Argentine Tango with the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra

Argentine Tango in Little Rock, Arkansas.

Saturday February 12th and 13th, Melissa Napier and I performed with the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra in their concert Couples that Stole Your Heart at Robinson Center.  We danced to “Por Una Cabeza” from the movie Scent of a Woman.

Video of Performance

Photos of Performance

Argentine Tango at the Rep

What a great opportunity.  The Arkansas Repertory Theater put on a production of the play Evita.   Local Argentine Tango dancers were given the opportunity to perform in the Lobby on a 7 x 9 stage prior to the play.

Sept, 30th,  myself and partner Melissa Napier danced several dances.  This one was to the song Postales by Federico Aubele.

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Click here to see more videos from our night at the Rep and other events.

Argentine Tango – Performing Moves or Being Moved

Moved by Argentine Tango

During a discussion of Argentine Tango with a friend,  we got on the subject of patterns and steps.   He didn’t understand why I had such a passion for the dance and what made it different from American Tango.

In this discussion, he was focused on the difficulty of other styles of Tango and the characteristics of timing and patterns.   I sat patiently and listened but I knew I would never be able to explain that I do not think about patterns or steps or moves when I dance.  That’s not my ultimate aspiration.

My aspiration is not to perform moves, but to be moved by the dance.  To find those moments of calm stillness between myself, my partner and the music when we are both listening to each other and the music.  When we both respond mutually, interpreting the music and move completely as one.   This doesn’t happen often.  It takes the right partner, music and even the right mood.   But when it does, these moments of eternity happen and it keeps me coming back to experience it again and again.

Learning technique, timing and “moves” (movements!!) are all critical to dancing good, or great Tango, but in the end it’s not the moves I dance for.  The moves become secondary to the shared experience of being moved by Tango.

Argentine Tango – When a single breath stretches into eternity

I often talk about Argentine Tango and what makes it different from every other dance.  When I do, people look at me and stare or listen patiently but obviously not understanding what I am talking about. 

Why is it different?  Putting aside the history, the technical details of the dance, the style, the technique, even the music.  Argentine Tango, for me, is defined in those special moments when a single breath of time stretches into eternity.

There are moments, while dancing Argentine Tango, when everything around me fades into the background.  Time seems to almost stop and all I am aware of is the music and my partner.   When these special moments occur,  the outside world disappears and that moment feels like forever.  For just a few minutes a single dance becomes art. 

When those moments are over, and the dance has ended, one or both partners will often exhale as if we had been holding our breath realizing both have experienced something that cannot be described.   I have never experienced this in any other form of dance.

I believe this happens because of the innocent intimate connection that exists between two dance partners, the close embrace and the intensity of the movements.   It doesn’t matter if they have known each other for years, or just met for the first time.  When it happens, it is at once beautiful and profound. 

I know I have not described this well at all, but I also know that there are no words to describe this experience.   Just maybe, these pictures will tell a story that cannot be told with words alone.

Argentine Tango and West Coast Swing – Opposite Similarities

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Argentine Tango and West Coast Swing have, over the last couple of years become my two favorite dances. On the surface they appear very different.

The dance styles are very unique.  Tango has its origins in the brothels and bars of Argentina and is an intimate dance, sometimes slow and sultry, sometimes fast and dramatic.

WCS is a lively,fun, even sexy dance that can be danced to a number of different styles of music.

West Coast Swing

West Coast Swing

If you were to watch the two side by side, you might say they couldn’t be more different. The truth is, they have more in common with each other than they do with most ballroom, latin or swing dances.

I will explain with a few things they have in common

[Read more...]

Argentine Tango – Improve Your Decision Making Ability

Argentine Tango has had a significant impact on my life and I have written about it a number of times here.    Months back I wrote an article called In Tango As In Life where I detailed a number of lessons I have learned.

Today, I found this article about Tango and it’s impact on the authors business life and it is something definitely worth reading.

Argentine Tango – Improve your decision making ability
If you think of Argentine Tango as a dance where latino guys with greased hair drag sexy woman in tight dresses over the dance floor, performing all kinds of weird rigid steps (things you never would consider to do in your life) you´re probably asking yourself “How can this improve my ability to make decisions?”

Has Tango Impacted your life?  I would love to hear your story.

Argentina's Travel Guide

tango-argentinaNeed a Travel Guide for Argentina?

If you are planning a trip to Argentina to experience the wonders of Argentine Tango then this site might be just what you are looking for.

Argentina’s Travel Guide
Welcome to Argentina’s coolest online guidebook and community! Find great travel advice, plan your trip, grab a free pocket guide, and get in touch with other travelers like you.

Below are a few of the links from the Travel Guide…..

Tango
With over 134 Milongas a week, a plethora of schools, and an ever-growing number of teachers, the Tango scene in Buenos Aires can be overwhelming, even to the most seasoned aficionado.

Where to Dance
Though the Milongas listed below are predominantly popular for their particular category, the beauty in them is that they are always mixed, especially between the Milongureo and Salon styles.

Terms to Know
Milonga is a public tango dance. Milonga is also a style of tango music and a dance indicated by an uptempo 4/4 rhythm. Other tango rhythms include Tango (lyrical and melodic 2/4) and Vals (3/4 time.)

Where to Shop
Comme Il Faut Arenales 1239 – Puerta 3M. 4815-5690
This store was the first to create “haute couture” tango shoes. They are the most beautiful Tango shoes in the world. Not for the indecisive, they come in an enormous range of styles and colors……

Publications
El Tangauta This is the bible for tango dancers and aficionados. It is published monthly and has all the information on everything Tango, including who is performing where. You can find it for free at most schools and some Milongas. It is also available online.

Argentine Tango Can Improve Social Competence

Argentine Tango is a lifestyle and can impact your life in so many ways.   This article is a great example…. 

Improve your social competence ….

Tango dancers had to develop the mindset to move on with the flow of the music, in harmony with everybody else, instead of fighting each other for every little patch of the dance floor.  Given the fact that dancing Tango was not simply a pastime but a complete lifestyle this meant in consequence that they developed strong social competence. One aspect we certainly can learn from.

Dreaming of Tango Shoes

 

Argentine Tango Shoes

 Proper shoes for a dancer are just as important as the right footwear for any athlete.  But they can look great too!!!

Dreaming of Tango Shoes

Tango fashion is just as much fun as tango dancing, and tango shoes are a key element in a milonguera’s wardrobe. Would that my middle-aged feet could still wear some of these sexy stilettos which are often found in 3 1/2 to 4 inch heel heights.

How Argentines live through tango

Here is a great article about Argentine Tango and the people who dance it.

 Living Through Tango

Tango is about national identity and every note of its music, every gesture of the dance, contains within it their history