I miss learning from these two.

Analysis of a youtube performance.

I have posted this video clip before. Watched it a few more times today and wanted to share some of the things that I picked up in the video for didactic purpose. But I am going to let you watch it first and see if you pick up something useful as well.

Their latest performance

to "Niebla Del Riachuelo" by Fresedo Con Roberto Ray, a orchestra that they are rarely seen performed to. Enjoy:

They are doing

workshops in Asia next month. I am working on a business trip that allows me to take some workshop with them. It is great that one can mix business with pleasure.

Watching them dancing makes me happy

very happy!

Day 22. Private 8. Finale

Last class was all about fixing the little things, such as changing weight, keeping the body as one block, getting rid of the unnecessary body movement, keeping the footwork clean.

We spent some time to get the walk down. Andrea showed me how to lift the free leg before walking. Javier showed me how to use the foot to land. Normal. He said, just like walking on the street. I have to keep reminding myself when walking back, body first, and push off from the standing foot.

There are still a lot of work for me to do. Mostly I need to go back to NY and continue learning. Javier suggested to me that I should film myself and practice as follower. I will understand a lot of things and I am ready to be a follwer, as Javier said.

I started to understand a lot of what they taught me during these two weeks. I need time to revisit all these lessons and process the information that I got. I need to put them in the practice and see where I go from there. Quite a few people down here have told me:" the way you dance to the music, one day you will have your own steps."

One day I hope...

Day 21. Private 7. Happy feeling

I felt tired, not so much into tango the whole day. Took a nap before going to the private. My breakfast was at 2:40pm with steak, mashed potato and a glass of cold beer with my DJ friend. Lunch at 6:30pm, coffee and media luna. No wonder I was having this big headache.

Got to the class, and saw a student of them whom I met the first night at Canning. We chatted a little. And I chatted with Andrea. Andrea looked stunning wearing a nice skirt. My tango energy was at its all time low.

Well, I got to dance with Javier first. A song by D'Arienzo and Hector Maure, it was fine except my usual problem: lack of energy and small steps. I thought dancing in the crowded milongas in BA had definitely changed certain ways of my dance.

We spent most of the working on my walks. I knew I got the walk back in November. I was a little frustrated that we had to work on it again. Javier patiently showed me the way to walk. Well, simple! Walk like normal. He led me to walk back and forth in practice embrace. Then I walked Andrea in hugged embrace with arms wrapped around each other. We kept walking until she felt fine and I looked fine by Javier.

Then we talked about feeling in tango. Javier wanted me to feel happy dancing, not feel burdened. I danced with Andrea la Yumba by Pugliese. There were hiccup here and there. But I was feeling light during the dance and happy after. " You looked happier." Javier told me. " Remember that feeling."

My cell phone rang. They both smiled. My ring tone is Humilicion by D'Arienzo. Andrea liked it and wanted me to send her the song via Bluetooth. I hadn't done it before. So she helped. But we couldn't transfer the file. Tried to transfer to Javier's phone, which is the same model as Andrea's, it worked. Andrea's phone wasn't compatible with mine. Ha!

One more class with them...

Day 20. Private 6 Fatigue takes toll.

I was very tired, coughing during the night and in the morning. I guess that I am reaching to the end of my milonga stretch. By the time I reached Javier's place I felt lack of energy.

Andrea brought me upstairs. They went to Santa Fe yesterday for a show and class, eight hours bus ride. She looked a bit tired too.

Javier was dancing with CDT a milonga. To see him leading CDT dancing the milonga in socks was very entertaining. He saw me and joked: " It is you again. Every day I see you. Every where I look I see you. " I answered:" I am leaving soon. Don't worry."

As usual the previous class ended late. While Andrea took CDT down, I started dancing with Javier to Bien Pluenta by D'Arienzo. It was good except that my steps were too little while doing the giros. Not so manly, very intimidating. I told him that it was because in the milongas I worried about hitting some one while doing the giro. "Practice here then in the milongas you will have better confidence." Javier said.

He switched the music to Di Sarli. I danced with Andrea for one song. After the song, Andrea hold up a fist to my fist. She felt perfect. She wanted to congratulate me. I didn't do giros, however, and she noticed. Ha, I cheated and danced the stuffs that I know the best.

