The Smallest Milonga in Stockholm

I have not been in a smaller milonga in Stockholm. Yes the private ones, but this is open for everyone. The owner of the coffee shop, is a true collector of things she now shares with all of us. To find new details is such a pleasure, that I occasionally forget to dance!

Every other Thursday she opens for tango but other weekdays have other pleasures and there is allways place for a plain coffee or beer!

parallel vs. connected dance

Within tango you often hear the word connected. I think one of the important aspects explaining the difference is the source of the movement, where the movement starts.

Parallel
Both partners are initiating their own movements when they understand that the other person is reacting on music. You can start a serie of steps when you see/understand that the other person is going to start on a certain beat in music.

Connected
In connected dance you take a step when you in your body feel what kind of step the other person is doing. The information goes both ways and often simultaneously.

I think in most of the couple dances the dancers are growing towards the connected dance, but for the Argentine tango it is the starting point.

What women are looking at on the dance floor

It seems that there is some favorite patterns female followers do appreciate when they watch male dancers.
I wonder in what extent this can be applyed to Argentine tango?

In this Washingtonpost article they think anyhow that some eye catchers can be nailed!

Check here!  

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2014/03/24/what-women-want-on-the-dance-floor-according-to-science/

Tips from a follower

Every now and then I get a suggestion from a follower about a follower I should dance with. When that suggestion is based on follower's  opinion of a dancers good skill I have most often had a different opinion. I feel that something important is missing for me during the dance! 

I think there is a problem if followers idea of a good follower is not about the same as the leaders have. Both leaders and followers need to develope skill sets which include the most vital skills for the other group in order to create a good dance.

............ but how to find those skill sets?

Keep on telling me could be one method!

Diagnose your balance

When I was doing the exercises on this video to train my balance, I noticed how different the responses were from various joints in my body. I actually could understand where the balance management was weakest!  Where I have my problems!

The first part revealed to me how weak my akles are, especially the left. I managed only a few repetitions without a break. The picture is clear, isn't it?
The second part trains your torso and after all my pilates training, that was actually ok.

So the diagnosis for my body is that ankles need special training and if you follow the link right up, you will find out how my training is going!

But how about a test here - how is your balance? Strong all the way? 

Take some minutes to test!       

Absorbed

The picture from my home pista in the last posting kept me thinking. I was searching the word, which could describe the feeling I got when looking at the dancers and now I have found it!

The word is absorbed. That is the word I feel matches the expressions of these couples!

Your are enjoying, you are dancing, you are learning and fully absorbed in your activity.

To see the image again - see the posting below or click here!

Stockholm & Paris

I have started to take photos and videos at our weekly practica to find a way to visualize the dance there. When I looked this picture so full of life, dance and movement I immediately was moved to another capital and century. What do you think?

Stockholm 2014

Paris 188x

Oxytocin a Promising New Treatment for Anorexia

During a tanda some / a lot of oxytocin is released and I hope that they will include this kind of information to build a treatment for anorexia.

You find the whole article here!
http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/822146?src=rss
[It seems medscape is blocking  the view possibility. I found the article by making a search on the subject of this article. 2014.03.21]

It would be really pity if they will just create a pill!

OR

Social tango - A tango for Joe

I think this is considered to be one of the most common stories. You find a place in a tango community and get connected, appreciated again.

When you want to meet Joe, click here!

http://vimeo.com/38262282

Social Tango - SANTA FE Junio 2013

In this video they dance and behind the tables starts the palyground for the kids. Isn't this the ultimate form of social tango? Social tango where your whole life is present!

3Esquinas My home for Sunday afternoons

This Sunday was a busy night but still there was dancers who were sitting. The organizer noticed that and made an announcement about cutting the tandas in order to create more available dances to us. From that moment on we had two tango valses, three tangos, three tangos, two milongas and then the schedule from the beginning again!

He observes what is happening, he uses his options to make it better and that's the reason we go back there in large numbers!

https://www.facebook.com/groups/3esquinas/

The not so social family tango!

The Tango, Addams Family Values

Una familia milongueando

The whole family is dancing!

