Thank you Lydia for the introduction…
For a quick introduction to Isabella and Nicolai, the organizers of Practica El Beso, you can read this interview by Lydia the author of Tango In Toronto.
This interview was originally published on her blog on November 6th, 2011.
How did this teaching partnership between you and Nicolai come about? Isabella:
After one of my long trips to Buenos Aires I must have asked Nicolai if he would like to teach with me and give back something to the community after all the experiences in dancing tango that we have had over the years.
Nicolai: My relationship with tango has been focused on reaching a high level of emotional satisfaction for me and for my partner. Tango music when it spoke to me required me to move, to dance … there was no room for standing and teaching; there was only room for dancing. It was my egotistic period. When Isabella asked me to consider teaching, something opened inside me and I just felt it was the right time to share …
Is this is a first time teaching tango for both of you?
Isabella: Luckily I have had the chance to teach a few seminars on “musicality” and assist in countless classes here and in Buenos Aires. Some of the classes I assissted in this year have ranged from Alicia Pons to Julio Duplaa.
Nicolai: When I visited my tanguero nephew in Belgrade, last March, he asked me to do some workshops on men’s technique.
Isabella, you are already heavily involved in arts education, how does teaching tango differ from your other teaching experiences?
Isabella: Every class has a different dynamic and is full of different personality types. My challenge is to inspire, engage, and affect the participants. If people come to class with an open mind to have a great experience, they probably will!
What factors did you consider when choosing your location?
Isabella: Vivace Studio on Jane Street is a beautiful space, lovely floor, with a real feeling of community. I love this. This studio is all about creating art and is an environment that encourages this. The studio reflects an openness to new and old expressions of the arts. Wonderful! It is run by people who really care. This means a lot to me.
Something that concerns many Toronto tango students is leader/follower balance. How do you plan to handle this?
Isabella: Anyone who is interested in the class would be strongly encouraged to “try” and bring along a friend, relative, co-worker, neighbour, of the opposite sex to start this new journey. Tango needs new people!
Nicolai: An important perennial issue. The resolution will depend on the participants interest to explore role reversal; a valuable learning experience in itself.
What do you hope will make your 10-week workshop different from other Toronto tango classes?
Isabella: My hope is really to inspire participants to love and explore Argentine tango. It would be my greatest desire to pass on some of the things I have learned in the milongas of Buenos Aires. Some of the old milongueros such as Tete Rusconi and Puppy Castello are not around any longer but; I did have the pleasure to dance with them numberous times, lately having danced with: Alberto Dassieu, Chiche, Ricardo Suarez, El Canario, El Nene, Ruben de Pompeya, Tono, Luis Rojas, Jose Luis, (to name a few) … have taught me a few things about tango. It would be nice to pass a bit of this on.
Nicolai: The 10 classes will deal with the introduction to tango, perhaps the most important and crucial time for any aspiring tanguero/a … will they continue or will they stop. Helping each students reach some intimate internal connection to tango so that they will want to/need to continue is the challenge. Being “in a conversation” with each student can help the teacher offer insights that may reach the student.
Practica El Beso 