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Tango vs. Ballroom Dance
Since I was a child I have seen the ballroom dance championships held in Germany , with shiny dresses and happy music… latino, standard, etc. and very late I discovered the ballroom dance in Bucharest, I wanted to go to classes, but I didn’t know where to go. At a birthday party of one of my friends, it was February 2003 I think, I met a couple that obviously had taken dance lessons, and I asked them where were the classes held. The very next week I started to go to dance classes.
At the beginning I liked it very much, I was consuming a lot of energy, I was feeling physically and psychically very well, but after one year, I figured out it was not exactly what I was looking for, as there weren’t any further consequence… besides salsa and merengue, which were thought additionally, you couldn’t dance what you’ve been thought! Not even at a wedding, not mentioning the clubs! So everything was held as in a capsule in the class where you were taking the lessons. But it was fun. Everything was choreography, nothing leaded, there was no improvisation, and you were stocked in patterns with no freedom. Very frustrating, but I learned to know my body, to work with my body, to transmit the information from the brain to the muscles. At the beginning, it felt like I had stork legs and I felt very ridiculous, but after months I made a progress. And after all I thought it was good to be able to make the difference between dance and music styles and I thought it was something that everybody had to know for education purposes… maybe I am old fashioned. Another thing I disliked was the teaching way of teachers: a little bit discouraging: besides what they were telling for everybody in class, they where saying additional thing to certain people, what and how to do, as it was a secret… Any way… I felt there was a discrimination… but all of us were paying the same fee! It was not the money but the fair-play!
One summer, (I can’t say exactly the year somewhere in 2004) my colleagues and instructors insisted I should go to an argentine tango workshop held by Gabriel and Allison. I didn’t want to hear. They told me it was something else, different from the ballroom tango; no and no and no was my answer! I didn’t go that time. I was not interest by tango, no tango. Period.
Then there was a separation of teachers in two schools, the way of teaching changed, and there was not a consistency, the new teacher was showing different things on each class, she couldn’t remember what she did last time, everything was chaotic, she was not preparing the lesson… I decided to quit. I found a new dance school close to my home, just not to stop completely the “training”, but I missed my first instructors; it was different.
There I found out about argentine tango danced at “Cina”, and our instructor took all of us there. First time I heard about tango I had a nice grimace on my face as eating a lemon. I did dance some tango in ballroom classes and I disliked it. Among all the dances, this was the one I hated most! I only heard the word “tango”, the second one, “argentine” never hit me, so I could not make the difference.
After I discovered argentine tango at “Cina”, I have never been seen in a ballroom dance. Finally I fund what I was searching for: I could dance, there was a community where you could dance it, it was open and you could go out from the classroom and dance without any choreography. It was something else.
Long after I started tango I figured out how limitative the ballroom dance was.
The long discussions I used to have all the time about all the things in the world, long and never ending talks that began with tango and went back to tango, confirmed what I felt, intuitive things that I never put into words. Ballroom dance is tasteless, monotonous, and, as a friend said, the music, international, was “remixed” in order to obtain a constant rhythm/tempo, to be used in choreographies split in 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8 tempo, easily danced by the dancers. The music is adapted to the dance, to the choreography, and it is not the main reason to dance. Argentine tango does not exist without music; the music has variations of rhythm; ballroom dance has choreography, argentine tango has only the improvisation and interpretation of music. Doing ballroom dance you apply a stupid smile on your face, dancing argentine tango you can express what you feel… Ah, ballroom dance has curious positions of the body… changing from waltz (with your “cici” pushing in front of you, laid on your back), to ballroom tango (your hips paste on the partner); but the argentine tango has one position of the body. If you know it you are able to do it. Ah, in ballroom dance you have to pay attention not to miss the choreography, but in argentine tango you have to listen to the music to be with your partner, and to pay attention to what you both want to do together… The ballroom requires show, … argentine tango needs you, you have to be you, and to be natural… in ballroom generally you run, with effort, force, speed, you are a great athlete!... tango gives you moments of rest, breaks, you do not have to run to the marathon and you do not push/pull the partner… and much more, but I think enough is enough… I cannot say I know much about both dances, but this is how I see them, and this is not just my opinion… Maybe I am wrong! :D
But once I danced argentine tango, I can’t go back to ballroom… ever!
At the beginning I liked it very much, I was consuming a lot of energy, I was feeling physically and psychically very well, but after one year, I figured out it was not exactly what I was looking for, as there weren’t any further consequence… besides salsa and merengue, which were thought additionally, you couldn’t dance what you’ve been thought! Not even at a wedding, not mentioning the clubs! So everything was held as in a capsule in the class where you were taking the lessons. But it was fun. Everything was choreography, nothing leaded, there was no improvisation, and you were stocked in patterns with no freedom. Very frustrating, but I learned to know my body, to work with my body, to transmit the information from the brain to the muscles. At the beginning, it felt like I had stork legs and I felt very ridiculous, but after months I made a progress. And after all I thought it was good to be able to make the difference between dance and music styles and I thought it was something that everybody had to know for education purposes… maybe I am old fashioned. Another thing I disliked was the teaching way of teachers: a little bit discouraging: besides what they were telling for everybody in class, they where saying additional thing to certain people, what and how to do, as it was a secret… Any way… I felt there was a discrimination… but all of us were paying the same fee! It was not the money but the fair-play!
