A Dancer's Ear- GAVITO- Posted by Mike Lucey

Saber escuchar la musica... The legendary dancer Carlos Gavito, recognized milonguero and Zen philosopher of the tango dance said: The secret of tango is in this moment of improvisation that happens between step and step. It is to make the impossible thing possible: to dance silence.

Carlos Gavito: The important thing is to know why we want to dance. We dance a solitude that we have inside us and cannot occupy with anything. This gap, that emptiness to which we put movement is the TANGO.

Workshop Weekend in Ithaca

Oliver and Silvina both had birthdays on November 7th so the weekend was special for all of us. Dinner hosts at the farm made our stay even more special. Wolfgang and Susan concocted a carrot soup that was laced with ginger. The rest of the meal was equally delicious. Nice to visit with Joaquin, Vatan, Juan and other tango lovers.
Workshop 1 - rebounds with a slow, quick, slow beat. Most of the guys mastered the step but not the beat.
Workshop 2- interrupting the cross. This was gorgeous but hard to lead. I decided to do the cruzada every time unless the interruption was clear. Worked well for me. The first one we learned was an overturned cruzada. This is my favorite walking step this year or maybe ever. I have to remember to drill into the floor before the forward step.
Anyway I don't know how the Durkins drive the distance in 1 1/2 hours. 2 hours and we were just pulling in - the last 30 minutes seemed like forever in the dark.
The more we organize and get ready for our trip to BsAs the messier it gets.
Bonfire might be good right now. Too many clothes, too much clutter and not enough time to do something about it all.

SILVINA SAYS........

1. GO WITH YOUR BODY - last night at Cathie's excellent lesson at Jack's I moved so differently I didn't know it was me. This was tango. Even our milonga moved freely. My last milonga with Dan in close embrace surprised both of us. Better, much better. How nice to see 10 enthusiasts walking to the BEAT of tango.
2. GO WITH EASE- Silvina stood me up from the breakfast table and took me sideways, backwards, forward over and over in a relaxed embrace. If Silvina only knew how many times I've heard, relax, relax the free leg, breathe, just RELAX. It's #1 on my list of 17.
3.LOOK OUT AT EYE LEVEL AND IT WILL ORGANIZE YOUR SKELETON- picking things around the room at eye level was a distraction for many tandas. Now I understand the way it works. Makes me feel giddy, but my balance is a million times better.
4. DRILL INTO THE FLOOR BEFORE THE BACK OCHO- my axis was secure and I was able to "open my hips". Drilling is not bending the knees. The floor is my first romance.
5. WALK ON THE BEAT- Mike is slowly starting to grasp the beat and will allow me to softly count it out for a few measures. This is the biggest change in our dancing.
6. WATCH HOW YO PLACE YOUR FOOT- I am on my metatarsals with all toes flat. With all the ballet training I had years and years ago I am starting a love affair with the floor. CARESS the floor she tells me. Thank God ballroom has bypassed my limited dancing lessons.
Silvina is my hero and an extraordinary teacher and woman. I watch her over and over on YouTube and our videos to try to channel her energy and grace. She has changed my dance. Might I someday leave the beginner level ? This thought hadn't even crossed my mind. We'll see. MAYBE?

Tango Tent -OPENING

Jerry( deep blue suede) and Adele( green and gorgeous Comme Il Faut) made the long haul from Middletown NY for our first announced opening- a little tango has been going on here for a few Sundays to make sure this one would run smoothly and THAT it did. Everyone got a chance to work on balance and walking- thanks to these 2 kind instructors and the simple exercises we all practiced -though I hate the dreaded basic 8( step 1 and step 8???) A nice crowd graced the floor. They interspersed lessons with the dancing as the night went on. How do you thank people who give so much? Mike actually walked on the beat. Speaking of thanks, Frank said he'd have the bathroom finished today, but at about 4:00 I had my doubts. Frank plugged away and the first flush at 5:45 was music. Mike looks at me and I can tell he's thinking, "What next!" There is no answer to this.
Judy and Al are a surprise. Al looks like a milonguero. He gets it. I feel like a mother hen. Mike is happy that the "true believers" are here and his favorite music is filling the night air. Good food, a quiet group and the lighting makes the tango tent looks like a spaceship from the outside. What a way to start our third summer under the sky.

