Mike finds tango in unimaginable places:
Masterpiece Theatre: The Best of Friends(1991) NR
Irish playwright George Bernard Shaw possessed strong friendships with Benedictine nun Laurentia McLachlan and museum curator Sydney Cockerell. This live stage show reveals the interesting debates and conversations they shared through the years. With letters and intimate discussions, this amazing group of friends talked about everything from the existence of God and the publishing of books to the intricacies of tango dancing.
Genre:
British TV, Dramas Based on Real Life
Thursday, January 13, 2011
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
Watching the 1958 movie"St Louis Blues"
Tango stikes again.
We watched this last night on the big screen and when Nat King Cole sang the theme song I said, Mike, we could tango to this. It sounds so like a tango.
Mike did a little internet search after dinner and found this. We laughed.
"Writing about the first time St Louis Blues was played (1914), Handy notes that "The one-step and other dances had been done to the tempo of Memphis Blues...When St Louis Blues was written the tango was in vogue. I tricked the dancers by arranging a tango introduction, breaking abruptly into a low-down blues. My eyes swept the floor anxiously, then suddenly I saw lightning strike. The dancers seemed electrified. Something within them came suddenly to life. An instinct that wanted so much to live, to fling its arms to spread joy, took them by the heels."
We watched this last night on the big screen and when Nat King Cole sang the theme song I said, Mike, we could tango to this. It sounds so like a tango.
Mike did a little internet search after dinner and found this. We laughed.
"Writing about the first time St Louis Blues was played (1914), Handy notes that "The one-step and other dances had been done to the tempo of Memphis Blues...When St Louis Blues was written the tango was in vogue. I tricked the dancers by arranging a tango introduction, breaking abruptly into a low-down blues. My eyes swept the floor anxiously, then suddenly I saw lightning strike. The dancers seemed electrified. Something within them came suddenly to life. An instinct that wanted so much to live, to fling its arms to spread joy, took them by the heels."
Saturday, January 8, 2011
A Gem from the TANGO and CHAOS website found by Mike
For me, there are only three things in tango that are worth putting under a microscope: Cadence, Posture, and Step. You can’t examine them too closely, and you can’t practice them too much.
I’ve watched this clip a lot of times, so I’d like to make a couple of comments. You may notice that Ismael is dancing simply—at least on the surface. Like most milongueros, he knows dozens of steps and figures, but he doesn’t use them. In fact, I don’t even see a real giro or a corrida. If I had to give names to anything the dancers do in this film, all I could say is that I see one pause, and I think Ismael's partner does half an ocho. That’s about it. But that doesn't mean there isn't a lot here. Notice how Ismael waits for the music, and builds his energy for the first step. And about 20 seconds into the video, when Laurenz puts in a short riff with the piano, Ismael takes his partner around, right with the pianist's fingers as they run up the five keys. As you watch it, think about all of the technical aspects of tango we’ve discussed—things like posture, step, balance, connection, and compás.
Here are a couple of things I use to decide how well someone is dancing. Generally speaking, good tango dancers will express the compás from the waist down (with the feet), and the melody and sentiment of the music from the waist up. One way to watch this video is to hold up your hand and block your view of either the upper or lower half of the couple. Isolating the lower half (although in this clip the feet are hard to see) will give you a good idea of how Ismael uses the compás. The upper half is very interesting here, and it should give you an insight into how he expresses the sentiment of the music. You should notice how the bodies flow together around the floor. This is especially important for a woman, because by isolating the part of the video that shows how Ismael’s upper body connects to his partner, a woman can get a good idea of what it feels like to dance with him just by watching this video.
I’ve watched this clip a lot of times, so I’d like to make a couple of comments. You may notice that Ismael is dancing simply—at least on the surface. Like most milongueros, he knows dozens of steps and figures, but he doesn’t use them. In fact, I don’t even see a real giro or a corrida. If I had to give names to anything the dancers do in this film, all I could say is that I see one pause, and I think Ismael's partner does half an ocho. That’s about it. But that doesn't mean there isn't a lot here. Notice how Ismael waits for the music, and builds his energy for the first step. And about 20 seconds into the video, when Laurenz puts in a short riff with the piano, Ismael takes his partner around, right with the pianist's fingers as they run up the five keys. As you watch it, think about all of the technical aspects of tango we’ve discussed—things like posture, step, balance, connection, and compás.
Here are a couple of things I use to decide how well someone is dancing. Generally speaking, good tango dancers will express the compás from the waist down (with the feet), and the melody and sentiment of the music from the waist up. One way to watch this video is to hold up your hand and block your view of either the upper or lower half of the couple. Isolating the lower half (although in this clip the feet are hard to see) will give you a good idea of how Ismael uses the compás. The upper half is very interesting here, and it should give you an insight into how he expresses the sentiment of the music. You should notice how the bodies flow together around the floor. This is especially important for a woman, because by isolating the part of the video that shows how Ismael’s upper body connects to his partner, a woman can get a good idea of what it feels like to dance with him just by watching this video.
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