Astor Piazzolla weekend - Libertango

When I was working on this portal for Libertango I was struck by the fact that there is hardly any ordinary dances or tango performances. On the contrary this song seems to inspire a totally amazing number of artists at different fields.

I have played with different themes to give your a different angle of viewpoint.
CLICK the small video to activate one of the playlists!

Moves us - dance, theater, sports
Outdoors - conserts at extraordinary spaces, dance aso

Chicas - what do the ladies want to do to this music?
Classics & Co - the old ones, children, visually beautiful films

En masse - a lot of instruments at same time
Odd instruments - there is instruments I could not imagine!

..... sing along!  - You may test to be part of a chorus.
..... play along! - Piazzola has specialized to a rhythmical pattern you can test by following the drummer who guides the the orchestra of beginners! or check the orchestra members movements!

(you find a portal guide below)
)


The smal icons on the blue canvas are actually links to corresponding playlist and you can open it by clicking the icon, the little video picture.

Your click will open this kind of playlist and you can actively browse among the options on the right side. Your click opens the ones you want to watch or you can use the arrows above the list to move to next video or the one before.

( Isn't this instrument beautifull? I have never before seen anything like it!)

Astor Piazzolla In Portrait - Tango Maestro [2005]

Here you have nearly two hours about Astor Piazzolla! We will meet his family and get the picture how he was at home. He started his career early at the lime light and some of it was fresh information to me!

Take a slow coffee and enjoy! . . . or maybe a bigger cup of tea is more appropriate!


                

Astor Piazzolla weekend - a teaser

Libertango is one of the most popular of Astor Piazzolla's tangos. This one is combined with information about his life and doings. If you are satisfied with this info but want more about Libertango you can just jump over the BBC documentary on Saturday to the Sunday posting - it will be released according to the Asian timetable!  :)

Back to practica!

If you need to look down when processing a figure it is not mature for a milonga night.
When you test the maturity of a figure your should be able to do it with different partners, to different music, in different sizes and without thoughts about how you should place your feet or torso.

Otherwise work on it at the practica!

Witnessing the steps in Berlin

In February we visited the tango community in Paris and today it is time for Berlin!

This is a vimeo film and it is not possibly to link it directly. Click somewhere on this line and hang on!

There is more than 40 dancers involved in this film - you may know some of them if you travel a lot! If you continue to read the text  b e l o w  the film in the vimeo screen you find more information.

Free apps for your Spanish studies!

To dance Argentine tango is also to get accustomed to the spanish terminology and for some of us it tickles alive a wish to learn some spanish. If you plan to visit Buenos Aires your wish will rapidly grow to a plan to enroll on a course! It can happend that the only local course is run on the very same evening as your favorite milonga so it is not an option!

But there is some other possibilities available for those of us, who only have a few minutes here and there.

Duolingo - Free app
I am using this one because it has a nice layout,  a good study plan and it is free. There is some more courses if you appreciate the method.
https://www.duolingo.com

Memrise - Free app
Yesterday I came across this tool combining the good quality of Duolingo layout quite well and giving you a possibility to create your own learning materials as well. There is a lot of courses your Memrise pals have done for themselves and generously sharing for us others too. I will definetly go with this app for Asian studies and my own material!
http://www.memrise.com

Anki - Free app
This is quite like the Memrise app giving you the option to create your own material. I have used it for my Asian language studies and to get fluent on the functions of my camera.
http://ankisrs.net/

All three have an app for ANDROID and APPLE as well as for the large screen on your computer at home.

Åke y Gertrud a beautiful, calm dance

When I was working on the New Year video this dance took a hold on my eyes! I appreciated the advancing and returning side steps in giro, fitting the way I also hear the music. There were some occasions when they go down together to express the music, performed in concert with all parties! A beautiful, calm dance among other dancers.

Can you se what they are listening to? What they choose to dance to?




This is one of my attempts to give space for those dancing next to me on the pista!

How do you get your balance?

Of those three systems, which are mainly creating the balance I actually believed only on one of them before I read this article: The Vestibular system. It is the labyrinth system in your inner ear giving feedback about your postion in the 3-dimensional space.

I was not aware of the importance of the vision in creating balance. Yes, It was so untill I had my experiences in the totally white photostudio. But I thought it was just a funny detail!

