Tango Diaries

[ArbeeNYC]

I don't leave something this important to AI. Tomorrow, for example, I'll use series titles: Magnum PI, Twin Peaks, and the like!

You need music that is significantly different than the tanda. Pointless to play classical music or Twin Peaks. You'll put people to sleep. You would get booed here for doing that. I recall one woman, who DJ'ed for a while and played Old Church Slavonic music and Russian folk songs. That didn't last long.

 

[Rabbit]

You need music that is significantly different than the tanda. Pointless to play classical music or Twin Peaks. You'll put people to sleep.

I have heard classical music played as cortinas occasionally, and I will dance to it

 

[opendoor]

You need music that is significantly different than the tanda.

No, that is not enough. As written above: I do not use dance music. And I will define what dance music or danceable music actually is!

..Twin Peaks.. You would get booed here for doing that..

I would not change my style! I don't blame my clients for poor dancing skills, either. So they have no right to criticize me for my job. I suspect that the group mentioned is most likely only able to dance to pop music adequately.

 

[opendoor]

I have heard classical music played as cortinas occasionally, and I will dance to it

Of course, a lot of classical music is dance music. And the music that wasn't meant to be dance music is at least danceable music!

 

[itwillhappen]

One thing I observed at this encuentro this weekend, was a bunch of older people ( definitely not all the participants) but a good number, who managed to carve out a very fulfilling activity suitable for old age. I found them inspiring. I hope “when I grow up” I can keep pushing myself to keep learning, have a purpose, have satisfactory social interaction centered around tango, and have tango as a reason to travel in an age-appropriate way.

Yes, it's important to think about a resilient and sustainable strategy for getting plder in good time.

At the encuentro two weeks ago, we arrived just as the first milonga had ended. And my girlfriend was a bit shocked that we met a crowd of elderly people. But they were just the slower ones; overall everything was normal (for an encuentro).
Six years older, when I'm of retirement age, are many people's physical and mental constitution already significantly impacted in their ability to dance.

In light of this, perhaps it's more important for me to hike over the hills and through forests than to take private tango lessons?

 

[Paja]

In light of this, perhaps it's more important for me to hike over the hills and through forests than to take private tango lessons?

Well, I am 55 next year. My recipe is TRX lessons in Gym plus nordic walking, cycling. To practice Tango 24/7 is definitelly not healthy. My first (and last) bad lumbar plate prolapse happened my first year of Tango. Bud not only Tango was a reason, I had issues before and as captain of Dragon Boat I had to race even suffering severe backpain.

 

[opendoor]

..had issues.. as captain of Dragon Boat I had to race..

Understand, the drummer (captain) has to sit all the time. Couldn't you be a paddler? Paddeling constantly massages the discs.

 

[Paja]

Understand, the drummer (captain) has to sit all the time. Couldn't you be a paddler? Paddeling constantly massages the discs.

Captain is rarely drummer. Drummer is usually light weight but strong girl. If drummer would be heavy man, then boat in badly balanced. Good drummer is a key, she has to keep right rhytm for paddlers, she can constantly cheer up crew by yelling, cursing badly like devil to squeeze every drop of power from paddlers. She cooperates with steersman, who can see other boats and decide strategy. But captain is sitting with paddle and working hard as hell to motivate rest of crew. Paddling on dragon boat is very physically demanding and one sided sport. Definitelly not massage but masacre

 

[pianistamediano]

In light of this, perhaps it's more important for me to hike over the hills and through forests than to take private tango lessons?

I would very honestly recommend a (light) weightlifting routine and regular hiking/hillwalking. All these have been shown to be very beneficial for your health in general, and weightlifting in particular improves bone density and muscle mass, joint mobility, and it's great for posture and stability too. It's a great confidence booster and mental health aid too — just being and feeling able to lift weights when you weren't able to before just feels great.

 

[Brummbaer]

One thing I observed at this encuentro this weekend, was a bunch of older people ( definitely not all the participants) but a good number, who managed to carve out a very fulfilling activity suitable for old age. I found them inspiring. I hope “when I grow up” I can keep pushing myself to keep learning, have a purpose, have satisfactory social interaction centered around tango, and have tango as a reason to travel in an age-appropriate way.

So far, in older age post-retirement, I reckon it's about keeping going and not adopting a sedentary lifestyle in front of some screen. Any physical exercise is better than none! It also depends on your lifestyle and interests when younger. It becomes more about perseverance rather than significant physical activity in bursts. Walking/hiking/rambling are all good as 'miles on the clock' rather than the speed that you got there, as is dance itself.

We notice a difference between those who 'gave up' for a relaxing lifestyle (more knee, hip, back, shoulder and diet issues - although I'm sure they will come) and those who keep going - and learning new things. Irrespective body parts wear out! It's about staving off that day, enjoying the journey, and avoiding injuries.

