Is tango an essential activity?
As I read what dancers from around the world are saying in my survey about tango during coronavirus pandemic, this question “is tango an essential activity?” pops up in my mind. Is it essential for the society, and is it essential for your life? No. Tango is not considered an essential activity. According to authorities in different countries around the world, essential activities include things like healthcare, transportation, communication, food and water, defense, energy etc. Tango schools and venues are not considered critical infrastructure that can assure safe function of society in crisis. Maybe I’m biased, but there’s a big…
Milonga masters you should see
Dancing milonga is pure joy and happiness. Unfortunately there are many communities where the the milonga tandas empties up the dance floor. For one reason or another, the group of dancers who love and enjoy milonga is often minority. “I want to dance with you”, she said over the table during our dinner with a group of milongueros after the daily milonga. This goes against all invitation rules of traditional milongas, but who cares… I also wanted to dance with her and even without this I would have invited her. That evening I came late! I spot an empty chair…
Five articles every tango dancer must read
They say being out “in the nature” without understanding it is like being in a museum where all pictures are hanged faced towards the wall. I don’t remember who was the wise person who said that, but I get the point: without understanding we are destined to see just the surface of things. It’s like looking at their shapes and forms without truly having a grasp of their meaning and the content. Many people come to tango without being properly introduced in the meaning of what it’s all about and many feel need to find it (because we are meaning…
Dancing tango in December 2020
Our worldview is often limited by the status of our environment: if people don’t dance in our community, we assume that that is the norm everywhere… But this can’t be any further from the truth! This is why I decided to make a little survey about where people dance and what they do to protect themselves and others during these crazy times. I started in October and since I’ve got great feedback, I decided to repeat it every few months. My little survey have just four questions: I asked the participants about tango classes, practicas, milongas and international events in…
10 surprising lessons I learned in 2020
Everyone has unique experience, but I’m sure that we’ll all remember 2020 for one thing — the pandemic. Some of us lost their job, others lost their dream, and some unfortunately lost their close ones. I’m sure all of us experienced periods when we were trapped at home — with time to do nothing. When those moments come, we all instinctively look inward and reflect on the things of the past and the future, and our place in it… “You should find another hobby”, she said. “Why?” I asked surprised. “I didn’t like it even before, but now, I think…