Ney and Jennifer through my eyes - Ney si Jennifer prin ochii mei

(pentru versiunea in Romana, vedeti mai jos)

(for Romanian version, scroll down)

Ney and Jennifer through my eyes

Yap. It was not my intention to write about them now, as the story started in the previous posts would have no continuity, but it seems I cannot help myself. I’ve been challenged! Anyway I jumped from one story to another, so it doesn’t mater, any more.

May 2006

Last year in May, 2006, I didn’t have a clue who Ney Melo and Jennifer Bratt were, and what they wanted. I didn’t know about youtube, nor about any other teachers from Argentina, except Alfredo, the one which I heard of from stories, and Gonzalo, the one I saw with his red trousers. I searched the net, I saw some photos with Ney during some workshops, a presentation, and it seemed to me like a regular, specific American. I imagined a superficial limited person, full of American concepts… what could he teach us? I was very sceptical, but as I haven’t been to any other tango workshop before, I said, ok, lets see what it was about. I asked other people that were longer in touch with this tango and they encouraged me: “go, go, you will enjoy it”. I took just the first lesson, meaninglessly, to see what it was about, and in case it didn’t worth it not to loose the money, and in case they would convince me I could take the rest of the workshop, as it was not very crowdie.

They came at the “bien venido” milonga at Chocolat. They sat and watched, they danced. All of us were looking and analyzing them. Hm, nothing spectacular, I thought to my self, and though … there was still something. I couldn’t say exactly what…. At that time I didn’t know what and how to evaluate, to put it bluntly… I was an outsider, not that now I know much more.

Before the first lesson, I saw Jennifer with some leopard shoes, with a very high heel, very sexy, maybe too sexy for an afternoon… and I raised one eyebrow… I couldn’t understand this trend.

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At the first lesson, few pupils, there were twice more ladies than gentlemen. There was a schedule announced; after a short evaluation of participants, Ney said we change the plan and we do something else, and the people in the class started to be unsatisfied, as some of them came for a specific topic… I was even. I can’t exactly remember, but I think we made women technique seeing the number of girls and then musicality. The musicality lesson definitely “conquered” me. I thought long time ago what could a “dance” teacher give us during a musicality lesson. I didn’t participate to such a lesson before! So I decided to register for the entire workshop.

Today I cannot remember exactly all the topic of the workshop, it is probably on the net, all I know is they took us slowly, building their class on exercises, adding little by little at every exercise, and in the end you could leave doing what you’ve been taught in class. I remember the exercises for the back walk, for the ladies, all the fun when practicing the embrace, the “steps” for milonga tought at Cina and the adornos exercises for ladies, the exercises for boleos, volcadas and colgadas at The 6th Floor Dance Studio, on the very last day. All the participants to that workshop were able to do at least some of the “steps” at the last milonga if not all of what we’ve been tought. The atmosphere was incredible, we all were greedy and enthusiast, we were absorbing like sponges, even if it was exhausting, and they were picking us from the ground at the end of the day. It was the first time when I really knew how badly the feet can hurt. Those are unforgettable days!

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They gave me things that I worked on during the next months. If I succeeded to do 10% from what they told us at that time, during the whole workshop, it’s not a fair evaluation, maybe 5% is fair enough. But I had the information, which, wanted or not, remains somewhere into your subconscious mind and it pops up when you need it. Even if at the moment you cannot do things, when you grow up and you feel it, you know how to recognize it and you test it, you look for it, and you know where to go.

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I tried to tell to a friend what we’ve done during the workshop, but I couldn’t describe it in words, but only to show few things. My level was too low, I was too “green”, but I realized what tango means. I heard about it before, I saw videos before, but this seemed to me the most genuine meeting with tango; I could touch it, the people were in front of my eyes, it was real, not movies, even if they were dancing as in movies; fantastic!

