Stepping on the beat
The recent intensive workshops organized by IXI Danza, first with Hsueh-tze Lee in March and, more recently, with Javier Rodriguez and Andrea Missé in May have opened my eyes to many new and exciting possibilities.
I will try to share some of my thoughts on dancing to the beat from a leader’s perspective this time.
Tango love
In the most recent Tango Noticias (the site http://www.tangonoticias.com/ seems dead now 1/2011), the newsletter for the Chicago Tango community, there is an interview with Geraldine Rojas and Ezequiel Paludi. When they broke up with their respective dance partners of many years a little more than two years ago, there was quite a big hooha at the time. Now, we finally get a refreshing glimpse of some of the behind-the-scene events from the two main protagonists.
I think, at the end of the day, dancers (Tango teachers or not) are human beings like the rest of us. It is very easy to confuse Tango-god-like status of some teachers and our selfish desire to see beautiful creations on the dancefloor by various couples with the real needs of these people. After reading their take on the events, I am very glad that both of them followed their hearts and found happiness, off and on the dance floor.
Secrets of close embrace
The five secrets of close embrace according to Hsueh-tze Lee.
- Vertical lift.
- Opposites: Lead/follow exchange; focus forward while moving backward. Waiting mutually.
- Leg power to indicate intention.
- Centre to centre: moving through one’s centre and stay with partner’s centre.
- Maintain a comfortable embrace. After all, this is why we dance in close embrace, no?
The business of Tango
Tango is a social dance form enjoyed by thousands across the world. At the same time, Tango is undoubtedly also an industry which provides a means of living for many. These people may include the Tango show participants, dance schools, the musicians, travelling Tango teachers, and organizers of various sort (milongas, festivals or workshops).
However, in my opinion, more importantly and similar to many businesses in the service industry, Tango is above all a business about relationships. There are, for example, the relationship between performers to their audience, the professional conduct expected of a teacher to his/her students, a certain mutual respect and professionalism between the travelling teachers and local organizers, and social interactions between a milonga host or organizes with the regular dancers like you and me. While it is true that part of this relationship involves financial transactions, the same relationship needs to be built on trust: both parties trusting each other to do the right thing and providing fair value. For example, a student is entitled to professional services upon registering for a class; on the other hand, teachers should receive fair compensation for imparting their skills.
When this relationship breaks down, there is inevitably a very strong sense of betrayal and let-down. Once the trust is broken, it will need incredible efforts to make amends. Sadly, this is what can happen when egos and/or financial gains get in the way. Once the relationship is broken, there can no longer be a viable business. Treat people well, and they will surely return the favour…