Wizards and Ogres - Part Three

As the wizard requested, the ogre pulled the tango dancer away from the edge of the bridge and placed him gently on his feet. The dancer was furious.

"Okay, I've had just about enough of this!"

"I understand," said the wizard calmly. "You're frustrated."

"Oh, I'm more than just frustrated! And I'm not answering any more questions!"

"Understood!" the wizard noted. "Now you are expressing anger. That is a natural and healthy emotional response to challenges."

"Challenges?" shouted the tanguero incredulously. "Is that what you call it? Being assaulted and hung over the edge of the bridge?"

"He didn't assault you."

"Yes he did! And then he nearly threw me into the river!"

"Well, that doesn't really happen," the wizard said. "Not very often, anyway."

"Well, whatever you want to call it - whatever game you two are playing - it just isn't right!"

"What isn't right?"

"Keeping me here against my will."

"We are not keeping you here," the wizard asserted.

"You mean that I'm free to go?" demanded the dancer.

"Well, not exactly."

"So you ARE keeping me here!"

"No, we are not keeping you here," said the wizard. "You are."

"You just said that I'm not free to go."

"And you assumed that we were the ones who were keeping you from progressing forward."

"This is crazy!" exclaimed the exasperated tango enthusiast.

"It is not crazy at all," explained the wizard. "You simply have not grasped the essential truth of your current situation. That is why we are here: to explain to you the natural order of things."

"The natural order of things?" the tango dancer asked coldly. "You mean that wizards and ogres are powerful, so they can push people around."

The wizard ignored the dancer's comment. "You said to us a moment ago that it wasn't right for us to hold you back."

"Yes. It's not right. It's unacceptable."

"Well then, would it be acceptable for us to let you proceed?"

"Why wouldn't it be?" demanded the dancer angrily.

"Because," answered the wizard, "as I mentioned, there is a natural order of things. And the natural order determines what we can and cannot do. A farmer cannot grow a crop in a week, no matter how hard he works in his fields. His efforts will be futile."

"What does that have to do with me?"

"You are progressing on your tango path," the wizard continued. "You have put in a good effort, and you have made significant progress. You should be proud of what you have accomplished thus far."

"Thank you ... I think."

"But your journey is like that of a mariner. When the mariner raises his sails, the wind pushes him forward. But that wind will not last forever. There will be times when he has to change the direction of his sails in order to keep going."

"So, you're telling me that in order to continue, I need to change something."

"Very good!" exclaimed the wizard. "You are catching on quickly!"

The wizard pointed toward the ogre. "Do you see my large friend here?"

"Yes," replied the tanguero. "We've met."

"The ogre is not here to harm you or discourage you. He is here to remind you that progress comes at a price. You are certainly willing to move forward on your tango path. But first you must pay the price."

"Okay, what price?"

"You must answer our question."

"Which one?" asked the dancer. "I mean, I'm not sure which one you're talking about now."

"We wanted you to tell us how you plan to overcome the limitations that you discussed with the first wizard."

"Oh, right."

"It is important to understand your limitations," the wizard continued, "but you also need to develop a plan to address them. Otherwise, the knowledge that you gained on the other side of the bridge will not serve your greater purpose of becoming a better dancer."

"Okay, I understand," said the tango enthusiast. "So, you're telling me that if I can come up with a plan to address my weaknesses, that I can move forward."

"That is exactly what I am saying. But it must be a plan based on an effective strategy. Continuing to do what you have done in the past is not an effective strategy. That's why the ogre reacted the way that he did."

"All right, I understand that," said the dancer. "And I did try to come up with some suggestions, but you didn't like any of them."

"Oh, that's not quite right," argued the wizard. "Actually, we hated them."

"Well, do you have any suggestions?"

"We are not the dancers," the wizard answered cryptically. "You are."

"So, you're telling me that I have to come up with the plan all by myself?"

