I have been dancing for about 9 months. If born now, the baby would be completely viable, but still depending heavily on others' assistance. That's my tango. Not even a toddler. Still cannot walk. Fragile like a newborn. Needs to be nurtured. But it has good lungs, and a strong appetite, and will grow fast, fast, fast. A new baby means hope.
I decided to celebrate my new tango year a little earlier, during The Tango Festival. And my first and utmost new year resolution will be:
No_more_tango_crushes!
Saturday has quickly become my good milonga day. It's just too much fun. Last one started with a nice one-hour practice session with my new partner. He is working on a back sacada, a sacada combination, and a fun milonga step ending up in a cross. For the first two, I have to pay attention to my balance, and to keeping my weight forward. The milonga step, he has to work on the lead. Meanwhile, I work on following his chest and placing my feet on the floor in a nice articulated way.
We spent an hour practicing and sweating, and the day had started early for me. When I arrived at the milonga, my enegry level was a little low. That automatically set the expectation level. But not every night is supposed to be Le Quatorze Juillet, n'est ce pas? .....
Almost immediately I danced with a leader who had been intriguing me since last week. We had a rather bad milonga set for our first time, although not disastrously horrible. Then a tango tanda later that week. Now, a vals tanda. He commented that we've tried everything together now. Indeed. But I still don't know what's the deal with him. His embrace feels really nice. But I don't like how he leads some simple steps. And he leads nothing else but very simple steps, in fact. Is he relatively new? He seems to be popular.
He seemed to like me. So, I can explore the problem further. I have time.
I had to give a few" charity" tandas, which reinforced my low energy state. When I am tired, sometimes it's easier for me to say "yes" than maneuver out of dancing with less than desirable partners. And they feel my weakness somehow. Meanwhile, another leader I want to dance with, arrived. I had a half tanda with him a while ago. Not because he sat me down, but because the party that night ended rather abruptly, for some reason. I never had another chance with him since then. Nor did I last Saturday. That was a bummer.
At some point, one of the advanced leaders asked me for a last song in a tanda, which I admit, is a very clever way of trying on new people. It was not even a whole song. When the music stopped, he asked if I was visiting. I claimed I was a local, but how come he's never seen me before. I said I was kinda new. He replied, but you must have danced for quite a while. A little less than a year, that's what I answer to that question right now. He said -- but you're good, you probably take good lessons. How did he know I was good, if he danced with me for only a few seconds? Did he watch me, I wonder. Probably he's just been nice. Not as I'm no good, of course, but how could he detect that in a fraction of a song. We danced another tanda. At the end I told him, you are the best dancer I've ever danced so far. I liked his reaction. He simply said, there are lots of really great dancers out there, and if I keep dancing, I discover them very soon. I surely hope so.
Well, I felt like I could call it a night, that's how satisfactory the whole thing was. But more fabulous dancers arrived. Among them my last week discovery who I considered a serious candidate for my future tango sweethearts. Unfortunately, as it happens often between my leaders and I, the formers sooner than later discover that I have an ability to follow (and put up with) almost any crazy stuff that comes to their mind. That makes them very excited, and they start experimenting. At first I rather don't mind, but finally... I just want to dance. Especially when I am out at a milonga, and not in practice. No, I don't always enjoy being a guinea pig. I wanted to escape after the first tanda, but he was like--come on, stay more. His balance, embrace, his weight shifts are just heavenly. I wanted only walk with him, simply walk around the room to music( a lovely vals set was on), and enjoy all these fabulous qualities, the nuances. Helas. Is it possible to change anything now still, or am I labeled a guinea pig for the rest of times with him? Will see.
One guy I've known for a while had a surprise for me. I've always fancied him a good leader, but he had never been my favorite. I felt like we got no chemistry. I couldn't quite point a finger at what was wrong between us, but something just didn't work. Lately I decided the reason was that his lead felt a little rigid, abrupt. And my personal preference is smoothness and softness ( stop laughing you guys). But that night, closer to the end, he asked me for a dance, and... managed to put me into one of the deepest trance I've ever been into.
Of all people. Might it be that by the moment I already had been half asleep due to my fatigue? Anyway, I saw him going home after that tanda. Doesn't it feel great getting a fix. And as I accepted a milonga tanda from my new partner who wanted to try that move we worked on earlier, I told him, I am asleep... don't you wake me up... I don't wanna wake up tonight... .
But of course I did.
I thought I did. But I don't quite remember the rest of the night, and even how I made it home. Although my partner and I had an interesting conversation in the car, which deserves a separate entry. About his partners that night, about my partners, about us... And then I had to drive home on my own. But all these mechanical and intellectual actions were parallel to my tango state of consciousness.
Really woke up only the next morning, desperately needing a foot massage.
Looking at the tapes my partner gave me. I want to show him mine. I really wish him to be receptive to my suggestions. So far he has been. I also have to set a regular time for my practice partner #2, and go to another private lesson with him. It proved to be effective, I believe.
Je suis fatiguee. Mais c'est le pied!
09.18.08 Update:
I kept my new year resolution, and did not have any crushes during my second year in tango. Now I entered my third year, having a sweet tango crush on a quite improbable person, and enjoying it thoroughly.
My new partner stopped being my practice partner after a while. However, we developed a great dance connection as well as a strong friendship off the floor. He still is one of my favorites to dance with. Unfortunately, he moved out of town recently, so we don't dance together often.
My happy Saturday milonga is no more. The venue went on for about a year, and closed down without a bang.
I gave up on the "bad milonga guy". He is still around but we never dance. In my opinion, his dancing has never improved, if not worsened.
The "advanced leader" does not go out that much anymore. He is a nice guy, and still is fun to dance with. Nowadays, he is, by far, not the best leader I ever danced with.
I still have a fine chemistry with another leader mentioned in this entry, that in time has been reinforced by my growing skills and assertiveness. So, now we regularly enjoy very nice tandas together. He also has been a good help to me at practicas.
The "surprise guy" got a girlfriend and almost never mingles anymore. I am not sure if I miss dancing with him that much.
I miss riding in my partner's car, and our convos.
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