Inside the Embrace

Index of Archived Topics
 

TangoZapa
1 January 2010 — Stephen Brown

The new year brings the launch of TangoZapa magazine.  TangoZapa will be a digital publication with special print editions offered on a regular basis.  Published by Tammy Lee McClure and Jorge Torres, the goal of TangoZapa is to entice more people to discover tango — its its aesthetic beauty and its power to touch and heal the spirit.  The publishers also intend to develop an international online community space in conjunction with the magazine where dancers, photographers, hotels, tour companies, and other online tango stores, magazines or regional tango sites, can promote their services.  For more information, see TangoZapa.
 

Pursuing Happiness
28 December 2009 — Stephen Brown

In The How of Happiness, Sonja Lyubomirsky writes:
"If we observe genuinely happy people, we shall find that they do not just sit around being contented.  They make things happen.  They pursue new understandings, seek new achievements, and control their thoughts and feelings.  In sum, our intentional, effortful activities have a powerful effect on how happy we are, over and above the effects of our set points and the circumstances in which we find ourselves."
 

Improvising
28 December 2009 — Stephen Brown

"[Y]ou can't play outside the tune until you can play the tune!"  Lee Konitz
 

The Commonplace and the Remarkable
28 December 2009 — Stephen Brown

"Nothing is so commonplace as the wish to be remarkable."  Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr.
 

Keeping It in Neutral
30 April 2009 — Susan Brown

In The Personal Credibility Factor, Sandy Allgeier writes:
"Highly credible people make decisions to 'suspend judgement' when considering another person's perspective.  They do this because they are okay with being wrong—or, at a bare minimum, okay with having their opinions challenged.  This doesn't mean that they don't have passion and strong beliefs.  It simply means that their minds are open to other opinions, even if those are quite different from their own."
 

How We Are Together
7 November 2008 — Susan Brown

It is not about how we dance, but how we are together!
from Taboe Tango Camp
 

Egotism or Cluelessness?
26 October 2008 — Stephen Brown

A friend of mine who teaches in another city recently announced that admission to her intermediate/ advanced classes would be by invitation or audition only.  She had to take this step because she was having a problem with too many people showing up who weren't able to keep up with the class and were impeding the progress for those who were truly intermediate and advanced.  She said, "Other students in class should be your peers, not your teachers."

At Tangri-LA, Johanna Siegmann writes a similar story about another instructor who was offering an intermediate/advanced workshop:
"In the past, these workshops were attended mostly by students who had woefully over-valued their actual skills, being barely able to walk while in the Tango embrace, much less be intermediate or advanced at anything other than over-appraising their abilities. ... [A]fter being forced to devalue several intermediate/advanced workshops due to a preponderance of attendees who were neither—[the instructor] addressed the issue head-on" by reminding the students that they needed to approach learning with humility which included the instructor's appraisal of which level of classes were appropriate.

Like Johanna, my sympathies are with the instructors, who are likely risking losing many students—not only those directly excluded, but those who might stay away because of what they hear.

It's interesting to ponder why the practice of overrating oneself seems so common in tango—and elsewhere in life.  We all likely know self-anointed tango "instructors" who can barely dance themselves.

Johanna offers one explanation, "Unfortunately, there appears to be a deplorable lack of humility these days, everywhere you look.  And if you are looking at Tango, it is dismally present everywhere.  As if the learning process was demeaning and disrespectful.  As though room for improvement was a personal flaw.  Or admitting we need training wheels is somehow insulting and humiliating."  (aka egotism?)

Without disagreeing with Johanna, I would offer another explanation.  As is pointed out below, incompetent individuals fail to recognize their own inadequacy because they tend to overestimate their own level of skill and fail to recognize genuine skill in others.  (aka cluelessness?)

Either way, lack of self-awareness is the root of many evils.
 

Wanting What You Want
26 October 2008 — Susan Brown

"Remember no project is too ambitious if you crave the result enough."  Kay Gardiner and Ann Shayne
 

Unskilled and Unaware
4 October 2008 — Stephen Brown

In a 1999 article published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, Cornell psychologists Justin Kruger and David Dunning find that incompetent individuals fail to recognize their own inadequacy because they tend to overestimate their own level of skill and fail to recognize genuine skill in others.
 

