tango... inspiration

[Caro]

Just back from yet another very frustrating and totally uninspiring class tonight...

I love AT but I am having such low lows at times that I wonder how I could overcome that. Or should I just give up and concentrate on other dances...? :sad: :confused: That'll be really sad cause I love tango, but the 'highs' that I get are so rare that I struggle to find the will to keep going through the lows...

I need to feel... inspired.

I'm thinking that a nice week-end some place else might help. I've had a look at the links on the tango events thread, and while some sound quite appealing (Italy for example), I'm not so keen on going on my own... Anybody from the forum going to any of those?

I know dance holiday also run week-ends in Grenada, that might be an option...

Any other ideas as to what would help me to get through the low and keep dancing AT? Help please I'm in desperate need of inspiration here... :flower:

[Feelingpink]

Just back from yet another very frustrating and totally uninspiring class tonight...

I love AT but I am having such low lows at times that I wonder how I could overcome that. Or should I just give up and concentrate on other dances...? :sad: :confused: That'll be really sad cause I love tango, but the 'highs' that I get are so rare that I struggle to find the will to keep going through the lows...

I need to feel... inspired.

I'm thinking that a nice week-end some place else might help. I've had a look at the links on the tango events thread, and while some sound quite appealing (Italy for example), I'm not so keen on going on my own... Anybody from the forum going to any of those?

I know dance holiday also run week-ends in Grenada, that might be an option...

Any other ideas as to what would help me to get through the low and keep dancing AT? Help please I'm in desperate need of inspiration here... :flower:New shoes? :blush: Hmmm - apart from that ... a private lesson, perhaps once a month? A little tango gathering in London when there is an event on? Pop down to one of the Devon weekends?

[Caro]

New shoes? :blush: Hmmm - apart from that ... a private lesson, perhaps once a month? A little tango gathering in London when there is an event on? Pop down to one of the Devon weekends?

Sadly, I think I am past the stage that can be solved with new sparkly shoes...:tears: God I must be really depressed.
¨
Private: yes I am hoping to do that in a few weeks time. But I am a little nervous as well since privates usually make your confidence and satisfaction in your dancing drop for some time before it improves...

Tango gathering in london: that sounds quite good too. Any dates / links for those week-ends you're talking about?

[Feelingpink]

Sadly, I think I am past the stage that can be solved with new sparkly shoes...:tears: God I must be really depressed.
¨
Private: yes I am hoping to do that in a few weeks time. But I am a little nervous as well since privates usually make your confidence and satisfaction in your dancing drop for some time before it improves...

Tango gathering in london: that sounds quite good too. Any dates / links for those week-ends you're talking about?You've just missed Tango Mango in Devon, but there is an improvers & intermediates weekend at the end of this month, according to the website (http://www.tangoindevon.co.uk/upcoming.html). In London, DJ or CeeCee would be better at suggestions, but there's always Negracha (http://www.negrachatangoclub.com/) on a Friday night very late.

I've been having lessons with Tango South London - and the instructor there - Claire is just lovely and extremely elegant. Guess you could always have a private with her or sure she'd be happy to have a few of us for a lesson together; she's got her own tango studio in south London. She does a women's technique class on a Tuesday - so a few of us tango girlies could get together & set up our own class if you wanted to be in a group.

[Ghost]

Sadly, I think I am past the stage that can be solved with new sparkly shoes...:tears: God I must be really depressed.

This stage exists? Have you tried chocolate? Chocolate whilst shopping for sparkly shoes?

If not then you'll just have to sit down and watch this
YouTube - Korey and Mila tango demo at Valentango 2006 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QVlU64J_3Pk)

and this
YouTube - Assassination Tango (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=89uVgN3bD4s&mode=related&search=)

Over and over again :awe:

(More inspirational clips gradually mounting up at the MJDA Forum here (http://www.mjda.org/forum/showthread.php?t=233) )

[Caro]

This stage exists? Have you tried chocolate? Chocolate whilst shopping for sparkly shoes?

