DJ Isabella Szymonowicz
after midnight…
It’s past three a.m. at the Sunday night milonga (dance) during the Midwest Tango Festival held in Indianapolis for the first time this year.
Sitting close to the steamed up windows and feeling cold, exhausted from dancing tango all weekend and Dj’ing the Sunday late afternoon practica earlier, an intrepid ‘lead’ stands close by.
She skillfully looks at me with her mirada (look) and then cabeceo’s (nods at) me and I pretend that perhaps she is looking at the non-existent person sitting on the chair behind me. Both of us laugh, embrace, and quickly become one within the romantic Golden Age music that is enveloping us.
We are profoundly drawn into the fabric of the vocal line and accompaniment. As soon as the first song of the tanda (grouping) ends we look at each other with wonderment, surprise and deep emotion.
When two people connect so deeply, chest to chest, and breathe in unison with each other and the music, our bodies fuse together to become a kind of musical instrument and float away into another realm.
Only to come back to earth at the end of the tanda.
step~swish~swirl…
As the music introduction unfolds, within the dreamy embrace of my partner, my eyes close and mind travels to a place where music and movement reigns.
I step, swirl, pivot, turn and glide in a trance like state.
We breathe together and allow our bodies to melt into the music and absorb the vocal and instrumental lines.
Together we unite as collaborative partners in this realm and dance our beloved tango.
WE Tango
Dear friends,
Pam and John … founders of We Tango … are taking some time off and luckily a few friends of mine gently suggested that I should offer to help them out. To my surprise the ever gracious couple have taken me up on my offer and here I go again … back at Swansea Town Hall.
Please join me on Wednesday nights, from 8p.m. to 10:45p.m. to share some beautiful music, friends and “charla”.
See you there!
Tango in tiny spaces…
Wood floor, lovely music, nice partner….but oops!
How do I adjust my dance to this tiny little floor space?
Well, nothing beats an embrace that gets a little closer, steps a little smaller and of course more contra-body movement. Connect in a way that is even more intimate.
Breathe and flow with the music and dance creating small spirals as a group.
The milongas in Buenos Aires have this down to a science practically. Everyone dances in a counter-clockwise motion and ‘lanes’ are formed. The group breathes and moves together and an honour of a milonguero is to make sure his partner “never” touches anyone. Passing happens rarely and if it ever does it is from the left.
To see this mass moving together really is something beautiful and special.
Please join us Sunday June 2 at El Almacen and enjoy the beautiful tango music and embrace your own ‘small space dancing’ skills!
Practica El Beso 