My Tango Diaries

(NOTE: This is not a book about tango - though there is tango woven through the story.) I keep delaying writing this review because I think my words can't do Malena justice. It's been sitting in my drafts folder for weeks. So this is a bit rambly and disjointed, for that I apologize, but I didn't want to delay any longer. Frankly, this book is too important to keep delaying. Let me hit the important points first - it is well written, very well researched and the stories of the characters display such craftsmanship and care that once you're pulled in, you can't let go of the story. That said - it is also a very difficult book to read. The longer you read, the more gut-wrenching it is. I cried through pretty much the entire last third of the novel. Malena is the story, through a small handful of characters, of Argentina's war against its own people - known now as The Dirty War. The novel is based on many real events and it reads as such. The recurri...

Another post in my "Four Agreements" series - though I am taking them out of order. (Because, if I try to write in order of the Four Agreements book, instead of the order in my brain, it will never get done.) Agreement Number 3 - Don’t Make Assumptions "Find the courage to ask questions and to express what you really want. Communicate with others as clearly as you can to avoid misunderstandings, sadness and drama. With just this one agreement, you can completely transform your life."    Don Miguel Angel Ruiz Assumptions about Professional/Competitive/Performing Dancers (fill in the descriptor of your choice - I've heard these assumptions applied to all three.) Note : I didn't say these assumptions publicly before the event detailed below, and for that I am greatly relieved. The crow that I find myself eating now is uncomfortable enough. Somewhere along the journey of my dancing life, I picked up the assumption that professional dan...

Be impeccable with your word - Don Miguel Ruiz , The Four Agreements "To really master being impeccable will require that you heighten your awareness not just to the words you say, but also to the emotions you express, your attitude, your actions, and where you express the power of your belief. You will need to develop a discipline of mindfulness to be impeccable in these expressions through out the day." Gary van Warmerdam, http://www.toltecspirit.com/ I have been lazy lately. Lazy in my thoughts and lazy in my words. Lazy in the things I expressed, and in the things I chose not to say. I did not speak up when I should have, and lashed out carelessly when I should have been more thoughtful. The worst part is that kind of thoughtlessness can spread and ripples can pass from person to person creating a feeling of criticism and judgment where none is warranted. When that happens, thoughts about creating solutions are stifled, and criticism gets more and mor...

Outside Maria Teresa's Casa Maria Tango - near Venezuela y Pasco Two Cities Surprisingly, to me at least, I was far more nervous about dancing in Albuquerque's Tango Festival than I was dancing in Buenos Aires where I didn't even speak the language beyond a few phrases. I know now, which seems so obvious in retrospect, that it was about my expectations. Buenos Aires was nearly a complete unknown. I had no expectations. If I sat, I sat. If I danced, I danced. The fact that I was in Buenos Aires was enough. In Albuquerque, I let the expectations creep back in. I felt I should be successful, whatever that meant, in some part because I had such success dancing in Buenos Aires. If I could dance like crazy there, than surely I could dance my butt off anywhere, right? Not so fast. I hadn't dealt with much of a culture shock when I returned to Austin's tango scene because I was happy to see, and dance with, my friends and be on familiar ground, in my fam...

Coffee in the morning(ish) sun in Mocambo Cafe, Buenos Aires A word of warning, what's essential for me may not be essential for you, and vice versa. I took my purse (see the article in Thrifty Tanguera regarding " Frankenpurse " -  and a freebie backpack my husband got from a vendor. I checked no luggage so everything I brought needed to be really useful to justify taking up room in my bag. Here's what worked best for me. Clothing and Accessories Scottevest Women's Trenchcoat - This is part of why I didn't need to check a bag. A couple of months before I left I needed to replace my old rain coat. I found this one online, read the reviews, then after getting a 20% deal, decided to get it. (In black of course.) I had to waterproof it before I left (thankfully I realized it wasn't as water-resistant as advertized before I left for Buenos Aires.) Other than that little hiccup, the thing was great. Warm, but not too hot. It holds a lo...

Image courtesy of morguefile.com . The "Live and Learn" Post True to my trainer heart, I am doing what's called a "plus/delta" evaluation of my trip. What worked, what didn't, what I would take again - what I would leave behind. Hopefully this will be useful to others traveling to Buenos Aires (or anywhere internationally.)  Please let me know your thoughts and experiences. Here's what I really missed and should have taken with me (many of things of course are available at the market, and I did get them once I settled in - but I could have brought them from home easily enough, and for free.): A nail brush - it's such a simple thing but Buenos Aires can be a gritty, grimy place - especially where I was staying in Once . A nail brush works great on clothing, calloused feet, grungy finger nails etc.  I bought one at the market, but I have a few at home and I should have grabbed one. Perfume - I missed my perfume. Another thing that j...

Another picture from Alejandro Gée's Studio - more info and pictures here: http://tangoalejandrogee.com/ Understanding the Approach of Tango as a Therapeutic Technique "Tango is successful therapeutically because it provides connection, openness, awareness (awareness, is number one aspect) - connection with another in a contained environment." - Alejandro. When I sat down with Alejandro my last night in Buenos Aires, I had so many questions about how to approach tango students who either consciously approach learning tango as a form of therapy, or who, in the course of the class, treat learning tango as therapy unconsciously. For example, on several occasions I've seen a couple start a tango class only to engage in belittling or antagonistic behavior forcing the teacher to become (for the duration of the class anyway) a relationship counselor. (Or at the very least, a referee.) Issues come up whether we want them to or not when we make demands of our...

From Alejandro Gée's studio - more pictures and info from his website here: http://tangoalejandrogee.com/ The Lesson with Alejandro and Joujou - Technique and Posture (Note: My explanations of things I was told may not be accurate. They are what made sense to me at the time, and given the visual and tactile nature of the instruction, may not translate well to the written page. Whenever possible, I asked for clarification from Alejandro to get as accurate and clear an explanation as possible.) 1.) Sink into the standing knee first instead of stepping/falling straight back into the back step. (I've heard that before - not sure why I can't seem to remember to do that.) According to Alejandro, basically the sequence would be: 1. Sink the weight into the floor through the standing leg (here’s where the knee bends slightly in order to be able to push the weight of the body back in the next step), while straight,   free leg extends backwards   caressing t...

Not related to dancing, but this is the extraordinary view from Rubén and Cherie's terrace.  *sigh* Every newcomer to Buenos Aires tango should start with a lesson with Rubén and Cherie. If nothing else to avoid the pitfalls that beset unprepared dancers who visit the more crowded, traditional (and conservative) milongas in Buenos Aires. In addition to solid technique instruction, they also provide so much insight into the milonga culture - and to Buenos Aires more generally. I just wish I had time to have more lessons before I left! Review Rubén and Cherie and Preparing for the Milongas Even with the guidance and lessons I had with my teacher before reaching Buenos Aires, I would have had a rough time in the milongas had it not been for Rubén and Cherie.  A few hours after we got off the plane, my travel mate Janet and I walked the 20 blocks from where we were staying to Rubén and Cherie's apartment. Cherie said it was fine that my friend and I sat in...