ways to tango at L.A. 'Fiesta' - DANCE - Los Angeles Times - calendarlive.com

It is very interesting to see how journalists, many of them w/o tango background, perceive the categories of tango music. There is much accuracy, but also some things they don't understand.

Since the advent of electronica, many Latin American musicians have fused cool electronic beats with the folk sounds of their homeland -- from Bebel Gilberto's electro-bossa to the Nortec Collective's reinvention of Mexican banda sinaloense.

Because tango is usually characterized by a stately mood of bittersweet contemplation, its deep bass lines and soulful bandoneon riffs blend particularly well with the robotic nature of electronica. This extreme combination of hot and cold can be bewitching in concert, as demonstrated by memorable L.A. performances by Gotan Project and Bajofondo Tango Club in recent years.

Tanghetto should be no exception. Performing as a sextet, the band will present tracks from its first album, 2004's "Emigrante," marked by its languid melodies, its smoky textures and the kind of delicate piano lines that would make Massive Attack proud.

"Ideologically speaking, Piazzolla has been a great influence," Tanghetto co-founder Max Masri says from Buenos Aires. "He showed us that it was OK to challenge conventions. We were also influenced by early '80s synth-pop bands from England, as well as groups like Kraftwerk and Nine Inch Nails -- people who tried to do something different with synthesizers."

Posted by joegrohens at 01:23 AM

August 16, 2007

Flamenco rhythm analysis

Découverte: Flamenco et mathématiques

Radio Canada episode on the rhythms of Flamenco music. A McGill musicologist compares different Andalusian rhythms using a visualization method borrowed from chemical diagrams of DNA chains. The supposed analysis of these rhythms seems a bit silly, but I like the new rhythm notation.

Flamenco et mathématiques
En appliquant la bio-informatique utilisée en génétique à l’analyse des différents rythmes andalous, Godfried Toussaint, de l’Université McGill, a percé les origines du flamenco. Une recherche originale conjuguant mathématiques et musicologie.

Video: La Zone Audio %u25CF Video | Radio-Canada.ca #urlMedia%3D/Medianet/2007/CBFT/Decouverte200703181830_4.asx

Posted by joegrohens at 10:43 AM

August 11, 2007

Cacho Dante

Cacho Dante with Alicia Pons. Click to enlarge

Cacho Dante (Óscar Dante Lorenzo) is an influential teacher and dancer. Three articles by him have been translated in English and circulate on the internet (see list below). His writings and teaching example emphasize the importance of feeling and connection over fancy moves. Together with Susana Miller, this philosophy of what has the most value in the dance has had an important impact on social dancers outside of Buenos Aires. Many now imitate his dancing style. Cacho Dante appeared in Sally Potter's 1997 film "The Tango Lesson" (see clip below).

Writings of Cacho Dante

• Brief Definition of a Milonguero
  By Cacho Dante, September 1996

• The Tango and Trapeze Acts
  By Cacho Dante, November 1998

• In Transit
  By Cacho Dante, February 2002
  

Clip from "The Tango Lesson"

Sally dances with the men in this order:

• David Derman
• Gustavo Naveira
• Cacho Dante
• Fabian Salas
• Omar Vega
• Carlos Copello

Posted by joegrohens at 05:23 PM

August 10, 2007

Tango in Moscow

Moscow News - Lifestyle - Would You Like to Dance?

Dancing has become the Muscovite's favourite hobby. After watching a dance class, I realized that dancing is not simply a hobby, but also a way to solve personal problems. Besides, dancing is a wonderful alternative to a boring session with a psychologist.


"Dancing to Let Off Steam"


Olga Rybalko, chief accountant with a big office furniture maker, has been leading a double life for two years now. In the daytime, in a severe business suit with her hair meticulously combed, she heads a 10-employee department. Her subordinates say that "She is a dead hand of formality." How surprised they would be if they caught her at an Argentinean tango club!


"Dancing is the only joy I have," Olga admits. "Since childhood, I dreamed of doing choreography; it's only now, when I'm 38, that my dream has come true. Interestingly, when I started attending tango classes, I always felt a strong urge to lead my partner. They quickly made me lose this habit, and this improved my relations with my husband."

Posted by joegrohens at 12:34 AM

August 09, 2007

Clay's New Tango Survey

Clay's Dance Studio - Surveys

Survey #2 (June 2007) - Characteristics and Traits of a Tango Dancer has some interesting questions, and the results are not exactly what I would have predicted. Do you think most tango dancers are democrats or republicans? Do you think they are atheists or believers? Extroverts or Introverts?

Take the survey and add to the data.

Posted by joegrohens at 02:30 PM

August 06, 2007

Luis Rubistein Revisited

Luis Rubistein composed "Inspiracion" and many other famous tangos. His grandson has now produced a beat-track remix of several of these pieces.

You can listen to them on this website: Rubistein Revisited

On the next page I reproduce a message I received from his grandson, Mariano Rubistein.

Continue reading "Luis Rubistein Revisited"

Posted by joegrohens at 07:24 PM

August 01, 2007

Tango for Parkinson's

RADIO KWMU NewsRoom: Parkinson's patients tango their way to treatment

(Click to enlarge)

St. Louis, MO - Two researchers at Washington University's School of Medicine in St. Louise are studying the therapeutic benefits of dance.

This article talks about a program where Parkinson's patients are assigned to various movement forms - Tango, Tai Chi, Fox Trot, Waltz.

Excerpt:

Madeleine Hackney is one of two researchers conducting the study and is also the dance instructor. She was a professional dancer in New York City for 11 years.

"The tango in particular is a very improvisational dance form," Hackney notes. "So, the steps are varied, they can choose the steps that they want. They are seldom wrong by choosing a particular step."

Hackney says they're finding the fox trot and waltz are also promising therapies, because the steps are more codified. So after step A, B must follow. This helps with balance and mobility in the patients.

The people in the study span in age from 37-79. Some are assigned to tango, and others are assigned to Waltz and Fox Trot, or Tai Chai, which they're also looking at as a possible therapy.

Dr. Gammon Earhart, assistant professor of Physical Therapy and the project's main researcher, shows off the technology as he asks patients to stand on one leg or with one foot in front of the other for as long as they can.

"We also have this device here on the floor which is an instrumented walkway," Earhart said. "It's like a piece of carpet with sensors built into it. And as a person walks along that walkway their footprints are painted on the computer screen.

"And we can analyze all the different features of their walking from those data."

An MP3 radio broadcast of this story is also available on the website.

Posted by joegrohens at 06:03 PM

Finding Connectedness in Buenos Aires

Finding Connectedness in Buenos Aires:
Argentine Tango as Antidote to the Human Condition
(PDF) by Steven F. Freeman

An interesting academic paper describing the writer's experiences of Tango in Buenos Aires.

Posted by joegrohens at 12:46 PM

July 30, 2007

Maria & Matias

click to enlarge

{ From .trip.tango.paris.: stage 10 juin advertising a workshop. } This is a good example of tango dancer's torsion, as well as lattisimus development. What do you think they are doing, back ochos, front ochos, a turn to the left, a turn to the right? Can't tell because the technique is the same for all of them.

Posted by joegrohens at 11:17 PM | Comments (1)