Non-Argentine Tango Salon Champ.

The tango blog topic of the week is probably a Japanese couple won the Tango Salon category. I didn't follow this year's competition on youtube. I was busy dancing my heart out. Nonetheless it was quite a news that for the first time in the history, a non-Argentine couple won the Salon category.

And it is interesting to know that Yamao scored top position at Rondas Clasifications, and second place at Semifinales. There wasn't a surprise that they won the final, because they were the only couple in top 5 position in both rounds. They had been consistent with their performance.

I also noted that a Russian couple scored the second at Rondas Clasifications and seven at Semi. Out of the top 15 at Semi there were six international couples, four representing Japan, one Russia and another Chile. 40% non Argentine...Bravo to that!!!

A few months ago, I posted a few clips of Asian tanguero(a)s dancing on my private blog. I commented that traditional Salon Tango was very popular in Asia; judged from the teachers whom were invited to their festivals and workshops, the posture and walk and of course the embrace that dancers showed. I've danced with quite a few good to great Asian tangueras. I was impressed by their clean footwork, good energy and nice embrace. Most of them had spent months in BsAs, learning and dancing. Although in Asia, Tango has the shortest history, Yamao's winning of Salon proved that whoever said only Argentine knew how to dance tango was shortsighted.

Hard work, dedication and smartness can make up the shortcoming of language and culture difference. And I am not surprised that the Russian will win one in the future.

Lovely milonga

I like and respect this couple more and more. Took their workshop at Baltimore Tango Element. Watched their performances at Moscow Milonguero Nights. Impressed by their professionalism and brilliance.

Hope you enjoy the above milonga as much as I did.

Amazing...

If there were a tango nirvana in this world, I am sure I had been in it the last four days. Packed in some sightseeing around Moscow during daytime, I had been in the milonga till 6am every day except the first night. Body is tired, limps are sore, neck stiff... but my spirit is still high. The whole festival was full of new discovery, new friendship and new high of tango experience.

Quite a few tandas that I had danced, I'd experienced this indescribable, unprecedented and overwhelmingly strong sensation that I wanted to cry and scream. Two nights in a row, I had four tandas with two great dancers in the beginning of the night. After those four tandas, I was so physically and emotionally drained that I didn't get a second wind till 2 hours later.

I had certain expectation when I left for the festival. What I had experienced was ten times better. Some moments were really magical and unforgettable.

That's it, the highlight of my summer of tango, the festival of all festivals.

What's next, I wonder...

Summer of 2009

Turns out to be a summer of tango festival for me. The next one, most likely the last one for the summer, Moscow Milonguero night is only six days away.

I am truly enjoying all the festivals I've gone to so far. A few reasons:

1) The festivals that I chose had great lineup of teachers, which attracted good attendances.

2) The places that the festivals were held were cities that I'd not visited, except Baltimore. I enjoyed visiting Roma as a tourist and spending half day at the Taste of Chicago at Millennium Park in Chicago.

3) I felt I was benefited from the workshops that I attended with all the masters. There was truly something to learn from everyone. I've been focusing on improving my milonga. The workshops with Julio y Corina and Sebastian y Mariana had opened my eyes. I am sure whatever I've taken in would help me down the road, in a few months from now. Just like things I'd learned over a year ago, they are much more clearer to me now.

4) Part of the fun of going to festival is to make friends, whom share the same addiction; and to see old friends. It was always a pleasant surprise to see some one you know showing up at the same festival. A big and long hug, kisses on the cheeks, it warmed the hearts. And it was nice to dance with them and feel the difference after all these times, most of them had improved and the dance experiences were felt much better. Tango people are mostly NOT CLIQUE. If you open yourself up and try to make friends, you will see that this is a big happy family...

Traveling around the world dancing tango is quite a tough job. And I am serious!!! The jet lag, the long line and the run around at the airports, the change of diet, the lack of sleep, the never waning anxiety, and on the top of them, five to eight hours dancing a day... it is quite physically challenging and it takes toll on the body.

That's why I am recuperating from the Baltimore Tango Element, which by the way was very good. Try to recondition my body, stretching, light exercising, good diet... After all, it is going to be four incredible days, probably the highlight of the summer, the festival of all festivals that I've gone to.

And my dance card is filling up quickly even before the festival (thanks to facebook)... I will let you know how it goes. I can't tell you how excited I am, how much I look forward to it.

The summer of 2009 turns out to be the second highlight on my tango journey, other than my trips to the Mecca.

Stop dancing with them

Ms. Hedgehog's recent post inspired me to repost this with a few changes:

I was at this practica DJing. There went this old guy and a young beginner, dancing right in front of me. The guy was 6' tall and over 200 lbs; and the poor girl was like 5"6 with heels on, no more than 110 lbs. Beauty and the beast at the first sight.

What went on made me frowned: he was throwing her around, taking her off balance and forcing different nuevo/stage moves which clearly beyond the physical capabilities of both. (Why a sixty year old, who has no apparent dance background or the physicality of a fit man, would practice off axis volcada lead or anything that is off axis, is beyond my comprehension, although none of my business.) A few times, I thought the girl was about to twist her ankles or have a broken arm.

Yet the girl went on to dance two tandas with the old man. I was amazed... at her ability of enduring such a torture for over twenty minutes. Maybe it didn't hurt or feel uncomfortable as much as it appeared to me.

A couple of nights after, I was at my regular milonga dancing. All of sudden, there was this commotion that made everyone stop dancing. Some one was on the floor. Men were arguing. Instantly I knew whose fault it was.

This guy has been dancing for a long time, longer than I have. I had seen him dancing. He could dance nicely. Somehow he choosed to open up and do crazy stuffs all the time, crowded floor or not. I was following him one tanda. His movement was big and unpredictable. I had to be on constant alert. At one time, I elbowed him lightly when he almost backstepped into me. Enough was enough.

I was told later that the woman was tripped by this guy's partner. He must lead her doing some crazy stage/nuevo moves, as usual.

That got me thinking: so many women complaining men/bad dancers, yet these men are still getting dances from women. What's wrong with this picture? If you don't enjoy dancing with certain people, while keep dancing with them. Have you learned how to spot a bad dancer on the floor?

Do women get so desperate that they jump at every invitation that goes their way? I don't get it...

I don't invite women whom were seen dancing with bad dancers* frequently. And most of the time, these women get stuck with the same type of dancers. Bad by association. Good dancers look for good dancers to dance with. Besides, if you constantly dance with dancers whom have bad postures and inferior techniques, you develop bad habits unconsciously.

I was going to ask the aforementioned beginner to practice walking, show her how to embrace. But after one tanda and she still stayed with the old guy, I lost my interest and enthusiasm. She needed to learn by herself, how to say no, how to look for good dancers, sometimes the hard way.

I like to help beginner, intermediate or even some advanced dancers to improve or correct certain things in their dance. I don't do it actively unless I am asked. I rarely offer advices voluntarily unless I know the person very well. There are a lot of ego and self esteem among. For those who are eager to learn and to improve, I do like to offer them my hands without reservation.

Beginner and intermediate dancers have to make choice between not dancing and dancing with bad dancers. Remember: bad dancers are around because they are dancing. Some one is dancing with them. If you are that someone, then you shouldn't be complaining...

(* Bad dancers= those who have been dancers for years yet have no idea of how to navigate the floor, how to dance small and dance for each other and how to follow the line of dance...)

Simple, Elegant and Musical