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I knew they will come again. They had to come back. The time was passing, people started to forget things, the things tought by them were rarely seen at milonga. One year later, very few leaders were doing what Ney tought us. I couldn’t remember what I had to do from what they said (woman technique, not “steps”, it is not my job to lead!) Maybe some of the things were already incorporated in my dance and I couldn’t figure out they were thought by Ney. If at practica we didn’t work on thing from Ney, but on things tought in our current classes, it is very easy to loose those things sooner or later, as at that time very few people had the basis to build on it and to be able to do complicated things afterwards, as we were hardly able to do caminar in close embrace.

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The private lesson remains an outstanding memory. It was a sunny morning in May when Jennifer showed me how to move my legs, how to step, although she already did it in the workshop. At the beginning we were wearing our shoes, and then, as I didn’t have any control on my balance, we took of our shoes. My eyes were so big, I couldn’t understand how somebody can do such nice steps! She explained to me, but I couldn’t do … I tried real hard, I tried to do what she was doing, I received indications, not much, just a few, but very eloquent, the explanation was simple; my feet felt like stork feet, and seemed like I couldn’t use them any more. It seemed to me I was ridiculous, I thought I looked like hell and that I would never ever look decent, looking good was something of science fiction. I felt discouraged. And then we made caminar in close embrace. They showed us here like this, there like that! I forgot about feet and everything. How nice! It worked! The feeling of that caminar was… something.

The last milonga with Ney and Jen was my first milonga when I stayed till morning… And btw, I didn’t dance with Ney at any milonga.

The Athenaeum in the morning, 5:58 AM, after milonga, on my way back home

Calea Victoriei in the morning, 6:00 AM, after milonga, on my way back home

June 2007

Two weeks before Ney and Jennifer landed again in Romania, I was very excited, I couldn’t wait, and the workshop was so far! Waiting for so long, on the very first lesson I was already exhausted!

It was incredible! I had great expectations, and Ney (as Jen couldn’t come at that time) did not let me down! I needed them. He came in a moment when I was having a “tango depression”, and he helped me get over it, he gave me back the enthusiasm and the joy for dance. I was leaving the class with a big big joy in my heart! And wanting to dance! And wanting to work …. I think he gave me a motivation. Yeah. Or maybe I find the motivation a needed.

I took it from zero with everything. I put away all that I knew before and made space for new things but already known thing. It was easy to dance due to my “quantitative experience”, but I didn’t know lot a things, and it was not only me; there were few leaders dancing in close embrace, and those who couldn’t dance in close embrace, if I tried to do so they were stocked, scared and they were not able to continue the dance even if they were dancing for 8 months. I don’t know how it is going somewhere else, but after one year and a half since I met tango I wanted to dance in close embrace … but with whom?

The second time when Ney was here I didn’t succeeded to dance with him….

After he left, for the second time, I worked every day for two or three months, in every class, at home, at practica, even at milonga when I was dancing I was working… (yes, I know this is not nice to work at milonga… but I stopped working lately at milonga); I don’t remember to ever had in my life the impulse and the enthusiasm gain at that moment; I was sure about what I was doing and that I was on the right way, going in the right direction; I worked hard for months with just 3 or 4 things, and I’m not yet satisfied! I still have a lot to work!

It’s hard if you do not have someone to work with! Guys, you can go angry with me because I’m telling this… … … but I can do 100.000 km of caminar, but it is not working if I’m only by myself, this thing has to be done by tow people!

If I’ll be in someone’s shoes, as a teacher, I think that the greatest satisfaction would be to see that what I tought is practiced, it’s well done, correctly, and I do not have to teach once again what I tought months ago.

October 2007

Ney and Jennifer are here again. And they don’t stop to amaze me: the level of workshops grow from one time to the other, they come over the same things but at a higher level and adding more; everything is refining, many things are polishing more and more; maybe I have the ability to see more things comparing to the beginning, maybe I started to build on a basis that I can develop now. Obviously we grow since last time they have been here, and Ney always adapted his teaching for the level of the entire class.

I have already a big list with things I have to work on, and the workshop is not yet ended! For the next 6 months I have things to do!

