En la huella del dolor

I discovered this in late December when I still watched Tete often in one milonga or another, and it's stayed with me. I'm not quite sure why it seemed so special then, or now that he's no longer there. The music, well, it's an amazing piece of Fresedo from 1934, En la huella del dolor ('in the path of sorrow', I think): it's achingly familiar although I can't find it on any current CD. The video quality isn't great, although the colour is saturated and the orange dress shines, and the automatic exposure does a wonderful job of losing the dancers in dramatic darkness and a few moments later obliterating them in a blaze of light, which seems much more expressive than a more regular exposure could ever be, a marvelous technological accident. There are three YouTube videos from this demonstration, but this is the one that grabs me. Why tango? Just watch this.

& the dancing... Well, first off, of course, that's not Sylvia, Tete's regular partner. Rosanna Remon is Argentine, and has taught for many years in Italy, and often accompanied Tete on his yearly visits there. I gather she studied with him in Buenos Aires – although perhaps 'studied' isn't the right word. I met a young dancer at Salon Canning last December who seized every opportunity to dance with Tete, respected him very highly and would ask his advice whenever possible, which he was always happy to give, and I can imagine that Rosanna Remon was like that 20 years ago. Several women who learned from him then are well-known teachers now. It's partly her dancing that makes this video special; she's supple and quick and totally musical, and elegant in this functional milonguero style. & it seems to be a very passionate and intense dance, right from the very start. I don't know about Tete and Rosanna, and I don't know about you, but it gives me goose-pimples. Every time. There again, that music on its own could do that.

I'm not sure how far Tete's exhibitions are a good model for leaders: his musicality, passion and quickfootedness can be admired but hardly copied. But I find a lot I can learn. Since I first watched his videos I've admired the fluency and inventiveness with which he changes from one 'step' into another: there are no distinct steps, just a fluid movement that follows the music. A hard lesson!

North Italy seems a great place for tango: Rosanna Remon, Mirta Tiseyra and Luis Ferraris all moved there from Buenos Aires to teach and dance. & there are other videos of Tete with Rosanna in Italy, but not quite like this one.

&... I can't help adding another Tete video, with a different partner again, and unexpectedly sweet, too. Now that's a word I never thought I'd use of Tete dancing.



Videos thanks to Susheta and turckgrisleda

PS. Jantango informs me that Rosanna Remon did not learn with Tete. However, my point is that there are three reliable teachers of 'milonguero' not so far away in northern Italy.