Sunday 28 August 2011

Muma

Just some notes: sadly, I'm not going to get to meet her this time around either. She has a website with videos and a biography, which says she learned in the traditional way, and that's how she teaches.

Sadly, again, there are few videos of her on YouTube. Jantango filmed her in Lo de Celia, but it's during a milonga, so not always clear. There are several demonstration milongas. I posted about her before here and Ampster, who was lucky enough to take classes with her, records her advice on posture here. The best milonga ever filmed (but perhaps not the best film of a milonga) is on Jantango's blog: there's a link to it in this post. Muma dancing with Ricardo Vidort... and Gavito also on the floor.

After Maria Plazaola teaching in boots, here's Muma teaching bare-foot in Vancouver... But I think the best is this video with 'El Flaco' Dany. Unfortunately, the pixelation is eye-watering. Despite El Flaco running all around her she seems completely unhurried, completely cool. I think it also shows the grounded quality of local dance, which continues to remind me of canyengue: the weight comes down firmly, it's a beautiful, down-to-earth dance, and yet her feet are wonderfully fast and accurate. There's something of a dream-like quality in her dance. Beautiful.




5 comments:

Anonymous said...

This video of Muma and El Flaco Dany was recorded during the opening of her milonga "Bien Jailife" in Mundo Latino on July 9, 2001. Her friend Alicia Jumar-Loffler in Bend, Oregon uploaded it. The same VHS cassette has Muma dancing with Osvaldo Bottino and Ricardo Vidort. I was there for the opening, but didn't bring along my camcorder that night.

Tangocommuter said...

Of course, not so much pixelation as low-quality VHS... But I still hope to see more of that cassette one day.

Janis said...

Your wish has come true. Another clip of Muma dancing with Ricardo in her milonga opening of Bien Jailaife was uploaded http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IpNkJNyXlA4

Muma is currently in the USA teaching workshops in Seattle, Washington and Portland, Oregon.

Janis said...

I forgot to mention that Muma's friends in Bend, Oregon had the entire cassette transferred to DVD, and they gave me a copy!

Janis said...

A better quality video of Muma and El Flaco Dany was uploaded http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dfnaGq2kSNw&feature=channel&list=UL