Square Giro or Round Giro? Which came first?

31 May

As far as I can tell, there are two ways of thinking about a giro.

1)    The follower makes a square pattern around the leader.

2)    The follower grapevines and makes a round pattern around the leader.

My question is this:

            I would guess that the circle version came first based on the qualities of the movement and the square version came after.  But is this true? Does anyone have any knowledge of the history of this kind of conceptualization?

I’m referring specifically to the giro hecho con lapiz.  Where the follower does what Norte Americanos would call a molinete.

Square version example from 2013 metropolitano champions in Feb of 2013.

0:32 – 0:38

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OkqRnYnzS08

 

 

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NEW NEW NEW: Website and Class!

16 Apr

Hello Everyone,

I’m super excited to be teaching with my amazing and wonderfully talented partner Stephanie Berg.  See the flier below.

Also, we’ve designed a website together, check it out! http://www.nicoandstephie.com  Don’t worry though, I’ll still keep this one but just as a blog.

Wish us the best as we embark on our tango journey together! :)

Image

 

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Argentina Barbie Gets It Right

12 Apr

This Barbie is a wonderfully accurate and true to life representation of typical Argentine and Tango culture.

Mattel gets it right!

I particularly love:
- The length of the skirt, just below the butt cheek – what a great show!
- The baby cougar – perfectly sized for a shoe bag.
- Typical tango bouffant and flip hair – ready in 5 quick minutes!
- Hair & ankle rose – attracts men like bees to honey, added fun for foot work!

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Kizomba pisses me off & so does ignoring tango’s african heritage

17 Mar

The truth is, I don’t hate Kizmoba.  I met a few of the originators of the dance from Africa (so I know they’re “authentic”) and we talked about it…albeit in a mishmash of Spanish/Portuguese/English, but they made themselves clear. Apparently they’re all about connection.  All about connection??  Sweet! I can hop on board with that!

These gentlemen were explicit that they didn’t invent Kizomba.  They said that they just grew up with it, and have brought it over from Africa. They were super humble about their dance, and seemed a little bemused by all the fuss.

When I saw these guys dancing they were doing nothing complicated and really groovin’.  Like…focusing on the connection…you know?

But a lot of the newer Kizomba peeps? With all the fancy moves? It makes me a little crazy when you talk to me like your dance is “the only one,” and the “be all end all,” just because it has something that looks like ochos, disassociation, and crosses.* Often times you talk a good game about connection, but your dance seems to have become an exercise in how to wow the crowd or show off a new move.

I’m sure if you seen Kizomba you could imagine it as every old school tango.  There are probably strong historical connections between the two.  The African influence upon tango is HUGE, but is (surprise surprise) not really talked about that much.  It isn’t a huge stretch for my imagination to think that kizomba today, and tango’s roots at the turn of the century, would have looked very similar.

Kizomba is also rapidly changing.  I’ve seen demos that look suspiciously like milonga and others that are drifting to the Tango Nuevo zone.  I’ve seen people add in salsa and bachata-like grinds, spins, and hips.  It will be exciting to watch what happens in the future.  Will Kizomba people start coming to Tango? Will Tango people go to Kizomba?  Will the two sides begin a dance war, then be locked in a gymnasium and finally realize that we have a lot in common, beginning a new dawn of dance?

Here are some other dances that look like they might have something in common as well:

American Balboa — http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mQXKEMkGIPw

Mexican Quebradita — http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=18o3YzwZkCE

For more info the on the African-Tango connection check out:

http://www.indyweek.com/indyweek/the-blackness-of-tango/Content?oid=1197334

http://www.amazon.com/Tango-History-Robert-Farris-Thompson/dp/1400095794

*Do people feel like that about Argentine Tango dancers?  Probably. But Argentine Tango really IS that awesome.

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Another Reason Tango Dancers are Better Then Everyone Else: Cell Phones

1 Mar

How often do you see people using a cellphone/tech device at a milonga?  When performance happens, yes, a lot of people whip out their phone/s/video cameras.* But I’m talking about during a milonga.  Do you see people checking texts, emailing, or tweeting?

Very Rarely.  Especially when you compare it to Bart, school classrooms, or your powerpoint office meeting.

The reason I bring it up is because tomorrow is A National Day of UnPlugging.  It is pretty much Shabbat , but not tied to religion.  I heard about it on NPR’s Forum this morning. The show talked about all the effects of technology/cell phone use, addiction, compulsion, hugging, multitasking, and tired brains. Really cool stuff linked at the end of this post.

What I really pulled from it is that people are wired to be rewarded biochemically for connecting. Which is how cellphones can be so addicting.** You hear about families not being families because they’re always on their devices.  Television during dinner and kids being handed an iPad to shut them up. You hear about entrepreneurs and business people tied to their devices. Anybody remember the term, “crackberry?”

And I think it is just SO COOL that we can all come together at a milonga and stop using cellphones/computers and just be people with each other. Make a real connection. It  is good for you. This isn’t “woo woo” stuff, its science.  So go to a milonga. Today. ***

-Nicholas

 

P.S. Tango dancers aren’t better then everyone else. Just…you know… more enlightened then most.

 

*For an interesting idea about technology replacing reality by mediating your experience, check this out from PBS and the Idea Channel.

 

 

** This also might explain how tango can be so addicting and satisfying.

 

 

***I hear the Argentine Tango Club of Berkeley is putting on really good one tonight. Check it out!

http://tangomango.org/index.php?eventid=8002&date=2013-03-01

 

 

NPR’s Forum:

http://www.kqed.org/a/forum/R201303011000

 

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The Best New Milonga in the Bay Area?

