First AT lesson coming up... [Archive]

Subliminal

08-26-2009, 08:42 PM

Yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay!

Welcome to the cult--er... club... :bouncy:

I say go in cold and with an open mind. You don't want to have too many preconceived notions about your teacher. Just meet them first and find out what their teaching method is.

One thing, if you haven't heard much of it before, you might want to listen to some classic AT music to get a feel for it before your first lesson. Carlos Di Sarli, Juan D'Arienzo, Osvaldo Pugliese, Francisco Canaro, etc.

samina

08-26-2009, 08:54 PM

Yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay!

Welcome to the cult--er... club... :bouncy:

thank you, sub! my friend, with whom i'm taking the lesson (we get the private for free in exchange for his giving a hustle lesson...ain't that nice?) is very psyched because he has visions of adding some AT into his hustle/WCS/salsa repertoire. (quick, check to see if jantango is still breathing.. ;))

One thing, if you haven't heard much of it before, you might want to listen to some classic AT music to get a feel for it before your first lesson. Carlos Di Sarli, Juan D'Arienzo, Osvaldo Pugliese, Francisco Canaro, etc.
oh shoot... i have all that stuff loaded up on my ipod, which was a casualty during my move and disappeared! i don't think i kept all my AT discs from peaches out of storage. boo... well, i can do some youtube searches to get in the mood. :D

Peaches

08-26-2009, 08:57 PM

Oh, she's got the music taken care of. ;) I sent it to her.

*drink the Kool-Aid...I promise it's organic and raw...*

So happy.

Advice: Don't try to translate anything from BR, other than general body awareness and control of your center. Approach it like you've never danced before. Feel the music, and the emotion of it...even if you can't understand the words. Forget BR tango, and think more WCS instead.

Given what I know of you and your personality, I imagine you'll do just fine.

CANI

08-26-2009, 09:00 PM

It freaks me out sometimes how my mind works...when I read your first post (and all you said was a friend who hadn't taken AT), I pictured a particular hustle/wcs dancer and you more a ballroom/latin dancer (my characterization, perhaps not yours) together...and then a few posts down...comes the free AT lesson in exchange for teaching hustle...scary the connections my mind makes sometimes...

Hope it's very enjoyable...

Peaches

08-26-2009, 09:01 PM

Eeek! You lost your music?!?! I'll have to see what I can do about that.

EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!

(Self, breathe. Breathe, dammit!) So excited for you.

samina

08-26-2009, 09:04 PM

samina

08-26-2009, 09:05 PM

Eeek! You lost your music?!?! I'll have to see what I can do about that.

no, no... i have it... packed up safely... just not on hand because i lost my friggin ipod touch and am not currently using the PC where all my digital music is stored. it'll be fine... i'll manage with youtube (or pandora).

EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!

(Self, breathe. Breathe, dammit!) So excited for you.

me toooooo!!!!

samina

08-26-2009, 09:08 PM

Advice: Don't try to translate anything from BR, other than general body awareness and control of your center. Approach it like you've never danced before.

yes, this much i have definitely gathered from nearly three years of reading AT posts here without actually dancing it. :)

Feel the music, and the emotion of it...even if you can't understand the words. Forget BR tango, and think more WCS instead.[

yes, this is my sense of it... and my friend as well. i have a feeling we're gonna really have some fun playing with a merge between WCS and AT. he's very... groovy and interpretive. and our backgrounds are completely different -- he's hustle/WCS, i'm ballroom, and the only commonality we have is salsa. so when we get together, it's just all pure dancing/lead & follow. heady stuff, so enjoyable... i think it will make for a good base for our AT experience!

can't wait! i know he's psyched... he mentioned it numerous times at our last dance event while we were on the floor.

Peaches

08-26-2009, 09:13 PM

Other piece of advice (despite the best advice being to walk in cold...I know)...forget about the beat of the music.

I'm going to get crucified for this, I know. But, really, there is so much more to the music than just the beat...and all of it is danceable. You have more of a luxury in this regard than your friend, since you'll be following. (Which also means that you'll be at the mercy of your leader's interpretation.) But forget the beat. Listen to *everything.* Feel the music...do it right and the beat won't even register.

OK. Really. I'll stop overwhelming you with advice now. I promise.