"It will work best if you are the originator of the plan," explained the wizard. "If someone else comes up with the plan, you can dismiss it when it starts to become challenging. Then you'll wander off and look for someone who will tell you what you want to hear. That won't get you very far, I'm afraid."

"But how am I supposed to come up with a plan to address things that I don't know?" demanded the tanguero.

"Your plan can include consultations with experts, but ultimately, you are responsible. Think it through. Come up with some ideas for each of the weaknesses that the other wizard highlighted. What is the most sensible way to address each one? What steps would you take if you absolutely had to make progress?"

"But what if my plan doesn't work?"

"You'll need to evaluate your progress. If you're not reaching your goals, make adjustments to the plan and try again."

"And that's it?"

"Give us a high level plan now, and we'll send you on your way."

The tango enthusiast took a deep breath. "Okay, so for the technique and the quality of movement, I think I should practice specific movements until they become smoother. And I can use video to get feedback. Is that okay?"

The wizard looked toward the ogre for a second then turned back toward the tanguero. "I think so. He doesn't look angry."

"Okay, and for the musicality, I'm going to watch videos of good tango performances to get some ideas. And I'll set up a consultation with a teacher who specializes in this area."

"Very good!"

"Really?"

"Really."

"For improvisation, that's going to be tough," admitted the tango enthusiast. "I guess I'll start by combining the steps that I know in different ways. Maybe I'll write down sequences of steps in combinations that I haven't tried before and see if that helps."

"That sounds like a good start," said the wizard.

"As for the followers, I guess the main thing is to pay attention to them and make sure that they're comfortable. My embrace has to be comfortable and give them enough room to take their steps. I need to make sure that I'm always moving in time with the music. And I'll avoid steps that any particular lady struggles to follow."

"Excellent!" exclaimed the wizard.

"Is he happy?" asked the dancer nodding toward the ogre.

"Oh, he's never happy."

"I see."

"You have done well with this exercise," the wizard said proudly. "I wish you the best as you commit yourself to the work that you have outlined. If you follow your plan, I am confident that you will make excellent progress."

"Thank you," said the tanguero. "Now that I know what you were trying to do, well, I'm sorry about some of the things that I said."

"No matter!" said the wizard. "Let me just leave you with one parting thought. 

"This is not the last ogre that you will encounter along your tango path. The ones that you meet in the future will be just as merciless and uncompromising as the ones that you met today. They will demand a price from you. If you attempt to move forward without paying that price, they will knock you down and frustrate you. And hear me well - an ogre never tires of giving out punishment.

"When you meet the ogres in your future, resist the natural inclination to become frustrated. Instead, stop. Take your time. Assess the situation. Think carefully about what is being asked of you in that moment, and focus all of your concentration on devising a solution. The solution doesn't have to be perfect, but it must be rational, and it must and show promise. If the ogre doesn't like your solution, he will not let you pass. 

"You can't barter with an ogre. You can't cheat. You can't charm him, you can't trick him, and you can't argue your way past him without paying the price that he specifies. There are no shortcuts on your tango path. But there are infinite magical possibilities waiting for you ... if you're willing to work for them."

¡Buena suerte amigos, y muchas gracias!

Daniel

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Wizards and Ogres - Part Two

After a contentious exchange with a wizard and an ogre, the tango traveler crossed the foggy river. As he reached the other side of the bridge, he was greeted by a second wizard and an even more frightening ogre.

"Oh, good grief!" the dancer thought to himself. "Not again!"

"Stop!" commanded the wizard. "We have been waiting for you!"

"Um, yeah!" the tanguero said cautiously. "I, um... I already talked to the guy on the other side..."

"Wonderful!" the wizard exclaimed. "If you have made it this far, I have the utmost confidence that you now possess a clear understanding of your limitations."

"Yes, very clear!" the tango enthusiast agreed, nodding his head. He thought to himself: "This is a nightmare!" 

