A tango enthusiast was enjoying the progress that he was making along his unique path through learning the dance. He studied every week. He practiced whenever he could. He went to milongas as often as was practical.
Along the way he discovered a deep love for the tango and for the social world that surrounded it. He enjoyed discussing technique with his fellow dancers. He relished spending time in the embrace of sensitive followers as they moved together to beautiful music. He derived a great deal of satisfaction from learning new and challenging material.
One day, as the tanguero was working his way along his normal path, he arrived at a bridge. At the entrance to the bridge stood a bearded wizard and a huge, hideous ogre.
"Stop!" commanded the wizard. "We have been waiting for you!"
"What do you want?" asked the somewhat confused dancer.
"We have an important question to ask you."
"Okay, what do you want to know?"
"Do you understand your limitations?" the wizard asked cryptically.
"You mean, in tango?" the dancer asked.
"Yes, your tango limitations," the wizard clarified. "Do you understand what you'll need to work on in order to move forward from this point?"
The tango enthusiast thought for a moment. "Well, I want to learn volcadas and colgadas. I haven't had a chance to study those yet, because where I study, they only do them in the advanced class. And back sacadas. Hopefully, I'll be moving up to those classes soon."
Suddenly, the ogre lunged forward and gave the enthusiast a shove so forceful that it knocked him off his feet and sent him rolling along the ground.
"What was that for?" the enthusiast demanded as he climbed back to his feet and dusted himself off.
"Your answer was not satisfactory!" scolded the wizard.
"But I told you what I didn't know."
"Think harder!" commanded the wizard.
"Okay, um, well, I took a class in musicality once, but I didn't really understand what the teacher was trying to get us to do. So, I guess I'll have to work on that."
"Do you even understand what musicality means?"
"Not really."
The ogre roared and lunged toward the dancer again. The wizard intervened just in time to prevent another attack.
"You are making him angry!" warned the wizard. "You need to tell us the TRUTH."
"I did tell you the truth," pleaded the enthusiast.
"You didn't tell us everything," the wizard said. "Think harder!"
The tanguero was clearly shaken and was having trouble concentrating.
"Maybe this will help," said the wizard as he pulled an iPad out of his robe. "We have some video of you dancing at a recent milonga. Observe! Tell us what you see!"
"Um, okay, well, I guess it's not too flashy, but I don't know that many steps yet."
"You don't have to worry about steps if you are improvising," the wizard stated. "Are you improvising here?"
"A little," admitted the tanguero. "I'm not really good at it yet."
"I see!" exclaimed the wizard. "What about quality of movement?"
"Uh, I look kind of stiff," answered the tango enthusiast.
"I see! What about technique?"
"Well, it looks fine on some steps, but it's definitely awkward in other places."
"Aha!" exclaimed the wizard. "Now we're getting somewhere!"
"Can I go now?" asked the clearly frightened tanguero.
"Just one more question," said the wizard. "Look at the follower. Does she look as though she is enjoying her dance with you?"
"Mmm, no, she looks kind of detached," admitted the dancer.
"She doesn't look happy?" asked the wizard.
"Not OVERLY happy ... I guess."
"And why is that?"
"Well, I remember her," recalled the dancer. "She wasn't very good."
The ogre howled and tossed the man to the ground more forcefully than the first time.
"Why wasn't this follower happy?" demanded the wizard.
"I ... I honestly don't know," admitted the now very sore tanguero.
"Yes, you don't know," repeated the wizard. "And that is the entire point of our discussion today. Here you are, parading through tango land like some privileged prince, thinking that everything is going well. You don't even understand the most basic elements and responsibilities of tango.
"You don't have good technique. You don't appreciate quality of movement. You don't understand music. You don't know how to improvise effectively. And worst of all, not only are you incapable of treating a follower to an enjoyable tanda, you don't even recognize when you have failed them!
"So, I'll ask you one more time: Why wasn't this follower happy?"
"I ... I'm not sure," admitted the dazed and desperate dancer as he picked himself up off of the ground for the second time. "I dance with other ladies, and everything is fine. It just wasn't very easy with this one."
"I strongly advise that you not anger my large friend here with talk like that!"
"Well, what am I supposed to do?" asked the tango enthusiast crossly. "Dance with every follower?"
"Yes!" cried the wizard. "When you ask a woman to dance with you, you take responsibility for her and for what happens to her on the dance floor. When she accepts your invitation, she puts her trust in you. Remember that she arrived with the same love for tango that YOU feel. Taking care of her - and reinforcing her love for the dance - that is all that you ever need to do.
"You won't need colgadas to make a follower happy. You don't need to impress her with back sacadas or fancy combinations. You need to make sure that she feels better after her dances with you than she did when she accepted your invitation. And guess what? You FAILED! This is your one and only responsibility when you are at the milonga, and you failed."
"Okay! I get it," said the dancer. "I understand."
"What do you understand?"
"I understand my weaknesses."
"Well, that's good!" the wizard exclaimed cheerfully. "Then, you may proceed!"
"I can go?" asked the dancer as he warily eyed the ogre.
"Yes," replied the wizard. "And perhaps you should hurry before he becomes angry with you once again."
The dancer walked cautiously past the wizard and the ogre and began to cross the bridge. He had to make his way slowly, however, because dense fog was rising up off of the river below. Eventually, the fog thinned, and he was able to see the far side of the bridge. There, waiting for him, stood another wizard, and an even bigger ogre.
"Stop!" commanded the wizard. "We have been waiting for you!"
¡Buena suerte amigos, y muchas gracias!
Daniel
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