I'm just so EXCITED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

samina

08-26-2009, 09:17 PM

aye-aye, chica. i will listen, be present, feel everything, forget the beat... and just follow!

my friend is a very strict "follow me mindlessly" sort, so we'll be paired well in this. has helped me find my mindful mindlessness very well over the last few years that we've danced together. my standard instructor is the same so...funny... i am utterly blank when i go out on the floor, now. with WCS, too.

for an analytical sort.. am quite pleased with my current state of brainlessness! *grin*

Zoopsia59

08-26-2009, 11:24 PM

aye-aye, chica. i will listen, be present, feel everything, forget the beat... and just follow!

My advice?
Don't do it.

Within no time at all you'll be addicted and all those years you spent learning Ballroom will be thrown away like a relationship that no longer meets your needs in favor of a new passionate lover. You'll look back on those wasted years and wonder why you let them slip away when you could have been learning tango all that time instead. You'll be here with the rest of us ranting about how hard "the walk" is, angry over getting speared with someone's stiletto, banging your head against the wall over leaders who lead "steps" without having a clue how to connect, desperately wishing you could quit and yet finding yourself back at the milongas and practicas wondering if there's a 12 step program for tango junkies.

Heed my warning.
Mark my words..
DON'T DO IT!
You WILL be assimilated!
:twisted:

Nybz

08-26-2009, 11:32 PM

You WILL be assimilated!
:twisted:

Don't forget about us ballroom-ers, when you do get assimilated sam :(

samina

08-26-2009, 11:33 PM

My advice?
Don't do it.

Within no time at all you'll be addicted and all those years you spent learning Ballroom will be thrown away like a relationship that no longer meets your needs in favor of a new passionate lover. You'll look back on those wasted years and wonder why you let them slip away when you could have been learning tango all that time instead. You'll be here with the rest of us ranting about how hard "the walk" is, angry over getting speared with someone's stiletto, banging your head against the wall over leaders who lead "steps" without having a clue how to connect, desperately wishing you could quit and yet finding yourself back at the milongas and practicas wondering if there's a 12 step program for tango junkies.

Heed my warning.
Mark my words..
DON'T DO IT!
You WILL be assimilated!
:twisted:
LOL. But...you don't understand how much I love standard...and how hard I've worked just to get to the point where it can start to feel good. Nope...I'm too determined and loyal to my few passions. I'm sure AT is gonna be a huge turn-on...I know it...in the same way that WCS is a drug. But ballroom...you just don't know how much I appreciate that rarified experience.

I declare myself immune from a threat to ballroom.

Whaddya think...am I delusional? ;)

Ampster

08-27-2009, 01:22 AM

Welcome to the fold :cool::banana:

I wish you well.

As Peaches has said, and I emphasize. Don't try to translate your BR experience into AT. I did this, and I wasted a year. It acted as a learning blocker. Come in with an open mind. Consider yourself a total beginner.

Let us know what happens. If you have any questions, feel free to ask me.

btw, should you ever find yourself in Seattle, I'll reserve a tanda for you... or two... or three

I declare myself immune from a threat to ballroom.

P.S. I said this (same thing) to myself a long time ago. See where I am now... :raisebro:

j_alexandra

08-27-2009, 05:14 AM

I declare myself immune from a threat to ballroom.

Whaddya think...am I delusional? ;)

Yup.

Tango dancefloors are littered with the corpses of ballroom-love, and then it dries up and floats away. Why I don't go there. I'd be taken over by the dark side.

Yes, I tried it. And that's all I'm saying. You're best off going in cold.

If you need tango music, I have a bunch, and will burn you a CD and get it to you; LMK.

Peaches

08-27-2009, 06:36 AM

I declare myself immune from a threat to ballroom.

P.S. I said this (same thing) to myself a long time ago. See where I am now... Add me to the list.

I thought I'd just dabble for a week. An excuse to go to BsAs. I loved BR, wouldn't give it up.

My first AT teacher told me to give up BR for AT. I was so mad at him for saying that. A year later he told me the same thing. I hadn't given it up yet, but the hold was definitely weakening. He just shook his head. Then I saw him another year later, and I had given it up. He congratulated me.

dchester

08-27-2009, 08:41 AM

LOL. But...you don't understand how much I love standard...and how hard I've worked just to get to the point where it can start to feel good. Nope...I'm too determined and loyal to my few passions. I'm sure AT is gonna be a huge turn-on...I know it...in the same way that WCS is a drug. But ballroom...you just don't know how much I appreciate that rarified experience.