"Excellent! So, why don't we begin by reviewing what you learned on the other side? It will be good for your memory and your concentration."

The tango dancer took a deep breath. "Okay."

"Go ahead when you're ready," the wizard encouraged him. "And please be sure not to leave anything out. The other wizard sent me a full report on my iPad."

"What is it with you wizards and your iPads?" the tango enthusiast asked incredulously.

"We like iPads," beamed the wizard. "They're magical!"

"Yeah, whatever!" muttered the dancer. "Anyway, what I learned on the other side: Okay, I learned that my technique is a little sloppy in places, and I have to work on my quality of movement."

"Good!" the wizard said gleefully. "What else?"

"I need to work on becoming a better improvisor."

"Okay..."

"I have to find some way to understand music better. And I have to figure out how associate it with my movements. I think that's probably my biggest weakness."

"Well, it's good that you realize that."

"And of course, there are a some advanced techniques that I still need to learn, but the other guy didn't seem to think that they were very important."

"That's fine," the wizard assured him. "Anything else?"

The tanguero thought carefully about how to phrase the last item on his list. 

"I learned that the most important thing of all - especially when I'm at a milonga - is to make sure that whatever follower I'm dancing with has a good time. Even if she's not a good dancer, I have to figure out a way to make our time together meaningful and give her a tanda that makes her happy."

"Excellent!" shouted the wizard as he smiled brightly. "You have gained great insight!"

"Thank you," the tanguero responded cautiously. Even the ogre seemed to be pleased, or at least not as intimidating as he had seemed from the bridge. But the dancer wasn't about to take any chances.

"Now then," the wizard announced. "We do have something to discuss with you."

"Oh boy!" thought the dancer. "I hope this goes better than the last time."

"Tell us," said the wizard, "how you intend to improve upon the weaknesses that you just mentioned."

The tanguero hesitated. "I haven't really had time to think this through."

"Take all the time that you need," the wizard said. "We may even be able to help you."

"Okay," said the dancer. "Well, I guess maybe I should take some more private lessons."

He was startled when the ogre let out a growl.

"What's that?"

"What's what?" asked the wizard.

"Why did he growl?"

"Perhaps he didn't like your answer."

"Why didn't he like my answer? I mean, if I want to improve, I should take more lessons, right?"

"Perhaps," mused the wizard. "If you can find a teacher who is willing to develop a course of study that targets your individual deficiencies, and if you can commit to working with that teacher over the course of several months, then yes, lessons will be helpful.

"But if you go to someone who just teaches you a step for an hour - and then you forget that step in a few weeks, which is probably what will happen - that isn't going to advance you very far."

"Okay," said the dancer. "I see your point."

"What other approaches might you try?" asked the wizard.

"Well, I'm hoping to go to some tango festivals this year. I think that might be a good learning experience."

The ogre growled more loudly this time.

"What is it with him? He's growling again."

"He's growling for a reason," said the wizard. "That might not be the best course of action in your case."

"Are you telling me that I won't learn anything at a tango festival?"

"Oh, quite the contrary!" insisted the wizard. "One can learn many things at a tango festival. You'll be exposed to new ideas and new teaching styles. You'll have the chance to dance with a host of new partners. All of that could be helpful in some way."

"So, what's the problem?" the tango enthusiast demanded. 

"The problem is that your deficiencies are not caused by a lack information. They are rooted in your inability to fully utilize information that you already have attained."

"Okay. I guess I can see your point."

"You'll need to dedicate yourself to improvement over time," the wizard explained. "A weekend festival goes by so quickly. It will be enjoyable, certainly. It probably will be interesting. The material and the ambience may inspire you. But spending one weekend going to workshops and milongas is not going to help you address your fundamental limitations."

"Okay," said the tanguero. "Well, I already take classes twice a week, and I go to milongas on the weekend when I can. I guess I'll just keep doing that and try to improve over the long run."

