Tango Life

This post was inspired by one on teaching styles on Tango Immigrant's blog  http://tangoimmigrant.blogspot.co.nz/2013/08/the-long-and-winding-road.html I learned tango the usual way via a mix of local and visiting teachers. The visitors would arrive two or three times per year, talk briefly about technique in their classes and then teach us new steps. This was what most people wanted (including me at first) but when I started looking for more and took private lessons I still didn't get the basic understanding of the dance that I was looking for.  I had group classes and solos in New Zealand, Australia, Germany, the USA and the UK but in hindsight I would say that while those lessons kept the tango dream alive they didn't advance my dancing very much.  The first big step forward was going to Buenos Aires and finding a good teacher who showed us the body mechanics of tango. It became much easier after that but it took many group classes with many teachers in order to f...

I just tried wading through a web page that tried to describe all the different styles of tango. The writer did their best to define 'style' as a point of difference in dancing that creates a difficulty when dancing with someone with another point of difference, and there is no right way or wrong way, only different ways. Well...I don't think so. Some people like to compartmentalise themselves and other people into dance styles. It helps them feel better about their own dancing and gives them an excuse when they have difficulties dancing with someone ie "oh, it's just a different style", when really they don't even understand how their own dance works - let alone why they struggle to dance with someone else. In my experience there are only two styles: - Lead and follow (based on body mechanics) - Nudge and guess (based on familiarity with one's partner, going to the same workshops or school, etc) I want to write about this because we travel int...

Recoleta Apartment for Sale My friend Maria has decided to sell her apartment on Ave Libertador in the high class area of Recoleta surrounded by renowned hotels bars and restaurants, and next to the distinguished Patio Bullrich shopping mall and cinemas. A short stroll to the famous Recoleta cemetery, plazas, parks and museums. Bright, stylish studio apartment, 28m2, with separate kitchen and bathroom, rear-facing and on the 10th floor of a 14 storey building so there is little traffic noise. It has been renovated to a high standard with wood floors throughout, walk-in closet, underfloor heating, air conditioning and ceiling fan, central hot water, wifi and internet connection and cable tv installed. Gas hob and fridge included in price. $88K USD including furniture if wanted. The furniture was all new 2 years ago and of a high quality. Maria says that, "FYI the prices over here have gone up substantially and similar flats in the area according to the Clarin are goin...