Thanks to Tango en el Cielo for the link to this video of Osvaldo and Coca dancing milonga. A much gentler style than that of El Flaco, and one I personally can learn more from: El Flaco is hard to follow! & I notice clearly how Osvaldo leads with his torso before moving his feet. Definitely something I need to learn.
They taught in Turin in 2007, but I doubt they are still travelling.
5 comments:
Dear Tango Commuter,
We visited Osvaldo and Coca and spent lots of time with them when we were in Buenos Aires in February/March this year. Osvaldo is getting much better after being very sick last year. In fact, they were partying harder than we were on our trip! Although they are taking it easy with teaching for now - they were only teaching classes at Bien Milonga on Tuesday night - they are going to the milongas and dancing again.
Osvaldo and Coca were talking about going abroad to teach, it only takes someone willing to invite them. Man Yung has learned a lot from Osvaldo in terms of leading. Osvaldo's another one of those tango legends who can just say a few words or show you something really simple - and then a light with turn on in your head and everything becomes completely clear!
Irene and Man Yung
Appearances aren't always easy to read when it comes to dancers. That said, I have to say from my own personal experience that El Flaco Dany leads very gently and clearly. He is recognized as the best milonga con traspie dancer in BsAs.
Both El Flaco and Osvaldo are very thin men who must dance very closely with women in order for their lead to be felt.
Hi Irene and Man Yung, and many thanks for the news of Osvaldo and Coca. I look forward to that light turning on in my head, and to everything becoming completely clear!
& hi, Janis, and thanks for the comments. It's always useful to have some personal experience to back up what we see in the videos!
Incidentally, when I wrote that El Flaco was 'hard to follow' I knew there were several meanings in my head, and I should have made it clearer. What I had in mind was '...a hard act to follow' in the sense of hard to copy or learn from, not 'hard for a follower to follow'. He's a virtuoso, and I would find it hard to follow a class at his level, but I wouldn't doubt that he's a wonderful leader too: after all, it takes two, doesn't it?
El Flaco Dany knows how to teach the basics of milonga. A master class is taught by a master, one who has mastered his art after many years of practice. Dany doesn't expect his students to master what he knows in one class. If they did, he wouldn't be teaching.
Carlos Gavito once said, "I don't teach classes for beginners, intermediate and advanced dancers; I teach, and you dance at your own level."
I have just received a email from a friend in Buenos Aires that Osvaldo and Coca are touring Europe,and Rome was mentioned,but sadly not the UK,:-(. Lucky Romans,eh? Alan J.
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