dan’s tango workshop revisited
Props to Randolf for the Photos!
A few weeks back, Dan Plonski gave a stellar intro lesson to Argentine Tango.
But the biggest gift he left us with was his personal philosophy. Even more important than the embrace, or the walk, is the attitude and emotions that guide the dance.
If you missed out, I would like to cover a few of these points…
1. “After every single step, you collect yourself, breath and re-center.”
I thought: “Every single step is a dance in and of itself and it should be danced as such. You don’t think about the next step or what’s going to happen afterwards, you stay centered in the current moment with your partner.”
2.. “It’s not about memorizing movements. You work hard on your fundamentals so that you can improvise.”
I thought: “Do you want to learn the sound, grammar and sentence structure of the language, or do you want to memorize sentences? I think you need a lot of the former and a little bit of the latter.”
3. “I don’t lead, I only invite…”
I thought: “Wow. Dialog, that’s the word. The goal is not to dominate your partner by focusing on wild twisty turn patterns, or spinning her over and over again while standing in place. Neither of those are bad, but they shouldn’t be the focus. Use the word ‘invite’. It’s perfect.”
4. “The best Tango dancers look as if they are almost doing nothing at all.”
I thought: “Quiet subtlety. A conversation between two. This relates to the way we express different rhythms with different parts of the body. Most will not even notice it. But your partner will feel it. White space should be left intact. Saying nothing can be like speaking volumes. ”
And last, here is tidbit of irony.
While Stephanie and I were at the Milonga at Triangle Dance Studio, we witnessed an older gentleman whose style I was totally digging. Complete old school, straight up Argentine style.
I commented that either he was Argentinean or was taught by one. His wife approached us and very politely introduced herself. She then told us that both of them were in fact from Argentina, but neither of them knew Tango…
Until they took their first class from Dan 5 years prior!
Stay tuned for the next Tango workshop!
Related posts:
- Tango? Not my cup of tea.
- Beginner Hip-Hop Workshop for Urban Hope of Durham
- what does your closed position say about you?
- real salsa requires a real connection
That was a fantastic workshop for so many reasons. The points you outlined we big reasons and I also love the message about developing a connection and dialogue. I also love the gentle smooth movement. Who said the Tango has to be about a battle between dancers. It’s a conversation that can get heated but seems best when it’s a calm quite conversation.
I can’t wait for the next Argentine Tango workshop.
Very well said Tonia
I am in the most complete agreement possible with your last sentence. I think the battle thing is way overdone, and probably not in line with the roots of the dance. To me the quiet conversation is most appealing….