There are 4 hours remaining till the workshop starts today! And I am already moving on my feet! I do not know what we shall be tough today, I’m not interested in a specific subject, for me it is important to have them here, as there are so many things to learn from them!

On the road!!!

Ney si Jennifer prin ochii mei

Da. Nu intentionam sa scriu acum despre ei, pentru ca povestea inceputa in post-urile anterioare nu ar avea continuitate, dar se pare ca e imposibil sa ma abtin. Am fost starnita! Oricum am sarit de la una la alta, asa ca nu mai conteaza.

Mai 2006

In mai anul trecut, 2006, habar nu aveam cine sunt Ney Melo si Jeniffer Bratt, si ce vor. Nu stiam nici de youtube, nici de alti profesori din Argentina, cu exceptia lui Alfredo de care auzisem doar din povesti, si de Gonzalo pe care il vausem cu pantalonii lui cei rosii. Am cautat pe net, am vazut niste poze cu Ney de la niste seminarii, o prezentare, si mi s-a parut o figura tipic americana. Imi imaginam o persoana superficiala, limitata, cu concepte americane… ce ar fi putut el sa ne invete? Am fost foarte sceptica, dar cum nu mai fusesem la nici un seminar de tango, am zis, ok, fie, hai sa vedem despre ce e vorba. Am mai intrebat si pe altii care erau de mai multa vreme in lumea asta, si m-au incurajat si ei: “du-te ca o sa-ti placa”. M-am inscris doar la primul seminar, mai mult intr-o doara, sa vad despre ce e vorba, in cazul in care nu merita, sa nu pierd banii, iar in cazul in care ma convingea puteam sa ma inscriu la urmatoarele, ca locuri mai erau, lumea nu prea se inghesuia.

Au venit la milonga de “bien venido” la Chocolat. Au stat, s-au uitat, au dansat. Toti se uitau la ei si ii studiau. Mh, nimic spectaculos, zic io in sinea mea, si totusi… totusi e ceva. Nu stiam sa spun ce… . La vremea aia nu prea stiam io ce si cum sa apreciez, pe shleau s-o spun, …eram pe dinafara, nu ca acum as stii cu mult mai multe.

Inainte de prima lectie, am vatu-o pe Jennyfer cu niste pantofi de “leopard”, cu toc foarte inalt, ce-i drept foarte sexy, poate prea sexy pentru o dupa-amiaza… am ridicat o spranceana… nu prea intelegem io moda asta.

La primul seminar, putini elevi, ca de obicei de doua ori mai multe fete decat baieti. Era anuntat un program; dupa o evaluare scurta a participantilor, Ney a zis ca se schimba programul ca facem alteceva, lumea a inceput sa se nemultumeasca, ca unii venisera special pentru o anumita tema, si nu le convenea… mie mi-era perpendicular. Nu-mi aduc aminte foarte sigur, dar cred ca s-a facut o lectie pentru femei avand in vedere numarul mare de fete, si apoi o lectie de muzicalitate. Cu muzicalitatea m-au cucerit definitiv. Ma gandisem cu mult inainte ce naiba putea sa ne spuna un profesor de “dans” la o lectie de muzicalitate. Nu mai vazusem asa ceva in viata mea! Am decis sa ma inscriu la tot seminarul.

Azi nu-mi mai aduc aminte exact structura seminariilor, probabil sunt pe net, stiu doar ca ne-a luat din aproape in aproape, isi construiau lectia pe exercitii, adaugau putin cate putin la fiecare exercitiu, si la sfarsitul orei plecai cu ceva invatzat. Imi aduc aminte de exercitiile pentru caminar cu spatele, pentru fete, amuzamentul la exercitiile cu imbratisarea, de pasii de milonga predati la Cina si exercitiile pentru adornos pentru fete, de exercitiile pentru boleos, volcada, si colgada, astea doua au fost ultimele doua seminarii din ultima zi de predare la 6th Floor Dance Studio. Toti cei care au fost atunci la seminar au fost in stare sa faca la ultima milonga cel putin cateva din structurile predate de Ney, daca nu chiar toate. Atmosfera era incredibila, toti eram avizi si entuziasti, absorbeam tot ca niste bureti, chiar daca era super obositor si ne culegeau de pe jos la ultimul seminar din zi. Atunci am stiut pentru prima data ce inseamna durerile de picioare. Acele zile sunt de neuitat!