The ogre lunged forward suddenly and grabbed him. "Wait! Put me down!" screamed the terrified dancer. But the ogre refused put him back on the ground. Instead, he flipped the man upside down and dangled him over the railing of the bridge by one leg.

"Put me down!" the dancer screamed. "You people are CRAZY!"

"I would caution you not to make him more angry than he already is," warned the wizard. "I have seen him throw people into that river; sometimes they don't come back out."

"Come on! Put me down! PLEASE!"

"He'll put you down in a moment. But first I want you to think about something."

"Are you nuts? I can't think about something while I'm upside down!"

"Well, think about this. How are you going to improve if you keep doing the same things that you have been doing all along?"

"I don't know! Oh my goodness! Just put me down!" 

"It's okay," the wizard said to the ogre. "You may set him down. And please do so gently! I would like to talk with our friend a bit. We'll see if he can come up with some better ideas now that inversion therapy has had a chance to refresh his perspective."

¡Buena suerte amigos, y muchas gracias!

Daniel

Copyright © 2015 The Exploring Tango Blog

www.exploringtango.com

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Wizards and Ogres - Part One

Know Thyself - Even If It's Painful

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

Copyright © 2015 The Exploring Tango Blog

www.exploringtango.com

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Chemistry Between Partners

The Secret Formula

When we see a couple dancing beautifully together, we might notice and appreciate any of a number of elements -

- clean, precise technique
- inventive choreography
- moving musical interpretation
- an eye-catching "move" or trick

Each is important. But to me, the most essential and powerful element that a couple can share is chemistry.

Chemistry broadly describes the quality of the interaction between two people, in this case between two dance partners. Chemistry is difficult to describe, but we react to it instinctively when we see it and when we feel it.

When the interaction works at an average level, i.e. it's nothing special, the other elements become more important. But when the chemistry between two partners is deep and meaningful, it's enough to watch them just walk together, or even to just stand and hold each others without much movement. We sense the electricity between them.


Chemistry Exemplified

Chemistry can describe a physical interaction, as in how seamlessly the leading and following work together to produce movement.

Chemistry can describe an intellectual interaction, as in how well the couple expresses themselves through improvisation and nuance.

Chemistry can describe any of several emotional interactions: trust, passion, the thrill of being in each others arms.

Chemistry can describe a theatrical interaction, as in how the couple uses humor and drama to evoke a mood or tell a story.


A Brief Tangent From Tango

Dancing With The Stars is a popular American reality television program where celebrities study dance for a short amount of time and then put on performances in a competition of elimination. I don't watch the show very often, in part because it does a brutally unjust of representing Argentine tango. 

But I would like to mention that one of the contestants on the current season is a very impressive dancer named James Maslow. In addition to extraordinary natural talent, Mr. Maslow has an incredible chemistry with his professional partner/teacher. Every time they perform, it's a delight to watch.

Despite his extraordinary performances, Mr. Maslow finds himself in last place at the moment - yet another reason why I don't watch the show. 

But if you have a chance to watch this guy perform with his partner - even if you have to go back to past episodes, I would urge you to do so. It is an illustration of dance chemistry at the highest level.


Chemistry at the Milonga

The next time you find yourself watching couples dance at a milonga, instead of watching for fancy steps (or fancy shoes), watch for chemistry. 

The couple with the best chemistry might not be doing the most fancy steps, and vice versa - the couples that are doing the most fancy movements might not have much chemistry.


Chem 101

Think about your own dancing. Think about the partners with whom you feel a special connection. Dancing with certain people just feels better. It's more exciting, more creative, and more smoothly flowing even though their level of experience might not be as high as some of the other people at the milonga.

Chemistry is an important subject. Study it. Do experiments. Gain a respect and an understanding of the power of interaction, of the magic that makes those special partners special. 

And then, when you're ready to go for your Ph.D. in Chemistry, share that special formula with all of your partners and make every dance special.