I declare myself immune from a threat to ballroom.

Whaddya think...am I delusional? ;)
Resistance is futile.

You will be assimilated.

Mladenac

08-27-2009, 09:42 AM

I am glad that i do not have much BR experience, only for feeling the music and got used to embracing women. :D

samina

08-27-2009, 09:46 AM

Add me to the list.

I thought I'd just dabble for a week. An excuse to go to BsAs. I loved BR, wouldn't give it up.

My first AT teacher told me to give up BR for AT. I was so mad at him for saying that. A year later he told me the same thing. I hadn't given it up yet, but the hold was definitely weakening. He just shook his head. Then I saw him another year later, and I had given it up. He congratulated me.
Yah but...you hate Standard. ;)
I've hit the point where it's its own drug.

I wouldn't spend $ on AT over Standard. I'm going because it's free (for me). Maybe I'll be lucky and my friend will keep up his lesson exchange and I'll get to benefit. It does help to give me a dance fix while I'm off my BR training. But...I think I crossed a mountain in BR where there's no turning back. Before anything else...my heart belongs to Standard. ;)

samina

08-27-2009, 09:53 AM

[FONT=Book Antiqua]Yup.

Tango dancefloors are littered with the corpses of ballroom-love, and then it dries up and floats away. Why I don't go there. I'd be taken over by the dark side.

Yes, I tried it. And that's all I'm saying.

You too, JA? I had no idea.

If you need tango music, I have a bunch, and will burn you a CD and get it to you; LMK.
Wow, thank you... For the mo, I believe I'm okay. :)

samina

08-27-2009, 10:00 AM

Don't try to translate your BR experience into AT. I did this, and I wasted a year. It acted as a learning blocker. Come in with an open mind. Consider yourself a total beginner.
Thanks, ampster. Yah, I'll definitely leave BR at the door. It will help in that my friend doesn't have training in Standard tango, otherwise I'm sure it would be harder to leave that behind for this.

btw, should you ever find yourself in Seattle, I'll reserve a tanda for you... or two... or three

Thank you! :)
Now I just have to learn what to do to last thru all those dances with you. *grin*

samina

08-27-2009, 10:03 AM

Resistance is futile.

You will be assimilated.
This thread is like a broken record. ;)

Ampster

08-27-2009, 10:37 AM

Thank you! :)
Now I just have to learn what to do to last thru all those dances with you. *grin*

You just need to learn how to follow, the AT way. You'll be fine.

P.S. AT is danced in sets (known as Tandas) of ~4 songs. That's roughly 12 +/- minutes dancing (in close embrace) together per tanda. 8)

This thread is like a broken record. ;)
You've been warned :raisebro:

samina

08-27-2009, 10:55 AM

P.S. AT is danced in sets (known as Tandas) of ~4 songs. That's roughly 12 +/- minutes dancing (in close embrace) together per tanda. 8)

Oh yes...this I knew, from years of reading your threads. :) I knew exactly what you meant..."Crikey, that's a ****load of dancing...I better learn how to follow well!" ;)

(Whoops...DF didn't censor my vulgarity...!)

Ampster

08-27-2009, 11:39 AM

Oh yes...this I knew, from years of reading your threads. :) I knew exactly what you meant..."Crikey, that's a ****load of dancing...I better learn how to follow well!" ;)

(Whoops...DF didn't censor my vulgarity...!)

Oh, you vulgar woman you! :cool: I like it.

samina

08-27-2009, 11:42 AM

:cool:

Steve Pastor

08-27-2009, 12:56 PM

TodoTango plays a wide variety of "tango", and features a number of selections each day, once you are reconnected to the web.

http://www.todotango.com/english/Las_Obras/Grabaciones.aspx?sdh=

And, a the risk of ruining the party, I haven't given up my Country Western dancing, which includes WCS, NC2 Step, etc, but then, it's a long ways from ballroom.

j_alexandra

08-27-2009, 12:59 PM

This thread is like a broken record. ;)

The Borg are like that; the same idea, over and over. How they take over the universe, iirc.:)

samina

08-27-2009, 01:07 PM

The Borg are like that; the same idea, over and over. How they take over the universe, iirc.:)

i am so not a sci-fi geek, i had to google borg...*grin*

dlgodud

08-27-2009, 01:11 PM

Enjoy the lesson Sam! Well, I will probably go back to a AT class and try it again. It's about the time. :rolleyes:

j_alexandra

08-27-2009, 01:20 PM

i am so not a sci-fi geek, i had to google borg...*grin*

I had the feeling you didn't know what was going on. Anyone who had a dose of Star Trek Next Gen would have caught it instantly.