Getting Ready for Oliver and Silvina- One Day and Counting Down

A bit of a frenzy happened yesterday and my God, I can't thank enough all the people who have helped us pull off this coming tango weekend. Me, with my type A, everything-has-to-be-done right kicking in and Roscoe calling me the boss and saluting every time he sees me. Frank, the plumber and tango dancer, brings Frenchy to work on the outside commode. We feed them all lunch then Frank gets the itch to tango. Out of his car come his tango shoes. We are all dirty and tired, but gather in the tent.
Mike puts on the music and my lovely niece, Sue, shows up to watch and laugh at our craziness.
Off come my jeans and I wiggle into a skirt and 3" heels. Mike and I dance first. Not a good one, but I didn't expect much. Now Frank and I take the floor. Another one not so good. The milonga feels energetic and easy. Roscoe wants to give it a try so we do some walking. Roscoe is going to be a tango dancer, if he can settle down enough to learn. Sue, in a cast with a broken foot, declines a chance to walk around the floor, but I see the interest in her eyes. Frenchy steps on the floor last with his size 15 work boots.
Oh am I in trouble if he steps on my foot, but he catches on quickly to the tilt of his chest and his weight up and a bit forward. I tell him to walk as if he's on top of a pair of cross country skis and that he does- collecting the size 15's as he goes. This would have been a good one for YouTube. A sorrier looking group have never graced the tango floor, but what fun.... AND they'll all be back tomorrow.

Jerry Neri 1943 (CANCER SUCKS)- May 2009

Karen Lucey at 3:13pm May 24
Jerry changed our lives in the most interesting way. When we tango in our tent at our home in northeast PA we always think of Jerry and always will. How I teased him about the Sunday stop we made at his house in June 07, always saying "That was the most expensive stop I've ever made." And it was!!!!! Within weeks we'd ordered a concrete pad, Celina tent, clear sides, 20x 30 dance deck etc., etc. -ready to go by the end of September.
When Jerry made his lovely photoart of our tango, which was the last time we saw him in the fall of 08, we had it framed and now it hangs in our dining area where the sun hits it at the end of the summer. Last night at a small dinner party here, a new guest and his wife commented on the art. Mike and I got quiet and sad, but life goes on. The best part of the evening came next- their interest in tango started with questions about our trips to BsAs, we showed them videos of Oliver Kolker and Silvina Valz. They wanted to try some basic walking. The other friends already love the dance so we all headed to our tent for a little tango to tweak the music, check the soft lighting and start our summer season. Mike held me closer and closer. Just a little closer than usual. How I wish Jerry had come to BsAs with us! We have so much to thank him for and because we are HERE so much to be thankful for.
Tango.....y nada mas.

Vince and His Magic Eye

Vince misses nothing. Mike gets thrown off balance and Vince sees why as he carefully corrects my slight lean forward or my head sticking forward - that solves that problem. Vince never insults or hurts my feelings. Vince twinkles. Vince sees me studying my "Ways to Improve" list (now up to 17 items) from many talented instructors in Argentina and doesn't need to look at the list. I tell him what I'm working on and he tells me what I NEED to work on first. For me this usually comes back to posture and axis. All our efforts bounce back to Vince and his ability to analyze, correct and enjoy our enthusiasm as we all learn together- preparing us for our November trip back to the real world of tango.
Sometimes the dance is so comfortable and natural I can't do any better. What a joy to feel the music and get lost. All our Thursday night men are better- even the weak left arms that drive me crazy-feel more like the Zotto embrace. Matt moves like an Argentine. I like his pace. Mike A moves with a solid embrace. Tonight we announced the return of Oliver and Silvina in 2 weeks. This will become such a whirlwind weekend. Dance, food and and flying lessons somewhere in the mix. Their showcases left us breathless in October. Getting ready for the weekend has been moving forward thanks to Roscoe showing up here to work and to help us with the extras- the deck, the mulch on mulch, the garage and on and on. The weekend after the workshop on Sunday, June 7 our tango tent opens every Sunday for this summer. 5:30-8:30. We have more room this year and a few extra surprises for the season. Bring friends. Bring VINCE!