Who Holds the Key?
7 September 2008 — Stephen Brown

"The ultimate key to my heart is held by myself."  Roxanne Swentzell
 

Remembering
2 September 2008 — Stephen Brown

"It's so important to remember where you come from, because if you don't remember where you come from, you don't know who you are or where you're going."  Roxanne Swentzell
 

Professionalism and Creativity
1 September 2008 — Stephen Brown

"The professional photographer takes assignments from 'without'...  [T]he creative photographer...takes assignments from 'within'...  The conflict from assignments from 'without' versus those from 'within' often perplexes the serious photographer."  Ansel Adams
 

Chasing the Steps
18 May 2008 — Stephen Brown

At Tangri-LA, Johanna Siegmann writes:
"'Chasing the steps' may be one of the most perfect phrases I've ever read regarding Tango.  For me it describes the type of dancer that doesn't get 'it' or has not yet gotten 'it'. ... [A] lot of us eventually stop chasing the step in order to chase the connection."
 

Everyday Goals
8 May 2008 — Susan Brown

According to Warren Buffett, Benjamin Graham once expressed to a friend the thought that he hoped every day to do "something foolish, something creative, and something generous."
 

Orquesta Color Tango in Dallas (2)
2 October 2007 — Stephen Brown

In Dallas for its fourth time, Orquesta Color Tango played a great concert on Friday, September 28 and an unbelievably wonderful milonga on Saturday, September 29.  Most who attended the milonga thought it was the best they had ever been to.  The Dallas Arts Center was a great venue with a spacious dance floor filled with hundreds of people, a high ceiling, crystal chandeliers, fabulous decorations, and windows that looked out at the City of Dallas and the lights of the State Fair of Texas.  The orchestra played wonderfully, and the sound system was first rate.  It was  fantastic to see everyone—old friends, new friends and strangers—dressed for the occasion and dancing to Orquesta Color Tango's music.

For a reminder of Color Tango performing, see these YouTube videos (filmed last year in Buenos Aires):
Nonino, Emancipación, Malena.

Also see Creative Tango's Color Tango webpage.
 

Where to Buy Shoes in Buenos Aires
12 February 2007 — Stephen Brown

For those visiting Buenos Aires, buying new tango shoes is often a must.  On Tango Noticias' Forums, Janis Kenyon—a tango dancer and long-time resident of Buenos Aires—offers a very comprehensive list of places to buy tango shoes (organized by neighborhood).

Abasto:
Susana Artesanal — Anchorena 537 (phone 4865-3713)
Mala Yunta — Anchorena 563 (phone 4867-2457)
Lolo Gerard — Anchorena 607 (phone 4962-3860)
Madreselva — Corrientes 3190 (phone 6311-4466)
Tango 8 — Anchorena 602 (phone 4864-0471)

Almagro:
Greta Flora — Gascon 896 10-C (phone 4861-0539/cell 15-4991-8428 or 15-4399-3385)

Balvanera:
Susana Artesanal — Riobamba 448  (phone 4953-6874)
Neo Tango —  Sarmiento 1938 (phone 4951-8694)
Tango Leike — Sarmiento 1947

Caballito:
Candela — Bravard 1194 by appt. only (phone 4854-0990)

Colegiales:
Delia Gardel — Virrey Loreto 3124 (phone 4552-9661)

Flores (far from downtown):
Le Tango - Pergamino 1423 (phone 4612-1850/cell 15-5153-7580)

Palermo Viejo:
Fattomano — Guateamala 4464 (phone 4832-3156)

Retiro:
Comme il Faut — Arenales 1239 #3M (phone 4815-5690)