TV-free life is very different from the rest of us.

samina

08-27-2009, 01:30 PM

LOL. yes... okay... you got me there. :)

Steve Pastor

08-27-2009, 01:44 PM

And now that the "Star Trek Universe Time Line" has been disrupted by Spock and Nemo as in the new film, we may one day see Kirk and Spock encountering the Borg!
Oh, is that off topic?

Zoopsia59

08-27-2009, 02:53 PM

And now that the "Star Trek Universe Time Line" has been disrupted by Spock and Nemo as in the new film, we may one day see Kirk and Spock encountering the Borg!
Oh, is that off topic?

Spock and Kirk tango'ing would be an interesting sight. Something tells me that Kirk would NOT be willing to follow. And Spock would have a hard time disengaging his brain trying to analyze what Kirk is doing rather than just follow.

Nope... it would never work.

In fact the only character who could probably follow worth a damn would be Troi. (she'd probably make a good leader too... Empathy helps both roles)

(just trying to get back on topic in a roundabout way)

dchester

08-28-2009, 08:21 AM

Spock and Kirk tango'ing would be an interesting sight. Something tells me that Kirk would NOT be willing to follow. And Spock would have a hard time disengaging his brain trying to analyze what Kirk is doing rather than just follow.

Nope... it would never work.

In fact the only character who could probably follow worth a damn would be Troi. (she'd probably make a good leader too... Empathy helps both roles)

(just trying to get back on topic in a roundabout way)
I'd give Beverly Crusher the cabeceo.

:cool:

opendoor

08-29-2009, 04:38 AM

... on Labor Day. A private...

Hi Samina, will it be on Monday, or in the following week? Don´t know when Labor Day on your side of the pond exactly is.

samina

08-29-2009, 12:15 PM

I believe Labor Day is a week from this Monday.

samina

09-07-2009, 08:28 AM

today's the day...lesson at a private milonga at someone's house. looking forward!

Subliminal

09-07-2009, 08:38 AM

Have fun! :)

j_alexandra

09-07-2009, 09:13 AM

today's the day...lesson at a private milonga at someone's house. looking forward!

Enjoy!

Reminds me that, last night at a party, someone asked me if I knew a place in our area where he could learn AT. Was pleased to be able to give him some info.

The virus spreads.

Peaches

09-07-2009, 09:44 AM

Eeeeeeeeeeee!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Good luck! I hope you *love* the Kool-Aid!

Ampster

09-07-2009, 11:56 AM

I (particularly) am looking forward to what you think, and how it went. :rocker:

samina

09-07-2009, 11:51 PM

omg...:cool: (pretty much sums up experience...)

imagine intro to AT being at a private milonga in someone's home in a high-rise apartment building overlooking the hudson river and NYC...in a living room with a glass wall, which opens up onto a balcony overlooking the city... with gracious and very experience AT dancers, a brilliant DJ playing a fascinating melange of music...and some private instruction that really rocked.

some guy named oscar gave me my first dance. dear lord, was that lovely. i just entered his embrace, shut my eyes, and off we went. did not feel encumbered or confused by my ballroom training. leaned against his head and followed his body weight, and basically just focused on that and reaching & gathering my foot, depending on what he was doing. that was it. beautiful. whatta way to just be in the moment. and with someone i'd just met... it was very cool.

total tango zen.

in fact, there were many good dancers there, but i only AT'd with two of them. lots of fun dancing in other styles as well. what a joyful, generous, supportive, appreciative group. heard some very nice, encouraging words from them. am really looking forward to seeing them all again and... find that tango zen zone once more!!! :D :D

couldn't have popped my AT cherry in a nicer way. :cool:

Ampster

09-07-2009, 11:54 PM

omg...:cool: (pretty much sums up experience...)

imagine intro to AT being at a private milonga in someone's home in a high-rise apartment building overlooking the hudson river and NYC...in a living room with a glass wall, which opens up onto a balcony overlooking the city... with gracious and very experience AT dancers, a brilliant DJ playing a fascinating melange of music...and some private instruction that really rocked.