¡Buena suerte, amigos, y muchas gracias!

Daniel

Copyright © 2014 The Exploring Tango Blog

www.exploringtango.com 

All Rights Reserved

This Is Tango

Transcendent Comprehension

The Argentine tango is like a big, open arts fair that accepts and encourages waves of new ideas. 

Tango, the offspring of folk dances and international musical traditions, regenerates itself with each passing decade. New steps and alternative musical options are added continually.

The Argentine tango is danced in multiple styles. Each style has recognized masters, yet no master dances like any of the others. The Argentine tango is a fertile and powerful framework for individual expression.

Tango exists in the hearts and minds of the people who practice it, who cherish it. As the tango community grows and evolves, the tango evolves along with us. It's not constrained by arbitrary definitions or an approved syllabus of movements.

What Tango Is Not

Despite the open architecture of Argentine tango, the tango doesn't include everything. It's easy to find examples of things that are NOT tango. Salsa isn't tango. Samba isn't tango. Swing isn't tango (although I have seen an intriguing combination of the two called Swango).

The Tango Identity

Because there is no formal syllabus for tango, it's difficult to establish a clear method of determining whether a dance is or is not a tango. We tend to rely on impressions, and impressions are influenced by our individual experiences. 

There are videos of beautiful tango performances on the Internet with viewer comments claiming that it's not tango at all. The viewer has an idea of what constitutes a tango. If the performance doesn't match their definition of tango, they reject it as a fraud.

Essential Elements

The Argentine tango contains certain essential elements. When these elements aren't present, the "it's not a tango" assessment becomes more compelling.

The first essential element is a communicative embrace, an embrace that enables improvised movement by a pair of dancers through the mechanisms of leading and following. Tango is not always improvised. Tango performances are often choreographed. But good choreography still uses leading and following to drive the movements of the dancers. It looks as though it's being improvised even of it isn't.

The second essential element is a free and flexible interpretation of musical mood and timing. Most ballroom and folk dances are based on immutable rhythmic patterns. Salsa's repeating quick-quick-slow rhythmic pattern is a good example. 

The timing of movements in Argentine tango is open to interpretation. Wide open! We can move on the beat, pause for a beat (or several beats), move on a subdivision of a beat, step quickly through one phrase and slowly through the next. Improvisation in Argentine tango is not limited to the step patterns that we create. We can improvise our musical interpretation of those steps as well.

Compelling Evidence

There are moments, special moments, when the identity of tango reveals itself in dramatic fashion. We see a couple dancing - or we engage in a dance ourselves - where the essential elements are so clearly exemplified that our minds exclaim, "That's it! That's tango! Right there!"

It doesn't matter whether the movements are complex or simple. It doesn't matter whether the dancers are perfect or whether they "make mistakes" along the way. Improvisation is a conversation; conversations have misunderstandings that require clarification occasionally.

I witnessed a couple dancing like this recently. They were so connected and in tune with each other. They improvised so thoughtfully and tenderly. I had to stop and watch them. I couldn't walk away. I couldn't think about anything else except that one thought that persisted through those moments: "This is tango. This is it. This is the culmination of everything for which we work and practice."

In these moments, we recognize the true meaning of Argentine tango.

¡Buena suerte, amigos, y muchas gracias!

Daniel

Copyright © 2014 The Exploring Tango Blog

www.exploringtango.com 

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Some Thoughts On Chasing A Dream

Live joyously.

Visualize expansively.

Prepare tirelessly.

Plan carefully.

Work enthusiastically.

Act boldly.

Stumble gracefully.

Adapt intelligently.

Learn cumulatively.

Refine continuously.

Document meticulously.

Persevere courageously.

Succeed graciously.

Celebrate gratefully.

Mentor openly.

¡Buena suerte, amigos, y muchas gracias!

Daniel

Copyright © 2014 The Exploring Tango Blog

www.exploringtango.com 

All Rights Reserved