Skip to main content

The video . . .

I finally worked up the nerve to record my dancing. My most frequent vals partner and I decided it was time to see how we were doing. If you haven't done this, I do highly recommend it. But be prepared for a certain amount of cringing and wincing. As I watched the recording, this is roughly what was going through my mind:

"omg I didn't collect my ankles.
geez, I'm still not collecting . . .
my ochos are crap . . .
I need to pull in my tummy ...
my toes aren't turned out, I look pigeon-toed!...
ugh..."
I nearly watched the last half of the video through my fingers.

And then I relaxed. Took a deep breath.

I looked for the things I was doing right.
I've stopped hesitating before walking forward and outside of my partner.
I'm not shifting weight without my partner, anymore - or occasionally sharing weight on both feet.
Little things, but I am making progress.

The best part though, was watching my partner. I never get to see what he's doing when we dance. I can sort of imagine how he looks when he leads what he does - and of course I can watch him dance with other followers and get an idea of his dance from that too. But actually putting together what I feel being led with how it actually looks when it all comes together, that's really something.

Since I don't have permission from my tango partner to share the video, I won't be posting it anywhere. But I'm fairly confident there will be more. In the mean time, I'll be working on my ochos in my kitchen.

Comments

AmpsterTango said…
This comment has been removed by the author.
August 11, 2009 at 7:00 PM
AmpsterTango said…
I used to do this a lot in the beginning. It is a good exercise in "Reality checking" yourself. It will give you clues on where, and how to improve.

However, this will only go so far. There will come a time when you will have learned what you need. When that time comes, you need to strike a balance and let go---> http://ampstertango.blogspot.com/2009/07/let-go-and-let-it-happen.html
August 11, 2009 at 7:02 PM
Triman Beaumont said…
i have many hours of my dancing competitions recorded on VHS and I have to say that I have never use them for improving my technique or dancing style. Looking the pictures I always just repeted Oh-Jesus-That-s-Horrible mantra, even if I won.

Some of my (girl)friends cried seeing themselves for the first time on screen.

You know, Mari, do you want to see a DISASTER? Just mute the sound and look it againg.......
August 15, 2009 at 1:40 AM
Mari said…
Ampster and Triman - thank you for your comments. I can definitely see the points that both of you make. Striking a balance seems to always be the key, doesn't it?
October 7, 2009 at 2:07 PM
Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Tim Ferriss and the Myth of Tango Mastery

Dear tanguero, I feel I should explain my reaction to your comments about Tim Ferriss. It touched a nerve and I didn't really explain my apparent hostility. It was certainly not meant for you. Several people have brought Tim Ferriss to my attention over this past year. I can usually make it a month before his name pops up again. For readers who are unfamiliar with him, he's the author of "The 4 Hour Work Week". He set a Guinness record for the most consecutive tango turns and has competed with his partner, Alicia Monti, at the Tango World Championship . As a social dancer the idea of a tango competition seems absurd. I don't think I will ever understand how something like tango could be judged - or why anyone would want it to be. But I digress. I think the most crucial detail of Ferriss's history, as I relate it to tango, is his winning Wired magazine's "Greatest Self-Promoter of All Time" . If there is any concept more out of synch with social ...
6 comments
Read more

"Proper" Tango Shoes

Periodically someone, usually a man, will be bring up the topic of "proper tango shoes." If he's referring to the problem (and dangers) of trying to dance in flip-flops, or mules, or platform shoes etc., those are definitely valid, and very helpful points to be made. The likelihood of damaging your feet is very high without the proper support of high quality shoes. My problem comes with the idea that the *only* proper tango shoes have 4" stiletto heels on them and fetish-worthy embellishments. (Okay, I'm pretty keen on the embellishments myself.) "goofy ballroomy shoes are a turnoff... get rid of them..." - Alex Tango Fuego (granted this is from 2007), http://alextangofuego.blogspot.com/2007/10/to-dance-or-not-to-dancebrutally.html And, in the comments on a blog post, Anonymous said... " This is a controversial one. If a follower isn't wearing tango shoes then it's usually a good sign she's not particularly good." From Ms. Hedgeh...
24 comments
Read more

Tango solidarity when it counts . . .

Some fellow tanguera-bloggers and I have been having a wonderful online "conversation" via blogs, Twitter, Facebook and email - about the importance of sisterhood and solidarity. You can find Stephanie's post, here and her follow up here , and then Tangocorazon's here . I was so bouyed by the idea of women bonding, helping and supporting each other that I took some things for granted. I took for granted that it would always be easy, enlightened as I am /*cough*/ to be the sort of consistently nurturing and helpful tanguera that I am (in my head) . The truth? Where the rubber met the road (or rather when the discomfort hit the milonga), I wasn't. Here's a little background that gave me a better perspective on the events at the New Year's Eve milonga. These guidelines appear under the heading " Behavior at the Milonga " on Vancouver Island Tango: " . . . The smaller the tango population, the more 'effort' required from each one of th...
7 comments
Read more