Mi-au lasat atunci lucruri pe care le-am lucrat urmatoarele luni. Daca am reusit sa fac 10% din ce au spus ei atunci la semiar e mult, foarte mult, cred ca nici 5% nu a ramas la mine. Dar am avut informatia, care vrei nu vrei, ramane undeva in subconstient si care la momentul oportun iese la suprafatza. Chiar daca nu reusesti atunci sa faci lucruri, in momentul in care mai cresti si ti se intampla, stii sa recunosti si incepi sa experimentezi, sa cauti, stii incotro trebuie sa mergi.

Am incercat atunci sa povestesc unei prietene ce am facut la seminar, nu puteam sa descriu in cuvinte, puteam numai sa arat fizic. Nivelul meu era mult prea scazut, eram prea cruda, dar abiea atunci am vazut cu ce se mananca tango. Auzisem, mi se povestise, vasusem ceva clip-uri, dar asta mi s-a parut cea mai autentica intalnire cu tango; era ceva palpabil, aveam oamenii chiar sub ochii mei, era real, nu filme, desi dansau ca in filme; fantastic!

Stiam ca or sa mai vina. Trebuiau sa mai vina. Timpul trecea, lumea care fusese la seminarii incepea sa uite; structurile predate de ei erau din ce in ce mai rare la milonga. Un an mai tarziu, putini, foarte putini baieti mai faceau ce predase Ney. Eu nu imi mai aduceam aminte ce trebuia sa fac eu din ce predasera ei (vorbesc strict de tehnica pentru femei, si nicidecum structuri invatzate pe de rost!!! Nu e treaba mea sa fac structuri!!!), poate ca unele lucruri erau deja incorporate deja in dansul meu, si nu-mi dadeam seama ca erau de la ei. Daca la practica nu erau lucrate acele lucruri, si noi ne concentram asupra lucrurilor care ni se predau la lectiile la care mergem in mod curent, era inevitabil sa nu le pierdem mai devreme sau mai tarziu, mai ales ca la momentul respectiv foarte putini dintre noi aveau o baza solida pe care sa poata construi si sa putem sa ne permitem sa facem lucruri complicate cand noi nu stiam nici sa caminam in imbratisare inchisa.

Cel mai pregnant mi-a ramas lectia particulara, intr-o dimineatza insorita de mai, cand Jennifer mi-a aratat cum sa duc picioarele, cum sa calc (desi aratase acelas lucru si la seminar). La inceput am facut in pantofi, apoi, pentru ca nu aveam nici cel mai mic control asupra echilibrului meu in pantofii facuti pe strada Academiei, ne-am descaltzat. Aveam ochii cat cepele, ma uitam si nu intzelegeam cum poate cineva sa faca niste pasi atat de frumos! Ea imi explica si eu tot nu faceam… am facut eforturi, si am incercat si eu sa fac ce facea ea, imi dadea indicatii, nu multe, putine, dar foarte sugestive, imi spunea, imi explica simplu; imi simteam picioarele ca de barza, si parca nu stiam sa mai merg pe ele. Mi se parea ca sunt caraghioasa, si ca arat ca naiba, ca nu o sa reusesc niciodata in viatza mea sa arat macar normal/decent, nici nu ma gandeam la frumusetze, aia era ceva de domeniul fantasticului. M-am descurajat. Apoi am facut caminar in imbratisare inchisa. Ne-au aratat aici asa, aici asa, acum asa, acum asa, aici mai asa! Am uitat si de picioare si de tot. Iupiii, ce frumos! Mergea! Sentimentul si senzatia acelui caminar era…. ceva.