If not then you'll just have to sit down and watch this (snip links)


Thanks Ghost I have those clips in my favourites already... Clearly doesn't hurt to watch them again... :drool:

As for chocolate... I don't even feel like eating some right now...:sad:
god does it mean I am dead??? :tears:

[Genie]

If not then you'll just have to sit down and watch this
YouTube - Korey and Mila tango demo at Valentango 2006 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QVlU64J_3Pk)

and this
YouTube - Assassination Tango (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=89uVgN3bD4s&mode=related&search=)

Over and over again :awe:

I don't know why, but that first video just put me to sleep. I find Tango of that sort really rather boring to watch. It must be better to dance it, or so many people wouldn't do it. But I yawned half way through.

Is the second one different somehow? It seemed it. I felt more from the second vid.

[Feelingpink]

Tango shoes? (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0dL5rRDmOYc)

Errrr, more shoes (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jBR7FWSSsuw)

And what happens after tango correspondence lessons & mulled wine combine :sick: Eeeek (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=knqHb6RaWto)

[Ghost]

I don't know why, but that first video just put me to sleep. I find Tango of that sort really rather boring to watch. It must be better to dance it, or so many people wouldn't do it. But I yawned half way through.

Is the second one different somehow? It seemed it. I felt more from the second vid.

I think it helps knowing that the couple in the first clip are genuinely into each other :awe: , rather than just acting for the crowd. This is implied more strongly in the second clip.

[JonD]

Any other ideas as to what would help me to get through the low and keep dancing AT?
It's no help Caro, but I've felt the same at times and so has Julie. A "Tango flat" is horrible and if you're past being cheered up by shoes and chocolate the situation is serious!

We'll be at the Tango Tribe (http://www.tangotribe.blogspot.com/) over the weekend of 9/10/11 March at Harberton on Dartmoor. Contact Riina or Lynn and have a chat about the booking situation - tell them Jon from Exeter mentioned it to you. The Tribe is well organised and fun - plus Jenny & Ricardo are teaching, amongst others. We'll also be at the Tango Tangk (http://www.tangouk.co.uk/tangkgnrc.htm) in the New Forest over the weekend of 27/28/29 April. (The website hasn't been updated with the new details yet but it'll give you a flavour of what goes on). Booking for that opens on the Monday 4 weeks before, which is the 26th March by my calculations. Korey & Mila are teaching at that so it's well worth going. It'd be great to see you at either event so let us know if you can make one of them (or both!).

The only other weekend thing I can think of in the next couple of months is the TangoNeta (http://www.tangoneta.com/) in Barcelona between 11-14 April. I went to the first one, about 3 years ago I think. It's organised by Gisela Navoni who is delightful and a wonderful teacher and dancer. It might be a bit scary going on your own though; in any event, I'd recommend staying in Barcelonetta rather than the "old city" area of Barcelona. If you contact Gisela do say hello from Julie and Jon in Devon.

We're also going to the Brussels Tango Festival at the end of March but I've never been to that before so wouldn't want to recommend it. It might be OK but I doubt if it has the same close, friendly feel of the "Mango clone" events like the Tribe, Tangk and TangoNeta. (I know some people have found the Mango a bit impersonal as well).


I don't know why, but that first video just put me to sleep. I find Tango of that sort really rather boring to watch. It must be better to dance it, or so many people wouldn't do it. But I yawned half way through.

Is the second one different somehow? It seemed it. I felt more from the second vid.
I think I prefer the clip of Korey & Mila because it speaks to me of what I feel when I'm dancing. That close connection, the use of close embrace, little smiles when things don't go quite as planned and that delicious feeling when they do. I also know Korey & Mila and can see how much they are in love in the way they dance together. You can see the caring and tenderness in Korey's lead. The second clip is also lovely and very atmospheric but I find it somehow a little more clinical and academic. That's understandable I guess as Robert Duvall isn't as good a dancer as Korey and you can see that he's trying very hard; his dancing is just a little stilted I think - you can see that he's not dancing from his heart. Luciana Pedraza is wonderful and does a brilliant job of making Duvall look good. Both clips are of performances, and the AT that I dance has nothing to do with being watched, but I think Korey & Mila have forgotten the audience more than Duvall has forgotten the cameras.