18 Feb

Woah! What an awesome milonga at Studio 1924 yesterday!  Congratulations to Count and Melissa for their successes.  The music, dancing, attendance, ambiance, and vibe were all great yesterday!

Here are some of my favorite things happening at Studio 1924’s Twilight Milonga: 

-There’s a new sheriff in town and his name is Count Glover. Count has been active in maintaining the quality of dancing at Studio 1924 during the Twilight Milonga.  How might you ask?  Aside from his charm, that attracts some of the best dancers in the area, he politely asks those who are making things miserable for the rest of us (teaching on the floor/talking super loud/dancing crazy) to politely stop it.  Thank you Count!

-Who doesn’t like to see themselves looking all sexy?  Melissa takes your photo while dancing, posts it on fb, and tags you.  And I know all that is super time consuming.  Some of my favorite dancing pictures are from her. Slip her some bills and you might get some extra attention from her lens. Thank you Melissa!

 -Smart, young, good looking, talented, and broke.  Students are many things, but rich isn’t often one of them.  Studio 1924 has been kind enough to offer one of the best milonga experiences at the lowest cost ($5) to students in all of the bay area. Thank you Studio 1924!

-“I’m gonna pop some tags, only got $20 in my pocket….”  Can you say Twilight Boutique?! I love the fact that Studio 1924 has brought in Yumiko to the milonga.  In a world where everyone is often just out for themselves, it makes it feel so collaborative! Gives me hope for mankind. Yumiko opens shop during the milonga for those itching to get a little retail therapy.  It is an incredibly valuable service to those looking for shoes/dance wear at a discount.  A student of mine (who’s a student) got his first pair of tango shoes for $50.  He was so desperate for dance shoes he was about to get pumas! His tango shoes look good. Really good.  Watch out ladies. Thank you Yumi! 

-Varied DJ’s.  Pretty much everyone I know feels strong about what the DJ is playing, except for me.  People love the music, hate the music, love the tandas, hate the order, can’t stand the mixture…All I care about is that the DJ isn’t terrible and that they have a little variety.  As an aside, I like Yuling DJing a lot… so… Thank you Yuling!

 Studio 1924

So there you have it! Some of my favorite things about Studio 1924’s Twilight Milonga. Keep it up everyone!

 

-Nicholas

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Authentic Swing

10 Feb

When I go out swing dancing in Los Angeles or Oakland I only dance with ‘mericans (people from the USA).  I don’t know what it is, but ‘mericans just get it.  They really truly understand the inherent nature of swing.  So many people are coming to hops and WCS events that are from other countries.  For example, when I see Argentines dancing their “rock” version of swing, I just feel sorry for them, because they don’t understand what it is truly about.  It is not real swing.

Perhaps it is because swing is just so inherent to our ‘merican culture.  Can a foreigner ever really get it?

Note: I feel the same way about people from the East Coast dancing West Coast Swing.

-Nicholas

P.S. for those offended, please look at the tag list.

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Practice! and Announcement: room change!

29 Jan

Hello Everyone!

I don’t like making posts this close together, but there’s been a last minute room change.  Tonights class at UC Berkeley will be 7-10p in 233 Dwinelle Hall.  Tango Study Hall: $3 students $9 community.

False alarm.  Next week is 233 Dwinelle.  Tonight, this week, is 222 Wheeler Hall.

For everyone who’s not coming to class tonight… think about this:

Practice doesn’t make perfect.  It makes permanent.  By doing a movement over and over again, good or bad, we ingrain it into our brains and bodies, muscles and nerves.  While practicing one must make a habit of self reflection, to analyze and reflect about what you’re practicing and how you’re practicing it.  Of course, be careful of over doing it . For some it can be very easy to fall into an analytical freeze!  And above all: stay positive.  This is a long journey.  There’s no “slim fast” diet for learning tango.

-nicholas

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Swaybacked Dancing – Good? Bad? Dangerous? & Classes Starting Again!

25 Jan posturing

Recently, I’ve been noticing a lot of follows, both really great and mid level, are dancing what I would call swaybacked (see 2nd posture from photo below…its kind of exaggerated  but you get the idea).  And I’m not sure why.  It can feel relaxed and “gooey” from the full torso connection. However, it can also be very bad for your back and body.

I have a few theories as to why followers are dancing like this, and a lot of it has to do with the leaders.  But first before I mouth off about it, what does everybody else think?  Is dancing swaybacked good? Bad?  Better? Worse?  Why are people doing it? And does it matter?

posturing

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Also! Tuesday Study Hall is staring! This coming Tuesday (the 29th)  Yayyy!

7pm – 10pm. $3 students $9 community. Wheeler Hall, Room 222.

http://www.facebook.com/events/124399577730966/


View Larger Map

 

And if you missed it, Thursday Class (free) & practica ($1) with the Argentine Tango Club of Berkeley has started again.  8pm Thursday, Hearst Gym Room 251.  Friendly reminder: If you do not have a UCB ID, you must send your name to ucbtango@gmail.com by 11:59pm tonight in order to be placed on the UCB Tango guest list and gain access to Hearst Gym for the practica.  You only have to do it once.


View Larger Map

 

salsa

 

ALSO 1924 has an awesome Wednesday Salsa Night and I’m teaching January the 30th!  It’s a fantastic class to help you on your way to being light able and happy on the salsa dance floor.  And if you’re not interested so much in the class, come for the dancing after!

 

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The Tango Nuevo Suit

17 Jan

Jeans or sometimes slacks that are bellbottomy and probably a little frayed at the bottom paired with an untucked collared shirt.  Sometimes for a dressier look, a usually unbuttoned sports coat. Shoes are usually well worn. 

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