Ultima milonga cu Ney si Jen a fost prima mea milonga la care am stat pana la ziua...
Si btw, nu am apucat sa dansez atunci cu Ney la nici o milonga.

Ateneul dimineatza, 5:58 AM, dupa milonga, in drum spre casa

Calea Victoriei dimineatza, 6:00 AM, dupa milonga, in drum spre casa

Iunie 2007

Cu doua saptamani inainte sa aterizeze Ney si Jennifer din nou in Romania, stateam ca pe ace, si ziua seminarului nu mai venea! Iar in seara seminarului, de atata asteptare am fost epuizata!

A fost incredibil! Aveam mari asteptari, si nu m-au dezamagit! Aveam mare nevoie de ei. Au venit in momentul in care aveam o “criza de tango”, cu ei am depasit-o, mi-au dat din nou avant si bucuria de a dansa. Plecam de la seminarii cu o mare mare bucurie in suflet! Si o mare pofta de dans! o imensa forta de munca…. Cred ca m-au motivat. Da. Sau poate eu m-am motivat.

Am luat-o de la capat cu toate. De la zero. Am lasat tot ce stiam deoparte si am facut loc pentru lucruri noi si totusi deja stiute teoretic. Aveam ushurintza in dans datorita “experientei cantitative”, dar aveam lacune mari, si nu numai eu; erau foarte putini baieti care dansau in imbratisare inchisa, si daca incercam sa inchid imbratisarea se blocau, se speriau si nu mai erau in stare sa faca nimic desi veneau de cel putin 8 luni de zile la cursuri. Nu stiu cum e in alte parti si cum trebuie sa evolueze lucrurile, dar vroiam dupa un an jumatate de cand descoperisem tango sa dansez in imbratisare inchisa si nu prea aveam cu cine!

Si nici a doua oara cand au fost ei aici nu am reusit sa dansez cu Ney… la nici o milonga.

Doua-trei luni dupa ce au plecat ei (a doaua oara) am lucrat in fiecare zi, la lectii, acasa, la practica, chiar si la milonga cand dansam, lucram (da, stiu nu e frumos sa lucrezi la milonga… dar n-am mai facut asa in ultima perioada); impulsul si avantul pe care l-am primit atunci nu imi aduc aminte sa-l fi avut vreodata; eram sigura de ce fac, ca ceea ce fac e bine, ca sunt pe directia cea buna; am muncit luni de zile la trei-patru lucruri, doar atat, si inca nu sunt multumita! Mai am mult de lucru!

E greu, daca nu ai cu cine! Baieti puteti sa va suparati pe mine ca zic asta… … … pot sa caminez io 100.000 km, de una singura nu merge, … treaba asta se face in doi!

Daca ar fi sa ma pun in pielea cuiva care preda, ca profesor, cred ca cea mai mare satisfactie ar fi sa vad ca ce am lasat in urma mea se face, bine, correct, si ca nu trebuie sa reiau ce am predate in urma cu cateva luni de zile.

Octombrie 2007

Acum Ney si Jennifer sunt din nou aici. Si nu contenesc sa ma uimeasca: nivelul seminariilor creste de la o data la alta, si in acelas timp parca reiau lucruri, dar la alta scara; totul se rafineaza, se slefuiesc lucruri din ce in ce mai mult; poate ca am eu acum capacitatea sa vad mult mai multe lucruri decat la inceput, poate ca am inceput sa construiesc o baza pe care o pot acuma dezvolta. Evident si nivelul nostru este altul fatza de ultima data cand au fost ei aici, iar Ney si-a adaptat intotdeauna predarea la nivelul “clasei”.

Deja am o lista intreaga cu lucruri la care trebuie sa muncesc, si seminariile inca nu s-au incheiat! Pentru urmatoarele 6 luni am ce face!

Mai sunt 4 ore pana la seminarul de diseara! Si tropai deja de pe un picior pe altul! Nu stiu nici ce se preda azi, nici nu ma intereseaza subiectul in sine, important e sa fie, ca lucruri de invatzat sunt o gramada!

Pe cai!!!