Later, we pretended the space as the floor of the milonga and practiced everything that I did in the milonga. Then Javier fixed the way that I held woman's right hand and explained that man and woman's arm shouldn't be touching. And I practiced some giros. Normal, nature, these are the keys of good tango.

I was feeling that my body and my mind was slow today. So we ended the class a bit earlier. I thought that I reached the point that I have all the elements of good tango: very good embrace, posture, walk, and the right mentality. Now it is a matter of putting that into practice and gaining experience.

They had said some nice things to me that made me feel very proud. Two more classes, I am ready to see the result by the end of my second series of privates with two of the teachers whom I have utmost respect.

Day 18. Private 5. Move to another stage

Today I had a early class. They were teaching a Russian guy while I got there. Andrea was working with him in open embrace. While Javier introduced the concept of dancing selfishly to him, he had drawn such a blank face that I couldn't help but smile. Ha, I was not the only who didn't get it. :)

I was smiling the whole time listening to the class. When the Russian guy asked how he should do the giro, which part of the body goes first, Javier said: " natural" The guy was drawing blank.
" it is like this: you want to go the bathroom very urgently. The bathroom is there. What do you do? You turn and you run to the bathroom. Do you think about which foot goes first, if the hip should turn this way or that way? " Javier was telling him and the same time acting very animatedly. It was the Russian the first class, he would eventually get it.

My class started with Farrol by Pugliese con Javier. We danced two times, fixed two small technical issues. The third time he was very happy. He said,"that is, we would wrap this up. This stage has finished. You dance very nicely, very musical to Di Sarli and Pugliese. The way you dance the music is perfect. Technical is not so important. Now we will move on to dance to half beat. "

D'Arienzo time. I danced with Andrea a few times, and Javier danced with Andrea one song to show me. Well, it is more difficult for me to dance to D'Arienzo than to Pugliese. We worked on the energy of the steps. After the last one, Javier said that it looked good but something was missing. There was not fire, to watch me dancing makes him sleepy.

Ok, good, new challenge. Let's see what Wednesday class will bring.

Day 15. Private 5. Break Through.

Since the second class, Javier has been talking about being selfish in the dance. I vaguely grasped the concept. Maybe it is my upbringing that makes me an unselfish person in life. You dance who you are, as they say in tango.

I started with Andrea. It was fine, except the giro sill felt awkward. So we worked on that. I led Javier. First time," you gotta relaxed more, I felt your tension on your neck and shoulder. " Second time, " I still felt your tension, the movement was not smooth, and you must adjust the embrace."
Third time, I closed my eyes, took a deep breath and felt my mind was total emptied. Without thinking much, I just went. I felt effortless. Javier told Andrea: " Perfection does exist."

I danced with Andrea one more song. And corrected two old problems which had been going on since day one. One was that I put Andrea on the outside edge of her foot at salida. The other was that my second step was weird and not straight (habit of dancing back in the tango babe days).

After the correction of the little technical imperfection went on, Javier talked a lot about being selfish. How a man should be a man in the dance (nothing about being macho). What a man's responsibility is in the dance. A man should first be responsible for himself.

I told Andrea that I understood that but it would take me time to build up confidence in myself. I only danced two years. I didn't felt that I had known the structure of tango. Andrea said to me before translated my thoughts to Javier: " You already have everything that you need. The warm embrace, the walk."

Javier sat me down and started "brainwashing" me. :)

"I am going to talk to you about the structure of tango. So that you understand.

First: you dance Tango Argentino, not Tango Espanol, Americano, nor Chino. Second: as you know, in Argentine, there is no structure... ( I laughed) So tango is about improvisation. Improvise means free. You are free to make a decision at the exact moment what you want to do. Listen to your lady what she wants, and tell her what you want. You have to know what you want in the dance as a man. You have to be selfish."

He stand up and showed me. " you have to be perfect, on your own axis all the time." All of sudden, I got it. I got it that at this level where each one already has the technique, I need to focus about my own dance. How to dance perfectly myself. " The more perfect you are, the better for me." Andrea told me.

