Practica el Beso
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Coqueta tango
In Coqueta, by Orquesta Tipica Victor, 1929, the very first notes viscerally punch me in the stomach and make me feel melancholy and sad. My whole body wants to move in slow motion recalling all old losses in this mood of death and disaster. During this social tango we walk together, play with the rhythm and pause.
From my side step at 1:01, I try and create a little adornment that is languid and full of beauty. My partner pauses for me and pulls me in a little closer to begin the next part of his lovely intimate walk. The tango is a soft, loving game or dialogue. We internalize the music and freely interpret the movement based on the social tango dancing style of Buenos Aires. Each of us moves from a loving, longing, respectful centre that knows this is an ephemeral moment in time, only making our tango, Coqueta, more remarkable.
Thank you to Paul Akmajian and the wonderful community in Tuscon and Green Valley, that completely encircled me from the first moment. A special thanks to Niki Glen and Cristian Sierra who invited us to dance a third tango, that he selected.
Alluring improvisations….
At times I have asked myself if other people that dance tango in the milongas truly adore the absolute thrill and visceral power of dancing totally “improvisationally” as much as I do.
When the opportunity arises to attend a milonga the anticipation beforehand is palpable.
What music will be played?
What should I wear?
How will my tandas be?
Will my favourite partners be there?
How will the floor/group feel?
Will I be able to open a little door and create some of the magic that will leave us both desiring more at the end of our beloved tanda?
Having the experience of dancing here,abroad and travelling to Buenos Aires many times and residing there for months on end my desire to improvise something beautiful/passionate and completely in the moment has never been diminished.
I would be thrilled to hear some of your stories about interesting spontaneous tandas and would love you to share some of them here if you like.
Here is one of my last demos this year in Buenos Aires at Cachirulo,the Saturday night milonga hosted by Norma and Hector in Villa Malcolm. This tango is pure spontaneous improvisation….and to me, completely thrilling.
Isabella Szymonowicz currently is one of the hosts of a Monday night practica.
For details/times please check Swansea Town Hall
This article has been translated in articulos en espagnol.
memorable moments…of music, dance & friends
This video was taken at Cachirulo (Saturday) now at Villa Malcolm (originally Maipu 444) in Buenos Aires August 2011.
The music is by Carlos di Sarli with Roberto Ruffino vocals. This milonga is from the Golden Age entitled “La mulateada “.
What an incredibly fun Saturday night that was. I had gone out for dinner with my friend Graciela to a parrilla in Palermo where we had dinner and enjoyed a few glasses of Malbec.
We were feeling pretty good when we walked into Cachirulo. Hector (the organizer) asked me if I was going to dance (demo) because it was my Birthday. I said sure.
So very quickly I had to find a partner to dance with. Luckily Jose Luis, a friend of mine, who is a great dancer and teacher, cabeceo’d me to dance a tanda and then I had the opportunity to ask him if he would like to do the demo with me. Happily he agreed. I think we had only danced one milonga together at El Beso on a Sunday.
Anyway, the place was packed, there was definately a party atmosphere going on and mainly all the best dancers in Buenos Aires were there. We had a lot of fun doing the demo but were equally happy to relax afterward and enjoy the rest of the night at the milonga.
Practica El Beso 