 

[Miradamiranda]

Geeez, what you are quoting me saying here, I was surprised I wrote that, and out of context, it comes across as if I’m criticizing the crowd at the encuentro for being much older than myself. I was on the contrary admiring them, and it’s not that I’m far behind, in my 50s myself. Most of the men I danced with were of the normal age category for me to dance with. The difference from what I normally see at full weekend events was the women. Encuentros like this, friendly towards all participants, where dancers go out of their way to dance with many different partners, are clearly to the benefit for women who otherwise might be aging out of the scene. Some of the people I chatted with said they mostly only (if not exclusively) go to encuentros. One guy said it’s for his wife’s sake, that in non-encuentro events she doesn’t get to dance much. There were plenty of women younger than myself, but the average was higher than at marathons, for sure.

Although I still have trouble with a knee from a bike fall last october, it doesn’t prevent me from dancing practically painlessly for 12 hours straight - in heels, no less. Extended hiking would be an issue, however, although I’m working hard on my exercises to strengthen my knee again. The sudden shock of having a knee issue was a reality check for me, reminding me to not take for granted my physical ability and dance life. So I feel that now is my peak in my tango life. All downhill from now on…. I’ll age out of the scene and my body won’t keep up sooner or later. Meanwhile I try to make the most out of it. And it’s good to know that there will still be possibilities to dance, like in encuentros. Oh, and also a reminder to myself to not ignore the younger guys who show they like dancing with me even though they don’t have as much experience as most of my other regular partners. They might be ‘using’ me to gain experience so they can dance with the PYTs, but so what.

 

[Brummbaer]

it comes across as if I’m criticizing the crowd at the encuentro for being much older than myself.

Didn't take it as a criticism at all; more of a compliment to the more mature dancers. Dance is an extremely positive activity - especially as we all age. It's not all downhill; it's just the perspective which changes. It's about the journey, and more your personal journey, and making the most of it without the fripperies of the 'youth'; not the destination.

 

[Bailango]

. Encuentros like this, friendly towards all participants, where dancers go out of their way to dance with many different partners,

So if this can work at Encuentros, why not at regular milongas back to my pet peeve. Tango can be friends, but the new comers catch on to the excuses that they hear from regulars and hence tango continues to be unfriendly. And tango dancers somehow take pride in how unfriendly it is. We can always find excuses to justify unfriendliness.

All downhill from now on…. I’ll age out of the scene and my body won’t keep up sooner or later.

You are how you feel you are There is certain truism to age being just a number. There are people in 40s who age more than people in 50s. May be you will start aging at 75 if you keep dancing

Good thing about tango is it doesn’t demand you to be super-athletic. Rather it is about endurance and good motor coordination. If you had it at younger age (pre-50s), you will have it in 70s and 80s too. Baring some bad injuries.

 

[Bailango]

Lately similar topics are being discussed across multiple threads and hard to keep track of. I read this the day you posted and wanted to respond later.

An actual diary entry after a pause and many pages of other stuff . . .

Background: I came to these forums to bemoan the floorcraft where I live (Montréal), which I did.

During these breaks, I think I observed the cause of poor floorcraft: Nobody dances a walking dance. They dance figures, they rebound all over the place, they execute exaggerated lunges and pauses, etc. But at one point I counted one couple walking on a floor of about 25 couples, and all of the others fiddling around in place. Today at my usual práctica, I was watching what people were practicing: static figures.

You make the floor craft issues that I complain about locally like minor transgressions. Most milongas I go to do not exhibit the behavior you described. Yours sounds like a nightmare in comparison.

I always am watching the floorcraft. Especially of regulars. So when I am behind someone, I know what to expect. Though I learn more of what to expect by having danced behind the leader previously. There is pattern and I can mostly predict how a particular regular leader will dance.

I can avoid getting into LoD behind problem makers but not much you can do if they slide infront of in the LoD

While I observed, I looked at how people were getting from figure to figure and slowly making their way around the floor. It was with pathetic little steps starting at knee level. Nobody was starting steps from the rear end, the hip, or ideally the lower back.

A lot of people have not mastered the art or technique of walking. As long as they move forward I don’t care.

I've been taught to loosen my hips, engage my back, and step with the entire leg, hinged as high as my old body permits. On back steps, even as a leader, I've been taught to keep forward intention and not let my chest or pelvis depart from my partner, yet to get my moving leg back as far as I can. On all steps, I've been taught that the torso moves first to create drive, and then the legs come along. And much of what I do that isn't walking is still predicated on my torso moving first to lead the movement, my eventual step coming after that, starting as high in the body as I can manage.

Yea this is how I try to step too.

 

[opendoor]

..All downhill from now on…. I’ll age out of the scene and my body won’t keep up sooner or later..

You can also look at it differently: There's an inherent choreography in tango life. In Karate, you can't earn the higher dan grades on the mat anymore either. You can remain an integral part of the scene as a talented tango musician or a DJane. I'm currently in Berlin and am returning to the hotel euphoric, having danced for 20 minutes outside on the banks of the river Spree at sunset. I can't do any more than that on stone. I think I was still able to attract some attention. So my tango existence is still alive. That is why I am humble and grateful.