Drat, Ghost beat me to it!

[Lory]

Private: yes I am hoping to do that in a few weeks time. But I am a little nervous as well since privates usually make your confidence and satisfaction in your dancing drop for some time before it improves...


Make sure you choose your teacher carefully and go for the best you can afford! And explain how your feeling and what you'd like to get out of the lesson before you start...

It might just be a case that you need your ego boosted

The trouble with 'learning and practicing' with other learners, is when it goes wrong, your never quite sure if its 'your' incompetance, or theirs :confused:

From personal experience, I remember the first time I danced (during social dancing) with a teacher who REALLY knew what he was doing and basically, I couldn't go wrong. :really:

He was so experienced, that he got the measure of me instantly and didn't do anything to make me feel inadequate. He also managed to make me feel incredibly 'balanced', I didn't wobble or faulter even once. :worthy:

I imagine for the lead, its a little bit like learning to balance a snooker cue on their chin.. for the inexperienced, they're not sure which way the cue will fall, they aren't experienced enough to feel to subtle changes quick enough, then they feel it too late and end up over compensating and the snooker cue wobbles off in another direction. But when you see a proffesional balancing something, they are so intune, that they look as though they hardly have to move at all!

And I think the same applies in Tango, once they've found your centre of balance, everything else becomes effortless!

I think you should make sure you ask the guy to 'just dance' with you for the last 30mins, no words but to just make you feel good about your ability.

I promise you'll feel wonderful again!:hug:

[Lynn]

Tango weekends can be inspiring - but can also bring you down, so aren't in themselves a quick fix. I found Mango great because I don't get to go to milongas but you do need to book with a male really to 'get in' and also to have someone to practice with.

I was there with some forumites which made all the difference for me and gave me the confidence to get up and give it a go on the floor which then seemed to make it more likely that I was asked to dance - but if I'd been by myself I might have sat huddled in a corner feeling rather depressed.

There is a tango highs and lows thread somewhere - at times I've been very frustrated and upset about AT. Unfortunately it seems to be part of the process - but folk on here are so encouraging. We've all been there! :hug:

[David Bailey]

Just back from yet another very frustrating and totally uninspiring class tonight...

I love AT but I am having such low lows at times that I wonder how I could overcome that.
There's a "Tango highs and lows" thread (http://www.cerocscotland.com/forum/land-1000-dances/8732-tango-highs-lows.html) - may be worth reading that.

The only thing I can say, is that everyone goes through this. Pain seems to be part of the price, basically.


Any other ideas as to what would help me to get through the low and keep dancing AT? Help please I'm in desperate need of inspiration here... :flower:
Personally, I keep telling myself "It's a journey", and "it takes 10 years to learn to walk", to put things in perspective.

As for gatherings - hmmm, maybe we could arrange a little "London Tango weekender" event or something... Oh, hold on, I forgot, "organising forumites = herding cats"... :whistle:

[Caro]

We'll be at the Tango Tribe (http://www.tangotribe.blogspot.com/) over the weekend of 9/10/11 March at Harberton on Dartmoor.
...
We'll also be at the Tango Tangk (http://www.tangouk.co.uk/tangkgnrc.htm) in the New Forest over the weekend of 27/28/29 April. (The website hasn't been updated with the new details yet but it'll give you a flavour of what goes on). Booking for that opens on the Monday 4 weeks before, which is the 26th March by my calculations. Korey & Mila are teaching at that so it's well worth going. It'd be great to see you at either event so let us know if you can make one of them (or both!).


Thanks for all the links and dates Jon :flower:
The only one that my calendar permits is Tango Tangk but it looks fully booked already?




As for gatherings - hmmm, maybe we could arrange a little "London Tango weekender" event or something...

sounds like a good plan to me... Now that I've seen the link for the Negracha parties, I have to say I'd quite fancy trying that...

ok so I'm going to suggest a date: how about week-end 6 to 8 april? May be we could organise a group private with some of the london teachers (I've been to workshops by Stefano and Alexandra from tango in action and love them...:whistle: ) on the saturday or sunday afternoon?
Anybody interested?