That's what the being selfish means. I need not worrying about my partner. She has her own feet, her own chip (computer lingo: brain) and she knows how to dance. Think about myself how to be perfect.

I felt so much lighted like a burden was off my shoulder. I danced with Andrea one song. I thought nothing but my own perfection in the music. It was the best one I had danced so far. Andrea was completely satisfied, no pointer. Javier gave me a long look: "The feeling you have in the music gives you the potential of being great." I couldn't believe what I heard. So Andrea translated again. That must be the biggest accomplishment I had in my two years.

Then Javier showed me how to dance to the music. How to pause in the music. He took off his sneakers, and danced in socks one tango with Andrea to show me. It was inspiring to say the least. Then he talked about the beginning, middle and the ending of a song. What goes on in the three sections.

I danced with Andrea without the music. Then the fun began. We played in the dance. At the time, I felt that I was creative and enjoying the dance. "This opens thousands of possibility. You have so many options that it will drive you crazy. " that was Javier's last comment on this Friday afternoon.

I thought it was the class that would eventually transform my dance.

Day 14. Private 3. Secrete of Tango

Today's lesson started with dancing with Javier while Andrea was making mate. One song after, we sat down and had a priest's ball and mate. Then Andrea translated what my problem was in the dance. All my linear movement was fine, but the circular ones I was tension and not smooth. And I was still trying to control the woman. Woman has her own responsibility in the dance. I don't have to take her responsibility (well, not every day I got to dance with Javier or Andrea.).

Then Javier asked me to dance with him without right arm embrace. At first I was nervous, he had to stop me in the middle of the song. The next one he was very satisfied. Then I danced with Andrea the same way without right arm embrace. It was fine except when I did giro she felt a bit uncomfortable.

Then we talked about the right amount of energy in the right arm embrace. The woman should feel the heat from my arm. The embrace should be relaxed, firm yet not forcefully controlled. At times, it should make the woman want to embrace me more. I knew what she talked about making the woman wanting to embrace more. I had that experience with other followers.

Then Javier talked to me about the precision of the energy. How to visualize woman's feet, where they are, what they are doing. How to place them in the exact spot. "Your technical is fine. Now you have to understand this secret." he told me.

In the end he showed me the way the giro that I often do should be executed. Three simply movement. I tried it. One take, BAM, wrap it up. Tango is simple in its essence. To reach that simplicity requires a lot of preparation and work. When you get it, it is like "OH, is that simple?"

Day 13. Private 2 Being Selfish

Today we continued working on small stuffs. First thing was to work on leading woman front ocho and walking out of it. We spend about ten fifteen minutes on different variations of it, adding different color.

I danced with Javier a few times. Javier said Andrea was too good at adapting to the leader. He was wearing boat shoes with flat bottom. So any fault on my movement he felt it. Well, he is no Andrea but certainly better than most of the women I have danced with. After a few adjustment, he actually loved my embrace. Andrea got a kick out of it by watching us dancing. " muy lindo" because we both wore blue jeans and white t-shirt.

What I learned was to slow down more and not to rush the woman. I knew that it was my problem as I had been feeling it in the dance. Not natural as Javier would say. As I got more comfortable, the tension was getting less. Most of the things that they mentioned I fixed it the next song.

The only thing I needed time to digest was what Javier said and I read it from Issac's blog before: follow the mind of the woman. How not to lead all the time. He mentioned that I was always going after the woman.

"Are you married." He asked.
"Nope"
"Solo, an individual. Then why you listen to the woman all the time. Do you have plant at home?..." "What do you do?"
"computer" I answered, didn't get into detail.
"Now I understand, your computer is your wife. Entiendo todo." We all laughed.
"Don't make me quit my job." I told him and Andrea translated.

But seriously I understood what he meant. It was not being sexist nor macho. It was about liberating my dance, so that I could express myself and dance my own style. I had put too much into trying to lead every step. I was still at the stage on leading and following.

Now I should go to the next level: have a conversation, not just listening or speaking. It will take time for me to be able to do it naturally. It will take a equal partner to understand that. At least I know what the goal is, so I can go after it.

Day 12. Private 1. Picked up where I had left.