One summer, (I can’t say exactly the year somewhere in 2004) my colleagues and instructors insisted I should go to an argentine tango workshop held by Gabriel and Allison. I didn’t want to hear. They told me it was something else, different from the ballroom tango; no and no and no was my answer! I didn’t go that time. I was not interest by tango, no tango. Period.
Then there was a separation of teachers in two schools, the way of teaching changed, and there was not a consistency, the new teacher was showing different things on each class, she couldn’t remember what she did last time, everything was chaotic, she was not preparing the lesson… I decided to quit. I found a new dance school close to my home, just not to stop completely the “training”, but I missed my first instructors; it was different.
There I found out about argentine tango danced at “Cina”, and our instructor took all of us there. First time I heard about tango I had a nice grimace on my face as eating a lemon. I did dance some tango in ballroom classes and I disliked it. Among all the dances, this was the one I hated most! I only heard the word “tango”, the second one, “argentine” never hit me, so I could not make the difference.
After I discovered argentine tango at “Cina”, I have never been seen in a ballroom dance. Finally I fund what I was searching for: I could dance, there was a community where you could dance it, it was open and you could go out from the classroom and dance without any choreography. It was something else.
Long after I started tango I figured out how limitative the ballroom dance was.
The long discussions I used to have all the time about all the things in the world, long and never ending talks that began with tango and went back to tango, confirmed what I felt, intuitive things that I never put into words. Ballroom dance is tasteless, monotonous, and, as a friend said, the music, international, was “remixed” in order to obtain a constant rhythm/tempo, to be used in choreographies split in 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8 tempo, easily danced by the dancers. The music is adapted to the dance, to the choreography, and it is not the main reason to dance. Argentine tango does not exist without music; the music has variations of rhythm; ballroom dance has choreography, argentine tango has only the improvisation and interpretation of music. Doing ballroom dance you apply a stupid smile on your face, dancing argentine tango you can express what you feel… Ah, ballroom dance has curious positions of the body… changing from waltz (with your “cici” pushing in front of you, laid on your back), to ballroom tango (your hips paste on the partner); but the argentine tango has one position of the body. If you know it you are able to do it. Ah, in ballroom dance you have to pay attention not to miss the choreography, but in argentine tango you have to listen to the music to be with your partner, and to pay attention to what you both want to do together… The ballroom requires show, … argentine tango needs you, you have to be you, and to be natural… in ballroom generally you run, with effort, force, speed, you are a great athlete!... tango gives you moments of rest, breaks, you do not have to run to the marathon and you do not push/pull the partner… and much more, but I think enough is enough… I cannot say I know much about both dances, but this is how I see them, and this is not just my opinion… Maybe I am wrong! :D
But once I danced argentine tango, I can’t go back to ballroom… ever!
Tango vs. dans sportiv
De mica vazusem concursurile de dans sportiv de la nemtzi, cu rochii sclipitoare si muzica ritmata… sectiunea latino, sectiunea standard, etc. si foarte tarziu am descoperit dansul sportiv in Bucuresti, vroiam sa merg la cursuri, dar nu stiam unde. La ziua unui prieten, intr-un an in februarie, cred 2003, a venit un cuplu care facuse clar ore de dans, i-am intrebat unde era scoala, si urmatoarea saptamana am inceput lectiile.
La inceput mi-a placut mult, consumam energie, ma simteam fizic si psihic foarte bine, dar apoi, dupa un an, mi-am dat seama ca nu era suficient, ca nu era ce cautam eu, pentru ca nu avea nici o aplicatie… inafara de salsa si merengue, care erau predate pe langa standard si latino, nimic nu se putea dansa in societate! Nici macar la o nunta, nu mai vorbesc ca nu te puteai da in spectacol in discoteci, ca ajungeai de rasul curcilor!!! Asa ca totul ramanea inchis in sala unde luai lectii. Dar era fun. Nu mai vorbesc de faptul ca totul era coregrafie, nimic condus, nimic de improvizatie, nu puteai iesi din tipare, nu aveai libertate… Putin mai mult frustrant, insa am invatzat sa-mi cunosc corpul, sa lucrez cu corpul meu, sa transmit o informatie de la creier, la musculatura. La inceput aveam picioare de barza, si ma simteam super ridicola, dar dupa luni de zile am facut progrese. Una peste alta mi s-a parut de bun simtz sa stii sa deosebesti un gen de muzica de altul, si sa stii sa faci diferentza intre un dans si altul, mi se pareau lucruri care trebuiau sa faca parte din cultura generala a fiecaruia… sau poate sunt io de moda veche. Un alt lucru care m-a enervat in timp, abordarea de predare a profesorilor era putin descurajanta: pe langa ce spuneau pentru toata lumea la ora, mai ziceau anumitor elevi ce si cum sa faca, la ureche, de parca era un secret… in fine… mi s-a parut discriminare… la urma urmei, toti plateam acelash tarif! Nu era chestie de bani, ci chestie de fair-play mai mult.