[David Bailey]

ok so I'm going to suggest a date: how about week-end 6 to 8 april?
I'm away from the 7th - that's the start of the Easter holidays I believe?

[Caro]

I'm away from the 7th - that's the start of the Easter holidays I believe?

Damn. I would suggest the week-end before but flight tickets are already more expensive for that one (and I'm not the Queen of England - that's a french saying but I'm sure you'll get the idea :D ).

Anybody available and not on holiday somewhere else that week-end?

Next date that would be ok with me is 8/10 of June (:eek: ) but there's utopia on the friday and a bisley wcs workshop on the sunday... but that also leaves the whole saturday... :whistle:
But that might be too forward planning that?

[Feelingpink]

Damn. I would suggest the week-end before but flight tickets are already more expensive for that one (and I'm not the Queen of England - that's a french saying but I'm sure you'll get the idea :D ).

Anybody available and not on holiday somewhere else that week-end?

Next date that would be ok with me is 8/10 of June (:eek: ) but there's utopia on the friday and a bisley wcs workshop on the sunday... but that also leaves the whole saturday... :whistle:
But that might be too forward planning that?I am around over April 6-9 (Easter) and over June 8-10. I'd be up for a workshop/whatever.

[JonD]

The only one that my calendar permits is Tango Tangk but it looks fully booked already?
No, booking for the April event doesn't open until March. If you're booking as a couple for all 3 days you can book from 19th March. Otherwise, you can book from 26th March - but I'd get in there early on the 26th if you're thinking of booking on your own as they balance the genders. They do sell out quite quickly because they are lovely events.

I'm working on Good Friday (nice, quiet day in the office with no distractions - how sad is that?) but other than that have no plans for the Easter weekend. Early June is good for me as well. Whichever weekend, I'd probably have to come up to London after work on the Friday - it's only 3 hours journey though so Negracha would be OK. I don't know what Julie has planned but will ask her tonight.

It'd be great to have a LTFG sometime soon.

[Genie]

I think it helps knowing that the couple in the first clip are genuinely into each other :awe: , rather than just acting for the crowd. This is implied more strongly in the second clip.

Perhaps. But when I dance, I don't like the idea that to look good or feel good I have to be in love with my partner. Which is all that appears to be happening in the first vid.

I went back and re-watched the movie with this in mind. I still don't see the attraction. Just cuddling while playing footsie. Which would be nice, maybe once or twice. But boring to watch. He looks like an unmade bed. She looks like a refugee from Persia. And the music is uninspiring.

I am failing to find the Tango love so many people seem to have :sad: What's it all about? Why do so many people love to Tango?

[Feelingpink]

Perhaps. But when I dance, I don't like the idea that to look good or feel good I have to be in love with my partner. Which is all that appears to be happening in the first vid.

I went back and re-watched the movie with this in mind. I still don't see the attraction. Just cuddling while playing footsie. Which would be nice, maybe once or twice. But boring to watch. He looks like an unmade bed. She looks like a refugee from Persia. And the music is uninspiring.

I am failing to find the Tango love so many people seem to have :sad: What's it all about? Why do so many people love to Tango?Hmmm - because the first thing that happens is that the leader listens to you (the follower), then the lead is an invitation (as opposed to a Nazi command from a move monster), you are allowed/expected to play, the music is fabulous and the shoes are even better. Also don't know anyone who has hurt their back by dancing tango (perhaps see the AT vs MJ thread?)

PS There are times when an unmade bed is rather attractive :wink: :drool: And "just" cuddling while playing footsie is generally done for the participants rather than spectators.

[David Bailey]

I am failing to find the Tango love so many people seem to have :sad:
Heretic!! :na:

Seriously, have you done much tango? Is it that you've done lessons and don't like it, or that you've seen it but don't see the attraction?

If the former, then that's just not to your taste, which is fair enough, everyone likes different things.

