Here is a great couple, whose performances have been often breathtaking, danced in the milonga (probably warming up for the performance). And it is inspiring to watch.

Because that’s the only suitable way.

From maestro Jorge Dispari. If you are interested in, watch the clip. My Spanish is very limited, so I could only quote the subtitle.

It is not very often for us to hear such an honest talk. A lot of teachers try to sell you the glamorous side of tango; try to make you someone who you are not, a star, a performance dancer, an “artist”. Otherwise, they are afraid that they would not be commercially successful. And a lot of student are drew to tango, because it is sexy, it is fashionable… they want to learn the form, without the trouble of understanding its culture, its essence. Like in martial arts, however, one doesn’t go too far learning just the form. Any art without soul isn’t good art. Anybody can teach how to move, very few can tell why.

Here is a performance by them, dance (or should I say walk) to D’Arienzo. No sacada, no boleo, no volgada, not even a giro. Simply walk…

PS. Have a wonderful holiday, fellow tanguero(a)s!!!

Performance:

I can see quite a few moves that contemporary dancers use.

Note: this is the space they use for Monday and Wednesday practica now, 2nd floor on top of the restaurant.

Here is an excerpt from the interview that I like to share:

Q. You dance with pauses, whereas many kids of your age don’t do that.
S.

It has to do with what we were saying before about introspection. It’s when you know that what you’re doing has an expressive purpose and comes from a feeling, you pause to seek that feeling and from that feeling comes the movement. But when one believes that it’s only movement, then one isn’t bothered about seeking what it is that it provokes, lo hace de manera intelectual. Yo no les creo a los phibes hoy!

He is touring in the US this month: this week in San Francisco. Next week in Baltimore.

Here is a recent performance of him and Mariana that I like very much, to a song that I love: Fresedo con Ricardo Ruiz “Buscándote” 1941

” Dancing with women like them is something different. It is not because they weigh 80 Kilos. They don’t weigh 80 Kilos… they ARE 80 kilos… of tango.”— from this documentary.

The first time I danced with a woman who had been dancing for over ten years, I freaked out. She was so different from the other women with whom I had been used to dance. Those women were light on their feet; they were effortless to dance with and they followed me well. But her, despite her average size body, she felt like a giant statue. I didn’t know how to move her, let alone dancing with her. I couldn’t say that I had enjoyed our dance.

Throughout the years, I had danced with many women who have been dancing for over ten to twenty years. They all have a common character: solidly heavy. I couldn’t figure out how, sometimes a petite woman, who weighs less than 100lbs and whom I could pick up with one arm, feel so heavy. After all, I was a three year blackbelt who could flip a guy who was about 50lbs heavier than me and mount him on the his back for two minutes. I felt weak, lack of strength, and therefore nervous, when I embraced them.

A man is like a column…

Andrea told me when I had my first private classes with them. For a few years, when I danced with these experienced women, I still felt wobbly and not grounded.

It was not until recently, when I started to focus dancing with my dantian and moved with my axis, that I realized the reason these experienced woman were felt heavy before was because they danced with their whole body and they were grounded. Less experienced women who haven’t found their own axises are dancing only with part of their body. The movement of a limp feels light, the movement of a body feels heavy.

When I first watched the video on youtube, I didn’t understand what Javier meant: how could a little old lady have 80kilos of tango in her? I guess I understand it now.