When you want to dance, you - Just Dance.

In Buenos Aires, most of the old, well known and traditional milongas happen in venues where the floor is not swanky by any standards. Floor is rather old and uneven. Yet, no one complains. Everyone dances gladly. I have been a part of beach milonga and a boat milonga. In Sitges, Tango festival, there was a wet wooden floor, where people tripped and fell badly. Yet, they continued dancing. It started raining (read pouring) and it was outdoor milonga. Yet, people continued dancing. That is the level of addiction, Tangueros have. When you have to dance, you just dance and nothing stops or deters you.
In Hindi, we have a saying, "naach na jaane aangan teda". Which means, " when you do not know how to dance, you complain that the floor is uneven". In other words, to hide the lack of talent, you make excuses. Tango people are enthusiast and addict. The ones who have to dance, dance anywhere and anytime. Nothing hampers them. They never give excuses like- my partner is not good, music is not good, my shoes or clothes are not good, floor is not good, weather is not good. None of these.
But when you have to find faults, you can come up with any number of excuses. You cannot have everything perfect.

Daniel Trenner- leading into cruzada or cross

In my classes of Argentine Tango, I have always emphasized that the followers  go automatically into the cross, the moment they feel the leader is setting the right conditions for them. The followers who have learnt from me, are a pleasure to dance with. And the leaders who have learnt from me, when they start leading other followers, who are not from NDTS, get frustrated to lead those heavy followers who are waiting to be lead into the cross. Because, unfortunately, some of the teachers in Delhi have been teaching it the wrong way and creating subservient followers who are obediently waiting for the leader to push them into a cross. Whenever, I have lead those followers, I find them so heavy. It is not a pleasure to lead them. But because they have not learnt from me, I just keep quite. Today, we had this very interesting discussion whether the leader leads a cross or whether a good follower flows and does it automatically. I asked my teacher Daniel Trenner to give his quote. And this is what he says, in his own words- unedited. Daniel is the best teacher I have learnt from. He has influenced not just my Tango but my life philosophy. When you learn from Daniel, he gives you more than just Tango. He is a great mentor . If you ever get a chance, I highly recommend to learn from him. Here is what Daniel Trenner says about leading into cruzada or a cross.

"Regarding Salida...

it is a ritual, also a default, where the follower knows what is about to happen by the conditions the leader sets...

if a leader is setting up conditions in a coherent way, then the follower knows where to cross, and the leader will feel like he lead it...

if a leader is clueless about defaults, or respecting the followers part, then he just leads the cross, and he wants her to listen to him... therefore, for him, there is no cross unless he leads...

a good follower determines what the leader is up to by the first few steps he leads in a tanda... and then adjusts to his "style" of leading... if he needs an obedient follower, i.e. a slow horse, then she gives it to him... he is a beginner, or he is "old fashioned"... either way, he is only happy if he feels dominant... so she lets him feel that way...

if he dances like a milonguero, then she just dances tango and doesn't worry about steps because she knows that like a gentleman does, he will set up the conditions that make obvious what she should do... or what she should not do... she will never have to think, or be anxious about what to do...

in other words there is no right or wrong way... only variations in intention and awareness... good feeling about what happened is the determinant of whether the relationship was working...

in my experience a milonguero sets up conditions so that the walk to the cross is automatic, and then when he doesn't want it to happen he leads a "don't cross"...

This may seem complicated to beginning leaders... it is... best answer is found by learning the followers part, thereby gaining empathy for what she goes through trying to interpret his intent...

Followers may find it hard to not be obvious about helping him... "he cannot know"... if so they should become easier horses... not because that is "good" following... but because that is what he can handle... then when the same followers learn to lead they will gain empathy for his "puzzle", and be more tolerant of his trials...

the cross learning of gender roles is the key... this is traditional milonguero pedagogy... but only among men... my innovation is to include women in the same process... the "ballroom" system of men and women learning together, with men learning only the lead, and the women learning only to follow, is an aberration... a non- native invasion of the american ballroom model, transplanted to the modern Argentine dance school... it is a shame... confusing, misleading, patriarchal, and most definitely NOT Milonguero...

hope this helps"...

DT

daniel trenner
danieltrenner.com
itangocafe.com
northamptontango.com
danieltrenner@gmail.com

Argentine Tango in Milonga de mis amores by Kiran Sawhney

Cabaceo- How followers get to dance with whom they want to?- Tanguera's secrets.

So much has been written about Cabaceo and how in Argentine Tango, leaders invite followers for dance through a nod of head and eye contact and followers have the prerogative to accept or decline the invite. Not much has been written for followers. If they want to dance with a particular leader, how do they make it happen?

As a follower, I have few great tips. I have traveled world over and attended milongas which had the reputation of being snob. There you got dances only if you danced really well. And I must say, I got my fair share of dances with the leaders that I wanted to dance with. And icing on the cake is that they gave me Cabaceo, when I wanted them to.

So here I am going to share few of my secrets.

First and foremost and something really important- Work on your technique. Everything else comes later. Behind one good dance in a milonga, there is hours and hours of practice, done on your own, listening to music, investing in your training, taking workshops, attending festivals, taking privates.

Next- Enter the milonga looking like a perfect Tanguera. Be a Tanguera 24/7. Right from the moment you leave your doorstep, to the time you enter the milonaga. A Tanguera is perfectly dressed (always), each hair in its place and toe nails painted. Work on yourself. Your fitness, your attire, the way you smell, the way you walk, what you wear (specially those beautiful dresses and your Tango heels), how you wear, everything matters.

Last but not the least- In a milonga, show your eagerness to dance. If you sit crouching in one corner, fiddling with your mobile, scowling, I guarantee, you will not get your dances. In fact, if you really want to sit and rest your feet and not be asked for a dance, take off your heels and rest your bare feet on a chair in front. This clearly indicates that you do not want to be asked for a dance and that you are resting.
But if you want to be asked for a dance, then, sit with your back straight (this depicts your eagerness and willingness to get up and dance), observe whom you want to dance with next, continue to look at him (Hey! do not stare), and when your eyes meet, smile (very tiny smile from the corner of your lips- not a big wide grin), let your eyes talk (engage. Do not look away or look down) and you will get a cabaceo. He will come and ask you for a dance.

Now is the time to get up and enjoy the dance that you have been wanting to. Go and flow.

Milonga de mis amores

Weekly milonga, every Tuesday in Agni, Hotel Park, Connaught Place, Hanuman Road Area, 15, Parliament St, New Delhi. 

The milonga details can be seen here.

Few things that have excited me of late

Tango lovers would know why, I like these.

Rooftop milonga

It is very nice winter afternoon rooftop milonga well organized by a passionate Tanguera at her own premises. 

What I am wearing for the milonga is earlier showcased here on my other blog.