San Nicolas (downtown):
Centro Artesanal del Tango — Suipacha 256 (phone 4326-5377)
Darcos — Suipacha 259 (phone 4326-0232)
Flabella — Suipacha 263 (phone 4322-6036)
Scarpe Mahara — Suipacha 332 (phone 4328-3528)
Bailarin Porteño — Suipacha 251 (phone 4390-4067)
Tango Brujo — Esmeralda 754 (phone 4325-8264)
Mirtha Paulo — Esmeralda 461 (phone 4328-5970)
Victorio — Montevideo 224 (phone 4375-0237)
Alanis — Av.  R. Saenz Pena 936 (Diagonal Norte)

San Telmo:
Delie Shoes — Piedras 843 (phone 4300-8521)
Aurora Lubiz —  Carlos Calvo 960  P.B. 3 (cell 15-5699-3537)
Artesanos para el Tango — Av. San Juan 410 (phone 4300-9845)
Artesanias Ar-Sil — Avenida Juan Garay 908 (phone 4362-3936)

Villa Urquiza (far from downtown):
Linda's - Lugones 4110 (phone 4542-4750/4546-2642)
 

Hit and Run Milonga Through Christo's Gates
28 February 2005 — Stephen Brown

The last day that Christo's Gates were to stand in Central Park (Sunday, February 27), New York City tango dancers met at Bethesda Fountain at 1 p.m. to hold a hit and run milonga through the Gates.  Festooned in shiny blue scarves, the dancers performed to recorded tango music played on a boom box and speakers pulled through the Gates on a small luggage cart.

One of the organizers, Lucille Krasne, offered the following guidelines for successful hit and run milongas: "free or cheap space, open to public, little or no red tape, interesting environment.  And run or tango away quickly when chased by cops."  Busted by a park ranger for playing amplified music sans permit, the milonga came to an end after about two hours of dancing, but not before everyone involved had a wonderful time.

On Tango-L, Jennifer Bratt wrote, "[The Gates] made the bleak winter landscape of Central Park come alive, not just with vibrant color, but with crowds and crowds of people from NYC and from all over the world.  The pathways were crowded with all sorts of characters (the least strange of which were the tango dancers with blue scarves); and everywhere total strangers were talking to each other about the Gates, the sunny day, whatever."  To more see pictures of the hit and run milonga, see Jennifer Bratt's webpage Tango through Christo's GATES in Central Park, NYC.
 

2010 Archive
    TangoZapa, 1 January 2010

2009 Archive
    Pursuing Happiness, 28 December 2009
    Improvising, 28 December 2009
    The Commonplace and the Remarkable, 28 December 2009
    Keeping It in Neutral, 20 April 2009

2008 Archive
    How We Are Together, 7 November 2008
    Egotism or Cluelessness?, 26 October 2008
    Wanting What You Want, 26 October 2008
    Unskilled and Unaware, 4 October 2008
    Who Holds the Key?, 7 September 2008
    Remembering, 2 September 2008
    Professionalism and Creativity, 1 September 2008
    Chasing the Steps, 18 May 2008
    Everyday Goals, 8 May 2008
    So Much More, 6 May 2008
    Taking Control of One's Own Development, 2 May 2008
    Some Thoughts about Leading, 30 April 2008
    Gender Imbalance in Tango, 24 April 2008
    It Takes Two Minds to Tango, 23 April 2008
    Being Original, 22 April 2008
    Exploring Movement, 22 April 2008
    Kinesthetic Sense, 21 April 2008
    Troileana, 14 April 2008
    Close-Embrace-Style Tango at a Crossroads?, 12 April 2008
    On Style and Nuevo Tango, 4 April 2008
    Seduced by Tango, 25 March 2008
    Argentine Nights, 18 March 2008
    Improvising, 7 March 2008
    To Dance Tango, 21 February 2008
    Why He Did It, 06 February 2008

2007 Archive
    Blogging: Truth or Truthiness?, 26 November 2007
    What Is a Master?, 17 November 2007
    Orquesta Color Tango in Dallas (2), 2 October 2007
    Orquesta Color Tango in Dallas, 20 September 2007
    All Things, 24 August 2007
    Staying Alive, 23 August 2007
    Education, 22 August 2007
    Finding Our Own Tango, 6 August 2007
    Tango Is Simple, 1 August 2007
    Who We Were Meant To Be, 1 August 2007
    The Woman's Role in Tango (2), 1 August 2007
    On Perfection and Heaven, 31 July 2007
    Practicing for Effective Dancing, 31 July 2007
    The Woman's Role in Tango, 26 July 2007
    The Embrace and Tango, 24 July 2007
    Open or Close Embrace?, 24 July 2007
    Tango Festivals and Approaches to Learning, 23 July 2007
    Learning the Structure of Tango, 23 July 2007
    The Structure of Tango, 20 July 2007
    Approaches to Learning and Authenticity, 19 July 2007
    Authenticity, 19 July 2007
    StepMeisters Abound, 16 July 2007
    Invierno Porteño, 5 June 2007
    Tamango on YouTube, 26 February 2007
    Otoño Porteño, 12 February 2007
    Where to Buy Shoes in Buenos Aires, 12, February 2007
    Illegal File Sharing Doesn't Affect CD Sales, 12, February 2007
    The Greatest Ideas, 25 January 2007
    Headlines and the Human Body, 24 January 2007

2006 Archive
    On Differing Styles and Overtraining, 17 November 2006
    Changes in the Tango Scene, 9 November 2006
    Bridge to the Tango Videos To Be Discontinued, 6 November 2006
    What the Bleep is Tango?, 9 October 2006
    An Interview with Roberto Alvarez of Color Tango, 8 September 2006
    Dancing, 31 August 2006
    Argentine Tango: The Way You Dance It, 16 June 2006
    Finding Self-Expression and Freedom in Argentine Tango, 16 June 2006
    North American Tango Festival Update, 14 June 2006
    Evolution, 8 June 2006
    Becoming an Expert, 6 March 2006
    Destiny, 14 February, 2006
    Knowledge and Wisdom, 1 February 2006
    Tango Workers or Dancers?, 10 January 2006
    North American Tango Festival Update, 1 January 2006

2005 Archive
    Are Disagreeable People Entertaining?, 30 December 2005
    Will Your Dreams Come True in Buenos Aires?, 21 December 2005
    North American Tango Festival Update, 1 December 2005
    Dancing Tango Boosts Brain Function, 21 November 2005
    Familiarity Breeds Comfort, 21 November 2005
    The Music Is Essential 21 November 2005
    Dancing to the Classics, 21 November 2005
    Is Argentine Tango Changing?, 21 November 2005
    The Joys of Simple Tango, 9 November 2005
    Finding the Best Style of Tango, 2 November 2005
    North American Tango Festival Update, 1 September 2005
    Developing Skills for Social Dancing, 12 August 2005
    On Style and Styles (4), 12 August 2005
    The Dance, 10 August 2005
    On Style and Styles (3), 10 August 2005
    On Style and Styles (2), 9 August 2005
    On Style and Styles, 8 August 2005
    Seduction or Imposition? (3), 27 July 2005
    Seduction or Imposition? (2), 27 July 2005
    Seduction or Imposition?, 26 July 2005
    Hidden Tango Conversations, 25 July 2005
    Finding Connection (4), 25 July 2005
    Finding Connection (3), 22 July 2005
    Finding Connection (2), 22 July 2005
    Finding Connection, 21 July 2005
    Incomplete Education, 19 June 2005
    The Invitation to Dance in Buenos Aires, 11 May 2005
    Resolving Problems, 11 May 2005
    Tango to Evora (Alternative Tango), 19 April 2005
    Why We Dance Tango, 16 March 2005
    Hit and Run Milonga Through Christo's Gates, 28 February 2005
    Tango: The Spirit of Argentina, 25 February 2005
    Cultural Values and Styles of Argentine Tango, 20 February 2005
    Tango Is (Fill in the Blank), 10 February 2005
    Asfalto, 4 February 2005
    Roles and Relationships in Argentine Tango, 1 February 2005
    North American Tango Festival Season Underway, 31 January 2005
    Milongas in Buenos Aires Reopening, 28 January 2005
    Being A Follower on Axis in All Styles, 18 January 2005
    Dancing to the Music (4), 1 January 2005

2004 Archive
    Dancing to the Music (3), 30 December 2004
    Dancing to the Music (2), 20 December 2004
    Dancing to the Music, 17 November 2004
    El Arranque on Tango Fusion and Other Approaches, 10 November 2004
    A Tango Festival during Thanksgiving in Austin, TX, 27 October 2004
    Robert Duvall in Dallas, 27 October 2004
    How Am I Not Myself?, 26 October 2004
    Some Tango-Fusion Music to Consider, 12 October 2004
    Bravery, 17 September 2004
    Becoming a Good Tango Dancer (4), 9 September 2004
    Becoming a Good Tango Dancer (3), 8 September 2004
    Beginners Taught by Masters, 7 September 2004
    Some CDs for Learning About Tango Music, 23 August 2004
    La Yumba, 20 August 2004
    Argentine Tango Survey, 17 August 2004
    The Road Not Taken, 12 August 2004
    Becoming a Good Tango Dancer (2), 9 August 2004
    Becoming a Good Tango Dancer, 6 August 2004
    Excellent Teachers, 16 July 2004
    Art as an Expression of Oneself, 16 July 2004
    Tango Terminology, 15 July 2004
    What's New?, 22 June 2004
    To Embrace, 13 June 2004
    Shall We Dance?, 10 June 2004
    Denver TangoFest Recap, 9 June 2004
    Techno Tango, 3 June 2004
    Denver TangoFest Photos, 3 June 2004
    No Right or Wrong in Tango, 3 June 2004
    Stretching Exercises for Tango Dancers (2), 2 June 2004
    Intelligent Dancing, 2 June 2004
    Stretching Exercises for Tango Dancers, 1 June 2004
    Tango Takes to the Air in Colorado, 1 June 2004
    Leading and Following, 28 May 2004
    More on Dancing at Tango Festivals (3), 28 May 2004
    Tango Animation Online, 26 May 2004
    More on Dancing at Tango Festivals (2), 25 May 2004
    More on Dancing at Tango Festivals, 25 May 2004
    Inside the Dream: Celebrating Women Who Dance Tango, 24 May 2004
    Inside the Dream, 24 May 2004
    Dancing at Tango Festivals, 23 May 2004
    The Summer Tango Festival Season Is Upon Us, 23 May 2004
    The Best Teachers, 23 May 2004
    Cliquishness at Milongas, 19 May 2004
    Lao-Tzu on Leadership, 19 May 2004
    Teaching the Inner Essences of Tango, 18 May 2004
    What About Leading?, 18 May 2004
    The Gift of Tango, 17 May 2004
    Following Doesn't Describe the Role, 17 May 2004
    Why Biased Views Are Self Perpetuating, 15 May 2004
    Ultimate Partnering, 14 May 2004
    On Seeking Heaven Rather than Perfection, 14 May 2004
    American, Argentine and International Tango, 14 May 2004
    What Appeals to Today's Tango Dancer, 13 May 2004
    Dancing with Grace, 13 May 2004
    Yin and Yang of Tango, 13 May 2004
    Developing Ease, 13 May 2004
    Dancing in the Music, 13 May 2004
    Dancing on the Beat, 13 May 2004
    Open Architecture and Tango, 13 May 2004
    On Language and Tango, 13 May 2004
    Developing Mastery, 13 May 2004
    Developing Their Own Style, 13 May 2004
    A Tender Embrace, 13 May 2004
    Open Embrace, Soft Embrace, 12 May 2004
    Intensifying the Experience of Tango, 11 May 2004
    Why Goldern Age Music Still Dominates Milongas, 5 May 2004
    The Meeting of Two Personalities, 3 May 2004
    Approaches to Teaching and Learning Tango, 30 April 2004
    Taking Tango Styles to Extremes, 24 April 2004
    Rhuummmp and Ric Tic, 23 April 2004
    Dancing Tango in Tight Spaces, 13 April 2004
    Partitioning the Dance Floor to Accomodate Different Styles, 12 April 2004
    The Sweet Zone of Tango Rhapsody, 11 April 2004
    Nostalgia for the Bohemian Ideal, 6 April 2004
    Tango Chooses You, 5 April 2004