Sunday 17 August 2008



For once I'm thinking about tango, after a whole evening dancing, from 8.30 very nearly till 1.30 and only a few breaks. I think there were more women than men so it wasn't hard to stay busy. It might be useful to log some general comments on partners to try and express something of what tango dancing is like, its attraction. Some partners can't always keep attention: it must be strange to be physically active and yet mentally passive (if that's the right word), at least receptive all the time to the leader's movements. Some feel they ought to add ornaments, while I think ornaments should arise out of relaxed movements rather than being added on top. And some dance effortlessly, in varying degrees according really to experience. I wonder if hearing the music is key. If you can immerse yourself in the music you can lead/follow: it takes time and practice, but that's where it comes from.

I should log my own dancing too. It was a successful evening but uneven. There were OK and indifferent dances, but it was good to have a really long evening. I've practiced the tight right turn a lot and can fit it into a very small space, which is good. Must get the tight left turn working now. It gets a bit repetitive: one partner said that doesn't matter, and that's probably true for a partner, but I make those moves all evening and would like more variety. Beginning to work on getting little corridas working, which is fun and adds variety. & I still lurch a bit every now and again, but it seems that it happens less the more relaxed I am. With one partner I like very much and sometimes feel a bit overwhelmed by I am less relaxed: with another who I also like very much but am very relaxed with when dancing it doesn't happen. She has danced for years, first salsa then tango, and is very sure on her feet. I find I start to turn my upper body a lot more when I dance with her because I'm confident she'll follow, and we've had some memorable dances, flying round the room. & it was she who said last night: 'At this time of night I start to follow in my sleep. Time to go home.'

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