The Proprioceptive system I should have known but did not: There is specialized cells in the muscles, joints and tendons monitoring the body position. They have also an ability to recognize the amount of stress and pressure the body is experiencing.

You find a short article via this link 

http://physicaltherapy.about.com/od/Physical-Therapy-For-Seniors/a/Where-Does-Balance-Come-From.htm

There you find also information about what can set these systems out of order and make you faaaall. . 

The dream of tango in Hanoi

A beautiful film to celebrate the 5th aniversary of Tango Hanoi 2011. I got a strong feeling of Paris while watching it through!

I enjoy the diversity of expressions when the local atmosphere is giving it's flavour to the Argentine tango we all know!




This is a dream of tango in Hanoi but isn't it quite similar to your dreams even if you are living faraway!

a Celebration milonga in HCM city

The couple who speak from the beginning is Dung and Diu who are founder of Tango in Vietnam - known as Ta Tango.

This clip from 2011 is sharing the moment they celebrate the New Year and new venue for milonga in Ho Chi Minh City, located at Press Cafe, 14 Alexandre de Rhodes, HCM, Vietnam. Currently the weekly milonga is located at Thoai Vien Cafe, in Wednesday and Sartuday night.




I want to learn more about the tango culture in various Asian countries;
feel invited to follow me on the trip!

Finding milongas on your ww trip

When I am planing my new trip I usually make a youtube search on that country or area to get an idea of the tango danced there. If I like a venue or festival I try to contact the account owner via youtube. Some times it don't work sometimes it works relly well and I have had a friend waiting for my visit!

This site has been a helpful start. It gives you the organizers email so I have been able to check if the event is still valid. You find the map and other information as well.
http://milongas-in.com/milongas-in.php

Other sites:

http://www.tangofestivals.net/

http://www.tangomarathons.com/

New York - http://www.newyorktango.com/

A practica at Alvik, Stockholm

Tango Norte organizes a practica every Wednesday night for about 80-120 people. The night starts with an introduction for beginners or newcomers 18.00 - 19.00 The longtime dancers come at 19.00 and we continue to dance to 21.45

Is tango Argentine in Asia too?

This is the videolist including the most of them we checked during the talk!

Seoul views (if you mouse click the small icons a new playlist opens for you)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AcJX_wqUepU

The slow dancing in Seoul
Slow dance Bong Bong y Nabi
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bZBYe1k2Cf4

El Tango 5th Anniversary Ziyea
http://vimeo.com/87386164

Listen to the audience
Virginia Christian Seoul 2012
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RyFuqYt40ww

Serious work, ideas and atmosphere
Gen and Lily the winners
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gJhVfWyNhNU

1st Singapore International tango festival
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xyv_NBzxWEA

A Chinese couple in BsAs
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=majF3GHlMhE

a tango song - 5th anniversary  Tango Hanoi
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uXxVdvlhnRA

Gender roles
Vladimir - Meng
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8nLrqfIGv-8

Peninsula & Jinsuk
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Di0lBhslFII

Acces to the Argentine scene; followers, clubs and championships
Facundo Posadas - Ching Ping
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G4-9gdfxZ-M

Andres Molina Y Rui Saito Milonga
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fA5jtxfas-g

Raymond and Lily SUnderland 2014
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vtZjDJk0eJk

Peninsula and Beau Chispita Kim
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I98nFTKmaJw

Hiroshi y Kyoko Yamao - Cordobesita  2009
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HVjKszqEagc

We have checked different aspects of tangon in Asian and on the sceen you find Hiroshi and Kyoko!

Diego Ortega and Chizuko Kuwamoto 2010 stages class
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VpWv7ISFQ9c


THE FOLLOWING WE DID NOT CHECK DURING THE SPEACH BUT BEFORE!  :)

Festival in Seoul  (Blogger)
http://leadingladyl.blogspot.se/2012/06/seoul-tango-festival-2012.html

Tango traveling in Thailand  (YouTube)
http://youtu.be/rWzKgUAJUiw

Una noche de verano/ Juhannus-tango

Tango in Buenos Aires

or

What happened in Finland 

on a Midsummer eve

Video is here! click here!

Posible explanations will follow or become more confusing!

:)