If the latter, then you probably should try it - Tango's not a flashy visual dance, and the intensity of the connections are not always obvious at first glance.


What's it all about? Why do so many people love to Tango?
It's... the next step in human evolution - we'll all end up with superpowers and a spiffy uniform once we manage to lead a perfect giro. Rep to anyone who spots the pun there

It's... like hitting your toe with a hammer; it's so wonderful when you stop.

It's... the best way to pull chicks.

OK, OK.

It's an intense and focussed dance, which requires effort and discipline to even do badly. It's a challenge, and it's highly rewarding when you do it well. I'm told...

[frodo]

...Also don't know anyone who has hurt their back by dancing tango...
I do - all that twisting - dancing with a beginner lead anyway.

[Ewen]

Hi Caro,
there are workshops 17th18th March with Jenny Francis and Ricardo Oria and Milongo on the 18th.

[Caro]

Hi Caro,
there are workshops 17th18th March with Jenny Francis and Ricardo Oria and Milongo on the 18th.

thanks - I'm very aware of that as I am doing the workshops and having a private with them....

So, who are you? :D

[The Passion Harem]

Hi,

I enjoy dancing tango with you at events :D

You will learn a lot form Ricardo & Jenny (they teach me at DanceBase, give me hints, tips and things to work on during the regular Tango Studio they hold on a Monday and just watching them socially I pick up the odd thing). Keep at it Caro :hug:

I am thinking of booking a few of the workshops on the 17th and then on to the Ceroc party however I am open to going the Tango Spring Ball (or maybe both)

:hug:

and thank you for the dances in Dundee last night :waycool:

[CeeCee]

I am failing to find the Tango love so many people seem to have :sad: What's it all about? Why do so many people love to Tango?
You don't choose Tango, Tango chooses you.
You clearly haven't been chosen... yet.


... I love tango, but the 'highs' that I get are so rare that I struggle to find the will to keep going through the lows...

I need to feel... inspired.
You have my sympathy.

We are spoilt in London as there are a ridiculous number of classes, workshops, practicas and milongas. We have a choice of daily Tango opportunities but could you tolerate living here?

Private lessons, holidays and weekenders don't suit everyone. Also, having a reliable, equally addicted dance partner influences your choices and options. You've been given lots of sensible advice and good ideas but in the end only you know what inspires you.

Perhaps you need a break, perhaps Tango isn't right for you at the moment. I certainly wouldn't do any social activity which made me feel low more often than high.

Be kinder to yourself, do something which makes you feel good about yourself.

[Lynn]

After a good evening a couple of weeks ago with a visiting teacher, I'm currently feeling a bit uninspired about tango. It could be because my dance energies are currently focused elsewhere. Yes I was tired, but I didn't go to class last night. :really: Turned out this was a good decision as I've heard the teacher didn't turn up.:(

Needing some inspiration too...

[Zuhal]

Lynn

Try this

Arzano Humor Ciak - 6ª edizione luglio 2006. Migliore idea comica (http://www.arzanohumorciak.com/corti_2006/perdizione.html)

Long Intro but worth it.

Zuhal :nice:

[Mr Cool]

Make sure you choose your teacher carefully and go for the best you can afford! And explain how your feeling and what you'd like to get out of the lesson before you start...

It might just be a case that you need your ego boosted

The trouble with 'learning and practicing' with other learners, is when it goes wrong, your never quite sure if its 'your' incompetance, or theirs :confused:


I imagine for the lead, its a little bit like learning to balance a snooker cue on their chin.. for the inexperienced, they're not sure which way the cue will fall, they aren't experienced enough to feel to subtle changes quick enough, then they feel it too late and end up over compensating and the snooker cue wobbles off in another direction. But when you see a proffesional balancing something, they are so intune, that they look as though they hardly have to move at all!

And I think the same applies in Tango, once they've found your centre of balance, everything else becomes effortless!

As a dancer who is trying to learn and improve his Tango:tears:
I find your points so true.:flower:
Balance and centre are key to any form of dance. :yeah:

With Tango the dance to me is almost pointless without them :worthy: :worthy:
:waycool: :waycool: