Some of us, I'm sorry to say, were absent that day in fourth grade when rhythm was handed out.
But all hope is not lost.
If there is one thing that Buenos Aires might have more of than steak and adverts for liaisons that end in "adult situations" it would have to be opportunities for dance. The town is lousy with tango practicas (chances to learn) and milongas (chances to learn, perform, or maybe just watch).
Last night we went to our first tango lesson at the very fine DNI dance school.
The lights went out inexplicably throughout half of the school and so we all shuffled down to a room in the basement. But our high-energy and good-natured instructors weren't fazed.
We spent a couple of hours listening to a rapid-fire mix of Spanish and English while learning to make circles with our upper bodies, relax our shoulders, keep our hips back, walk to music, turn one another, and sort out which are the right parts of our arms, hands, and "dorsals" to hold. And trying to dance while doing all of the above. And laughing. We swapped partners constantly, and even saw a friend from a Spanish class back in January.
It may have been awkward at times but we did all right. We stayed upright. We weren't asked to leave and our toes are intact. We think we'll go again soon.
The lights went out inexplicably throughout half of the school and so we all shuffled down to a room in the basement. But our high-energy and good-natured instructors weren't fazed.
We spent a couple of hours listening to a rapid-fire mix of Spanish and English while learning to make circles with our upper bodies, relax our shoulders, keep our hips back, walk to music, turn one another, and sort out which are the right parts of our arms, hands, and "dorsals" to hold. And trying to dance while doing all of the above. And laughing. We swapped partners constantly, and even saw a friend from a Spanish class back in January.
It may have been awkward at times but we did all right. We stayed upright. We weren't asked to leave and our toes are intact. We think we'll go again soon.
Search the interweb and you'll find some pretty good written guides to the dance and no shortage of videos of sultry tangos from the neighborhoods of Buenos Aires (San Telmo in particular.) This is one, though, that is charming in a whole other way.
That explains a lot: I moved from Oklahoma to Michigan mid-4th grade. It was prob'ly first semester in MI and second semester in OK and, therefore, I missed it completely...Although, there's the challenge I face in simply staying verticle while walking say, along a sidewalk in Scotland, or up a short driveway. No wonder I love water...no falling down.
ReplyDeleteWell, now Daylight Saving Time-induced insomnia has led to babbling. Let me conclude that I am completely overwhelmed by just the simple foot graphs/4-steps you show above. No need for other interwebbian wanderings. "Can you break a foot on those...?" wonders the girl who shouldn't even ask.