some guy names oscar gave me my first dance. dear lord, was that lovely. i just entered his embrace, shut my eyes, and off we went. did not feel encumbered or confused by my ballroom training. leaned against his head and followed his body weight, and basically just focused on that and reaching & gathering my foot, depending on what he was doing. that was it. beautiful. whatta way to just be in the moment. and with someone i'd just met... it was very cool.

total tango zen.

in fact, there were many good dancers there, but i only AT'd with two of them. lots of fun dancing in other styles as well. what a joyful, generous, supportive, appreciative group. heard some very nice, encouraging words from them. am really looking forward to seeing them all again and... hitting that tango zen zone again!!! :D :D

couldn't have popped my AT cherry in a nicer way. :cool:

I guess its official. Allow me to be the first... WELCOME TO OUR WORLD!!! :raisebro:

That, is what is all about. Samina, you have been "(A) Tango Danced"

opendoor

09-08-2009, 01:09 AM

omg... leaned against his head and followed his body weight..

Good teacher/dancer !

kieronneedscake

09-08-2009, 03:51 AM

am really looking forward to seeing them all again and... find that tango zen zone once more!!! :D :D

What a nice start!

There is only one problem. Tango is cruel to most of us - you will end up seeking that tango zen and you won't find it for months and months and months... desperation will set in... you'll be on the verge of giving up, and BAM someone will connect with you and all will be forgiven!

Or it'll be fine and lovely every time. You never know!

j_alexandra

09-08-2009, 05:40 AM

omg...:cool: (pretty much sums up experience...)

Amen, sister! Amen! Happyhappyjoyjoy!

Peaches

09-08-2009, 06:51 AM

Oh, wow, Sam! So glad to hear you had such a great experience!

samina

09-08-2009, 06:52 AM

There is only one problem. Tango is cruel to most of us - you will end up seeking that tango zen and you won't find it for months and months and months... desperation will set in... you'll be on the verge of giving up, and BAM someone will connect with you and all will be forgiven!

i can imagine that, as with anything else, once one is in active pursuit of it, it may tend to be elusive.

in the meantime, i've got lots of other vehicles for regular zen experiences. WCS being not the least of them... *grin*

but whenever the tango opportunity presents itself again, you can be sure i'll take it!

samina

09-08-2009, 07:02 AM

Oh, wow, Sam! So glad to hear you had such a great experience!

I'm still in that great "dance hangover" space from last night's AT experience...:cool:

Peaches

09-08-2009, 07:14 AM

I'm still in that great "dance hangover" space from last night's AT experience...:cool:
Kinda leaves you wanting a cigarette, doesn't it? Or whatever the non-smoker's equivalent of afterglow smoking is.:cool:;)

bordertangoman

09-08-2009, 07:25 AM

What a nice start!

There is only one problem. Tango is cruel to most of us - you will end up seeking that tango zen and you won't find it for months and months and months... desperation will set in... you'll be on the verge of giving up, and BAM someone will connect with you and all will be forgiven!

Or it'll be fine and lovely every time. You never know!

no no no ; its all tango zen;

Subliminal

09-08-2009, 07:53 AM

Awesome start, Sam! Hope you keep it up. ;)

samina

09-08-2009, 10:23 AM

Kinda leaves you wanting a cigarette, doesn't it? Or whatever the non-smoker's equivalent of afterglow smoking is.:cool:;)

oh yah.

had more than a few moments last night of watching *others* AT and wanting a cigarette myself, lol. dang...there was some good dancing!

ant

09-08-2009, 11:54 AM

I just new you were going to have a great time.

My favourite partner in AT is someone who is fairly new to the dance but has a wealth of ballroom and swing experience.

If you ever come over to London I hope you invite me for a dance.

samina

09-08-2009, 12:08 PM

by all means, ant! :D

ant

09-08-2009, 06:46 PM

by all means, ant! :D

Thanks

Angel HI

09-09-2009, 12:32 AM

I'm still in that great "dance hangover" space from last night's AT experience...:cool:Welcome to the good stuff, Sam. Don't let anyone take that feeling from you. Like all other dances, there are many persons who will mandate that you do it this/that way. Also, like all other dances, though there is a correct way to move in AT, what is ultimately most correct is that which makes you feel what you have already begun to experience. Feel free if I may ever help.

GJB

09-16-2009, 09:11 PM

My first AT lesson will be this coming Sat.

Can anyone recommend a few videos on youtube worth watching? Something displaying a social style rather than a performance (choreography).

Dave Bailey

09-17-2009, 05:49 AM

samina

09-17-2009, 09:04 AM

My first AT lesson will be this coming Sat.

hey...excellent! looking forward to comparing notes. :D

Peaches

09-18-2009, 08:21 AM

My first AT lesson will be this coming Sat.

Can anyone recommend a few videos on youtube worth watching? Something displaying a social style rather than a performance (choreography).
A few favorites:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LgJS7UYeBbE

http://tangovideos.blogspot.com/2006/08/geraldine-javier-milonga.html

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SodIdnzP4gI

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oN0o_ZgdCL0&mode=related&search=

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rFCzQYtCtFE

They're all performances, but also social, non-choreographed style. Sure, movements would have to be scaled down, but it's all still social style.

Video of people actually dancing in a milonga:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ziV0ixFE48&feature=related

dchester

09-18-2009, 03:27 PM

My first AT lesson will be this coming Sat.

Can anyone recommend a few videos on youtube worth watching? Something displaying a social style rather than a performance (choreography).
Here is one video that I would describe as having a social style of dancing. While I don't actually care for Detlef's (the leader) style, (at times it looks more like marching than dancing), their technical quality is rather good, and these are the type of steps that you would see at a milonga (at least in the US).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bm_pFVzZq8Y

GJB

09-18-2009, 06:12 PM

Thanks Peaches and dchester ! I enjoyed the videos.

RenOrsino

09-19-2009, 08:12 PM

Peaches

09-19-2009, 08:21 PM

All my experiences with learning AT were brief, fairly cold, and had me full of disbelief when I was told having good "frame" or "connection" was less important. (I automatically assume anyone who tells me to have loose frame or less of a connection doesn't actually know anything about dancing, even if they can do pirouettes with a partner).

That was a tangent. I just wanted to say that in spite of the fact that I don't really know how to AT, I loved reading this thread. It was fun in and of itself.
Connection: very important.
Frame: don't have. If you have a "frame," you're doing it wrong.

Be aware of your own biases and limitations when evaluating others. The frame in AT is exceptionally loose compared to other dances. I'd wager to say that it would be easy to consider it nonexistant or "noodle-armed" if one is speaking from a ballroom background. That doesn't mean connection can't exist anyhow. (I've followed basic things perfectly well with absolutely no physical connection at all.)

Just because it doesn't fit what you know to be "true" about partner dancing, or dancing in general, doesn't mean the teacher doesn't know what they're talking about.

...then again, there are plenty of teachers out there who don't know what they're talking about. And plenty of (ballroom) teachers out there who will teach with a frame...even if that shows they don't know what they're talking about.

RenOrsino

09-19-2009, 09:14 PM

Connection: very important.
Frame: don't have. If you have a "frame," you're doing it wrong.

Be aware of your own biases and limitations when evaluating others. The frame in AT is exceptionally loose compared to other dances. I'd wager to say that it would be easy to consider it nonexistant or "noodle-armed" if one is speaking from a ballroom background. That doesn't mean connection can't exist anyhow. (I've followed basic things perfectly well with absolutely no physical connection at all.)

Just because it doesn't fit what you know to be "true" about partner dancing, or dancing in general, doesn't mean the teacher doesn't know what they're talking about.

...then again, there are plenty of teachers out there who don't know what they're talking about. And plenty of (ballroom) teachers out there who will teach with a frame...even if that shows they don't know what they're talking about.

I think we misunderstand each other. However, I'll refrain from making an effort to explain myself until I have more experience with Argentine Tango in particular and can speak in same language and terms. Until then, I'll continue reading and learning in as many ways as possible.

hbboogie1

09-19-2009, 09:40 PM

All my experiences with learning AT were brief, fairly cold, and had me full of disbelief when I was told having good "frame" or "connection" was less important. (I automatically assume anyone who tells me to have loose frame or less of a connection doesn't actually know anything about dancing, even if they can do pirouettes with a partner).

That was a tangent. I just wanted to say that in spite of the fact that I don't really know how to AT, I loved reading this thread. It was fun in and of itself.

