And just like that, spinning alternative music at the last tanda, he screwed up the energy of the practica. Everyone will go home thinking about how dancing to his lame, slow and overplayed cheesy songs sucked. Thanks DJ, you rock.

Today I understood a bit better a move I have been working on and off at practicas for some months now. Not that it’s insanely difficult in the sense that only a handful persons in the world can do it. The thing is that it’s so intricate and with so many options that I’ve been spending a lot of time trying to understand more deeply some of the nuances of the whole thing.

Today was different because somehow I could make better use of one idea that Melina and Detlef taught at a workshop some months ago. When thinking more about the concept and applying it, a lot of things and options suddenly opened up.

Morale of this story: Even if you don’t feel or foresee the benefits immediately after a class, don’t despair. It may come and dawn on you later on in your tango life.

I’ve never seen any other type of dance discussion fall back so much into semantics. I wonder if that’s due to the wide range of approaches to the dance as well as concepts floating around by so many teachers.

Enjoying the bliss of temporary happiness before the next funk.

I hear people praising Yoga all the time while rarely anyone praising Tango for the insight it gives into the body and how it can unite oneself and two persons in harmony.

is it ok to teachers to lure students into their classes at practicas?

Is this the culture we want to cultivate? I’m very sad.

Once in a while I see something on youtube that really draws my attention. This clip at Festival Tango Lisbon was one of them. Julio Balmaceda and Corina de la Rosa. Good to see that the festival is inviting milongueros

That walk at the beginning is simply sublime and reveals something elusive to a lot of dancers. Corina must be a dream to dance with…

Hopefully I’ll write much more

Si soy así,
¿qué voy a hacer?
Nací buen mozo
y embalao para querer.
Si soy así
¿qué voy a hacer?
Con las mujeres
no me puedo contener.
Por eso tengo
la esperanza que algún día
me toqués la sinfonía
de que ha muerto tu ilusión.
Si soy así
¿qué voy a hacer?
Es el destino
que me arrastra a serte infiel.

Donde veo unas polleras
no me fijo en el color…
Las viuditas, las casadas y solteras
para mí todas son peras
en el árbol del amor.
Y si las miro coqueteando por la calle
con sus ojos tan porteños y su talle cimbreador,
le acomodo el camouflage
de un piropo de mi flor.

Si soy así
¿qué voy a hacer?
Pa’ mí la vida
tiene forma de mujer.
Si soy así,
¿qué voy a hacer?
Es Juan Tenorio
que hoy ha vuelto a renacer.
Por eso, nena,
no sufrás por este loco
que no asienta más el coco
y olvidá tu metejón.
Si soy así,
¿qué voy a hacer?
Tengo una esponja
donde el cuore hay que tener.

Watching amazing dancers on the dance floor can have several effects. One of them is to make you realize how much you still have to learn, practice and internalize. On the other hand, it is very easy to be blown away and feel bad about sharing a dance floor doing your own thing, cumbersome in comparison. You feel limited by your abilities and less able to give another great dancer a great time.

As a leader, no matter whatever other might say, I always feel guilty about a less good dance. A missed connection, literally. One thing I’ve been dealing with is also to realize that a lot of great dancers on the dance floor are professionals. I want to dance better and better but it is also important to keep things a bit in perspective.

While this frustration may be very hard on you on the spot, at the milonga, it is also a source of energy to work hard and let go of less good feelings afterwards. We need to enjoy the journey.