La un moment dat in vara anului 2004 (cred, nu mai stiu exact anul) au tras colegii de la dans sportiv sa merg la un seminar de tango argentinian sustinut de Gabriel si Allison. Nici n-am vrut sa aud. Mi-au zis ca e altceva, ca nu e acelas lucru ce stiam eu de tango… nimic; nici sa nu aud! Nu m-am dus. Nu ma interesa tango, de oricare ar fi fost el. Punct.
A urmat o separare a profesorilor, metoda de predare s-a schimbat, si nimic nu mai avea continuitate, noua profesoara la fiecare ora preda altceva, nu mai stia ce predase cu o ora in urma, era totul haotic, nu mi-a placut ca nu-si facea lectii de acasa… am decis sa ma retrag. Am gasit o scoala de dans sportiv prin apropierea casei, doar ca sa nu intrerup “antrenamentul”, dar duceam dorul primilor profesori; era altfel.
Acolo am aflat de cursurile de tango argentinian de la Cina, si instructorul ne-a recomandat sa mergem cu totii, ca merge si el, si o sa fie fain, etc. etc. Cand am auzit de tango m-am stambat foarte acru. Facusem tango la dans sportiv, si nu-mi placuse deloc. Dintre toate dansurile de acolo era singurul pe care il detestam! Nu auzeam decat cuvantul “tango”, al doilea cuvant “argentinian” nu mai ajungea la mine, asa ca nu le puteam separa, nu puteam face diferenta.
Dupa ce am descoperit tango argentinian la Cina, nu am mai fost captata de dansul sportiv. Gasisem in final ce cautasem: puteam sa dansez, exista o societate care dansa acest dans, era deja o deschidere, nu mai trebuia sa stai in sala, si sa faci coregrafii. Era altceva.
Mult dupa ce am inceput tango mi-am dat seama cat de limitativ era dansul sportiv. Discutiile cu oamenii cu care vorbeam tot timpul despre o multime de lucruri, discutii interminabile care plecau de la tango si se intorceau la tango, mi-au confirmat ceea ce simtisem, lucruri pe care le intuiam dar nu le pusesem niciodata in cuvinte si nu le constientizasem. Dansul sportiv e fad, monoton, si cum spunea un prieten, muzica, desi erau hituri internationale, era “remixata” astfel incat sa aibe timpi egali, sa se poata face coregrafii numarate in timpi de 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8, fara sa dea batai de cap dansatorilor. Muzica e adaptata “dansului” coregrafiei mai bine zis, nu e pretextul pentru dans. Tango argentinian fara muzica nu exista; muzica este variata, are variatii de ritm; in dans sportiv ai o coregrafie, in tango argentinian nu exista decat improvizatie, si interpretarea muzicii. In dans sportiv ai un zambet imbecil pe fatza, in tango argentinian... poti exprima ce simti… Ah, in dans sportiv ai tot felul de pozitii ciudate: ba pentru vals cu bazinul inainte, ba pentru tango de dans sportiv cu soldul lipit de partener; in tango argentinian o singura pozitie. Daca ai prins-o pe aia, apoi face orice. Ah, in dans sportiv trebuie sa fii atent sa nu iesi din coregrafie, in tango argentinian trebuie sa fii atent la partener… si ce vreti sa faceti impreuna… In dans sportiv trebuie sa te dai in spectacol sa faci show, ca doar despre ce Doamne iarta-ma vorbim? In tango argentinian trebuie sa fii tu, sa fii natural… In dansul sportiv in general alergi, depui energie, fortza, viteza, esti un mare atlet!... in tango mai ai si momente de liniste, de pauza, nu alergi ca la maraton si nici nu te apuci sa tragic de partener… si se mai pot insira multe altele, dar cred ca e suficient… Nu ma pot lauda ca stiu prea multe nici despre una nici despre alta, dar asa pare…, si asa ziceau si altii… . Poate gresesc! :D
Cert e ca odata ce am dansat tango argentinian, nu ma mai poti intoarce la dans sportiv… ever!
Comentarii
mai auzisem ca in Bucuresti se fac cursuri de flamenco, si vroiam sa ma duc la niste lectii... a aparut tango... si nu am mai ajuns, si nici nu cred ca voi mai ajunge vreodata :)
cred ca m-am defectat ... rau! :)
Astept cat mai repede un semnal de la tine.
http://ieerdnaaa.blogspot.com/2008/11/tango-vs-dans-sportiv.html