Ren I wasn’t there to hear first hand what your tango teacher was trying to communicate. He could have been telling you to forget the frame in order to concentrate on something else, you can’t be taught everything at once and it takes time and dedication to learn tango.
If you learn traditional open embrace tango you will most definitely have a frame and so will your partner. Just go to Youtube and look at tango you will notice that people have frames even the ones dancing close embrace So you might research a little and try another lesson.
Good luck
Hbboogie

“A chip on the shoulder often denotes wood higher up”

dchester

09-21-2009, 08:25 AM

I think we misunderstand each other. However, I'll refrain from making an effort to explain myself until I have more experience with Argentine Tango in particular and can speak in same language and terms. Until then, I'll continue reading and learning in as many ways as possible. There are different opinions (or philosophies on how some of this stuff works). I'm definitely in agreement with the "frame" philosophy, but not everyone is. I'm in agreement with what hbboogie1 said previously, although I might go a step further and say that using the "frame" to lead can be valid even in close embrace (although I know not everyone agrees with this).

IMO, this stuff is an art, not a science.

Peaches

09-21-2009, 08:33 AM

IMO, this stuff is an art, not a science.Bingo.

j_alexandra

10-07-2009, 10:55 PM

So, this wasn't exactly a lesson, but I was at a social earlier this evening and Gentleman G asked me to dance when some AT music came on. As at most ballroom socials, I expected to do some smooth tango. Instead, he said, "Walk with me," and took me in close embrace. So I closed my eyes and walked with him.

Holy cow.

No wonder the AT folks are so passionate about this dance. No fancy footwork, no showing off, just walking and sensing.

<swoons>

Ampster

10-07-2009, 11:54 PM

Holy cow.

No wonder the AT folks are so passionate about this dance. No fancy footwork, no showing off, just walking and sensing.

<swoons>

You have just experienced "Tango Magic." Not ballroom, but real Argentine Tango—MAGIC!

I wrote something about it HERE (http://ampstertango.blogspot.com/2009/07/let-go-and-let-it-happen.html)

Angel HI

10-08-2009, 03:25 AM

"Walk with me," and took me in close embrace. So I closed my eyes and walked with him. Holy cow. No wonder the AT folks are so passionate about this dance. No fancy footwork, no showing off, just walking and sensing. <swoons>
:D Welcome to the darkside, j alex.

samina

10-08-2009, 06:13 AM

Instead, he said, "Walk with me," and took me in close embrace. So I closed my eyes and walked with him.

Holy cow.

No wonder the AT folks are so passionate about this dance. No fancy footwork, no showing off, just walking and sensing.

<swoons>

there it is... :cool:

hey, we never heard back from GJB -- am wondering if he had a similar wow-magic-walking AT experience with his first lesson!

Peaches

10-08-2009, 06:34 AM

Glad to hear you had such a great experience, j_A. Welcome to the dark side.

j_alexandra

10-08-2009, 06:58 AM

:D Welcome to the darkside, j alex.

Thank you, Angel; glad to be here, but I can't think of this experience as the darkside. It's another aspect of the light, imho. Just what I needed: a new high to chase. ;)

Which reminds me of a friend who lives in Seattle, and who took up AT a couple of years ago. She talks about how sometimes, when she's in close embrace, it's as if a burning light swells within her and it's almost overwhelming. She used to worry about it; didn't realize it was a rare gift, one that some dancers never receive.

I've certainly had my own transcendent experiences while dancing, and can see that it's more likely to happen with a leader who is seriously, deeply concerned with connection. Not with how he looks, or how you look, or technique, or any of the distractions that take away from that simple (but not easy) aspect of the dance. Tango zen indeed.

Interestingly, I had a lesson earlier in the day on standard foxtrot, the first standard lesson I've had in which I was ready to accept and reflect nuance. I imagine I'll get shot down for this, but I found the experience similar to "walking" with Gentleman G. What was called forth in me, in order to sense the cues Teach was sending, was the same as what Gentleman G called forth in me. Delicious. :D

j_alexandra

10-08-2009, 07:00 AM

You have just experienced "Tango Magic." Not ballroom, but real Argentine Tango—MAGIC!

I wrote something about it HERE (http://ampstertango.blogspot.com/2009/07/let-go-and-let-it-happen.html)

And aren't I grateful for it? I watch AT dancers showing off, dancing complex moves I can't even name. It's lovely to watch. But it isn't magical, to me. Maybe someday.