I was bit anxious before the class. Took the bus from the apartment all the way to Javier's place, costs: $2 pesos. I've been saving quite a few pesos since gotten used to take the buses. Besides, I feel like getting to know the city more.

I felt more comfortable with them this time. We chatted a little. Andrea asked me how things are. I told her that it was hard for me to dance well in New York. Few has the embrace. She laughed: "move here." Don't tempt me!

We started with a Di Sarli. I felt that I was a bit tense, but overall OK. Correction time:

Walk: I had it last time. After dancing in NY for a few months, my walk got weak.

Embrace: I tended to embrace the woman. Nope, let the woman find her embrace first, then finish my embrace with her.

Attitude: Grounded and relax. Open up the elbow, expand the chest.

Giros: Let the woman go first, then follow.

There were other techniques that will free myself from leading but dancing. The second song, I had fixed the walk, the embrace and the attitude. I was still not sure the mechanics of the giros.

Then Javier continued stressing the concept of feeling nature in the dance, how to resolve problem with solution. It will take me some time to digest what he and Andrea said. I know if I understand it, my dance will go up another level.

Tina arrived around 8:00pm for her private. Since we started late, she was waiting on the balcony.

I got more comfortable with Andrea and was playing with the music at some point. She was actually playing along and seemed to enjoy it. There were some information to be digested. But I was glad that there was no major issue to work on. And at a point, Javier actually was happy with the way I handled pauses and the flow of the dance.

Time flied, I felt exhausted at the end of the class. Went back to the apartment and had dinner. Took a nap before heading out to a milonga.

Don't wake her up

"You want to put woman into sleep in the music with you." Javier said and Andrea translated. Hence the adjustment on the embrace, the posture and the walk; get rid of the little nuisance that disturbs the tranquility and learn to respect her space and her balance.

Use the body to lead, use the mind to dance, listen to the music, listen to her body. Keep these in mind, then one would not fixate on leading the steps but the quality of each step. It may sound abstract and it is difficult to do. One's body has to develop the muscle and strength to move smoothly.

If you watch old milongueros dancing, their upper body maintain at even level regardless what they are doing with their feet. Upper body movement is smooth, circular and calm even though D'Arienzo is playing. Less is more: less movement, deeper connection.

"Let her dream in your embrace and in the dance. Don't wake her up..."
---Javier Rodriguez

This is what I am working on...

Close Embrace

A lot of people say and teach close embrace as two persons hugging each other, like friends, lovers and family. That is probably the biggest misconception. Granted, there are many different ways to embrace in tango, and the embrace is changing and readjusting throughout the dance. If you watch a lot of youtube clips and pay attention to the best (or ex best) dancers' embraces, you will find similar characteristics.

This is the embrace that is taught by Javier and Andrea. Man, the leader, opens his chest, feels it expand grande but not to stick out his sternum; left palm faces his left ears, relaxes his shoulders and chest; tucks his navel in, tightens his abs and rib cage (requires works on your core); and breathe in your chest. Then he invites the woman to come to his embrace, by holding her right hand up and over without any tension of pulling, embrace her at the level of the bottom of her breasts line, as if he places her breast over his chest and lift/support them by natural expanding his chest.

The woman, the follower, comes to the man, places her chest over his, as if she hangs herself on his chest with hers; and her left arm places naturally over the man's shoulder or upper arm, sometimes her left palm presses in and upward to allow better connection with the man without weighing on him.

In this embrace, the contact and connection is on the chest and no other parts of the body. I find more freedom for both to move. And the woman gets much better sensation which I will talk about in "Don't wake her up". This is just the technical aspect of the embrace. It is just half of embrace.

A perfect embrace starts with the cabeceo, through the eyes, which also called windows of the hearts, of two persons. The man takes her right hand and invites her to the embrace. At this moment, he should show his confidence that he is the best of the floor and he could take care of her in the crowded pista and give her two wonderful minutes. The confidence is so strong that the others on the floor feel it too, so they will respect his space when he dances around.

It is when the woman feels the confidence in the man, she takes the last step towards him and allows him to embrace her. Then she completely surrenders into the embrace and waits for him to show her two blissful minutes.

"I can teach you how to dance, but I can't teach you embrace." Maestro Carlos told me once."...I am glad that you've found your own."

Shy, intimidated of dancing with one of the best, and nervous of making mistake or causing injury to her. Not until I put away those emotions and started envisioning myself as the best, did Andrea Misse tell Javier and me that the embrace was "Perfecto".

" keep this embrace. Don't lose it." Javier nodded at me.

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Afterword:

A man does not automatically embrace the woman. Instead, he takes her hand; invites her and waits for her acceptance. The woman takes the last step to allow the man to embrace her.

Private Five- Finale.

Andrea was sorting out her Comme IL Faut when I walking in. Twenty pairs of them. Today was my lucky day. She was going to break in a new pair of CIF with me.

We talked a while first. I asked technical questions and principal questions. Javier answered them. There were so much information but so little time.

Then I danced with Andrea. I was surprised that the music Javier put on was Pugliese. I didn't know that I was ready for Pugliese. I always felt timid with Pugliese.

Stop. Javier was serious. "I care very much on the aesthetic presentation of the feet in the dance." Andrea translated "Never embellish with the outside edge of the foot." Javier showed me how to lapiz works. Then we worked on parada, and musicality. And the freedom the man has to lead.

I was taking them in and made notes and digest. Now I understand why Javier was not keen on me taking video. It takes away the process of thinking. What I learned these few days had gone into me, I am a better dancer mentally.

I am so grateful to both of them of showing me essence of the dance. Had me a taste of what it was like to have a perfect dance.

I danced with Andrea a whole song of Pugliese. Javier approved with his eyes and a little nod, Andrea said it was muy lindo. Although, few moment I tipped over her and put pressure on her heel. It was my bad habit from my beginner's day.

On the way down, Andrea told me that she was glad that we had done so much in five days. I told her that I looked forward to seeing them again soon.

With a kiss goodbye, I had completed my five memorable hours private with two of the best teachers in the world. They had transformed me and educated me. That was the purpose of coming here.

Private four- Copyright infringement-Tres Javier

I am more comfortable with Andrea and Javier. I even loosed the second button of my shirt. And Javier noticed that and said: "muy Argentino."

Danced a full song with Andrea without being stopped by Javier. I viewed it as a big improvement from the first day, when I was stopped just about one minute into the dance.

We continued fine tuned the embrace, walk and energy flow. Then Javier explained the energy of a giro that I did.

" I saw you did this." He said, Andrea translated. My favorite Javier move.

"Yes, I learned that from video." I said and

"I know." Javier winked. "I recognized it." "But it is a copy."

So he explained it how the energy works and I understood it, but couldn't do it right away. I need time to have it become part of me before I have the confidence to do it.

Javier and Andrea danced one song together to show me how it was done. I felt that I was so privileged to see the performance right in front of me.

The door bell rang. And it was another Javier's student from Taiwan. Gustavo! I recognized him from the photos on the web. I know he is very good. Some introduction after, we resumed the lesson.

I danced with Andrea one more song. Unconsciously, I used one of the moves that Javier just did. After the dance, Andrea chuckled and told Javier. Javier was laughing:" Mafia Chino."

"Mafia numbero Uno." he pointed to Gus "y Mafia numbero Dos." He pointed at me.

"What can I do," I joked " I have to steal from the rich man."

He chuckled after andrea translated. That has concluded my fourth private with them.

Then I watched Gus led Javier for one song. I recognized all the signature Javier moves and energy in his dance. I was laughing and admiring. Yet I don't want to dance just like Javier. I want to apply what he taught me and dance like me.

On the way down from the apartment, Javier told me when I go back, I should start following. Then you would understand how the mujer feels, he said.

It was a great class.

Private Three

On the way to Javier's place, I tried to call my NYTFs and plan for the milonga later. The call got cut off and gave out a bunch of Spanish. I thought that my minutes was used up. So freaked out, I asked the taxi driver to pick up add-on phone card for me. He was kind enough to jump out of car at a mobile store and did it for me.

I was ten minutes late for the class. Javier and Andrea were having a mate when I walked in. And they offered me to try it. It tasted like herbal tea, very interesting, and I am sure, organic.

This class is about fine tone the dance. I still had the problem sometime right leg crooked the left. Javier told me to think of just the standing leg and push with the whole feet, not bending the knee.

And he discussed a lot of breathing, energy and the little things that make or break the energy and the feeling for the woman in the dance. He led me a few times and had me feel the different lead (good one, and the bad one I did). I tried to absorb what he said. But there was too much information. I had to take it all in and digest slowly when I get back to new york.

The biggest gain of these privates is that he and Andrea had taught me what is the essence of the dance. It will take many years for me to be able to dance like that. But it is great to know that I am walking in the right path. I am definitely coming back for in March for some more lessons. They stay till late March before go on tour again.

Later Javier told me to just dance with Andrea. He asked me if I like the music. I told me I preferred to dance to D'Arienzo. Then D'Arienzo it was. During the dance I felt I was at times rushing Andrea, and lack of control.

I left Javier's place a little absent minded.

Private Two- In search of the perfect dance

Went nuts with the shoe shopping. Found the shoes Javier wore and recommended at Neotango. Spent one hour there and finally picked up three. Then went to El Arranque for the milonga martinee. Was too tired and didn't even dance. Had lunch at 6:00pm at a cafe at the corner of Callao.

Walked to Javier's apartment 10 to 7pm. Andrea wasn't there yet. Tried on the new shoes, they felt good. Andrea came in 10 minutes later and thought I was wearing Javier's shoes.

More comfortable now, I started to gain confidence in my dance. Javier and Andrea communicated to each other after we danced half song. She thought that I was opening my left side a bit, she felt a bit pulled off balance. I knew that the cause of it must be the last couple of weeks that I was trying the V shape embrace.

We spent a good amount of time trying to fix the little nuances, such when to collect the feet for me, (especial when lead the woman into the cross from ocho cortado), how the think of the right arm embrace as having two needles hanging from both side and try to maintain that way, how my left hand should be by my body not to push the woman the arm, and walk straight line. I corrected them little by little until Andrea felt perfect.

Then she had a little request. I needed to show her the music. It took a few minutes to understand that. The man interpreted the music like a conductor. The man shows the woman how he wants this music to be danced. The woman shouldn't have to guess the music. I don't know if this sits well with North American women. But this is how I am taught.

In the last dance with Andrea, a Di Sarli, I danced the whole song with her. After that, Andrea told me it felt perfect and Javier gave me a thump up and gave his seat to me to sit down.

I was tired physically (not just from the class but from all these late night dancing.), but I was emotionally high. Went to the apartment to fix some dinner and headed out to Porteno y Bailarin. Alberto Podesta is performing tonight.

Private One

Late for my private with J&A. I felt so bad. First class and I was 15 minutes late. Rang the bell of Javier's Apartment. Andrea came down to get me. She recognized me from last night at Porteno y Bailarin. We chitchat a little until Javier came out.

I think I will keep the details. But mainly we worked on the embrace, Javier explained how the man embraces the woman so the woman is over the man's chest. He had me adjusted my right hand higher, and left hand palm facing the face. My walk is too academic, not natural, use the whole feet but not bending the knees. So the woman feels less disturbed and smoother.

Tango is danced in a block, straight lines. If I want to be circular, there is thing called pivot. Then Attitudes: we spent more time on the attitudes than the technique. Dance like a Argentine, be confident, but not cocky nor arrogant.

In the begiining, Andrea felt that I was nervous, timid and hesitated. She told Javier. I explained:"I am dancing with the best dancer. I get nervous." Javier said seriously :"then bring your own partner." Because any withdrawn feeling conveys to the woman and makes her feel insecure. From the moment that I invite the lady for a dance. I have to have the confidence so it conveys to her and the people around on the floor.

I took notes. Listened, and corrected the technical flaws. Time flied before an hour was up. Then Javier told me to dance one song with Andrea and dance the way that I normally do with the things that he taught in mind.

After the dance Andrea told Javier: "Muy potencial!" She and Javier approved. Later Javier showed me his shoes and told me to get a softer, lower and bigger heel shoes. It will transform your dance. Andrea translated.

We scheduled the next four days and Javier walked me down the lift.

Out on the street, I was so glad that I had made the right decision to come to BsAs and take privates with them. It is eyeopening experience.