JOHANA=#1

15 days of lessons- then Johana
All the figures run together in a blur and the worst part of this is that I hate figures.
Johana was so kind to take Mike and me into a separate room at the Museum of Tango at the Academia and work with us on basic walking for an hour.The floor was slippery , newly waxed, and I kept sliding nervously off my axis.
Julio wet a towel and put it in the corner where we could plant our feet every few minutes. My dancing has NEVER been worse and Mike was no better. All the skating lessons we had before our pairs competition didn’t help -the slippery floor worked under us like a sheet of ice. The 2 ½ years of hard work since we started with Johana in November of 06 fell away into awkward nonfeeling tango- the tango I can't tolerate. The more I worried about what she was thinking the worse I danced. Side step, short step, l-o-o-o-ng step. The V. Reach back, push back. Finally the last tango and we were free to stare at beautiful Antonella. Mike held her for a picture then we went to the street and hopefully better days ahead. Giving up the skating was easy. After all, 1 broken arm and 1 dislocated shoulder somehow meant I'd had enough. After this lesson I think giving up the tango might be the best choice for my old bones and broken little toe. Ah! But what to do with the 3 new pairs of 3" heels and all the many little leather flower shoe adornments that I bought for myself and as gifts. David at Tango 8 in Abasto has them made locally. These little clip-on flowers make the old shoes look elegant and new. A steal for 25 pesos a pair. My entrepreneurial mind says why don’t we buy 500 pairs and sell them in the US at dance events. Mike says let's sell them as a non-profit organization and pour the money back into the tango community in some way to promote the dance. I like the non-profit idea, of course.

Reminders of FAR OFF PA

Reminders of Home- People I MISS
ANTHONY- The best steak I’ve EVER had – Friday at the fast food court at Galerias Pacifico. Posteveccia. At the end of the cafeteria like line sits a basket of hard rolls. A gentleman who spoke neither Castellano or English picked up his tray and handled most of the rolls one at a time to find the one of his choosing. I got there next. Anthony would have thrown his tray on the floor and bolted for home. My logic said to pick the 2 rolls at the bottom of the heap and not think about where those groping hands had been. God were they delicious. The beef? How do you describe that in words. Now I hope Anthony isn't too mad at me for not practicing the Hanon's on the glass table in our dining room.

Packing

First we had to go through a few things we didn't unpack from our three trips to BsAs in 2008.
Mike and I were determined to get it all in 2 suitcases and 2 carry-ons. About 1/2 way through the list my bag was already 42 pounds- only 8 to go to the 50 limit and my tango shoes were still in a pile. I scrambled to the attic to look for another smaller bag and threw in my tango shoes, plugs and a bunch of stuff on the bed totally disorganized. EVERY time we go away I say I won't do that, but at the last minute in it all goes in a jumble of junk.
The screeners at the airport will love this one. At least we decided to forgo the 5 jars of peanut butter that were lovingly packed in double zip-locks last November.
Mike comes along and says, "I need to charge my Kindle" I gave him a glassy stare and a glance at the jumble in the suitcase. He said he'd charge it in Buenos Aires. SMART MAN! The driver is coming around 3:30 and every time I glance at the clock my heart races a little too much. The 350 cholesterol lurks in the back of my mind when the ticker ticks harder. The driver today is Darryl. Darryl was supposed to drive us to Sloan Kettering for Mike's horrid Clinical Trial in February, but Gene came in as a last minute substitute. Darryl's 62 year old wife had died unexpectedly the week before. This also plays on my mind, as our ride to Kennedy is often filled with stories about Darryl, his wife and their interesting, never-again-to-be cruises. Being a Great Worrier instead of a Great Warrior, I worry that Darryl and "I Don't Even Know Her Name" never had or will have the immense joy from a 3 minute Argentine tango.

Joaquin Canay and Technique

4 hours of tango today in Pittston and still learning so much. Our private lesson was at 11:00. Mike worked on more pause and a lingering leg. The dance felt good. I worked on collecting my thighs- not so easy- making my leg an extension into my torso and my vexing problem of never completely relaxing. The dance consumed me. 1:00 we had the first group lesson- 7 couples back to basics. Joaquin and our dear friend, and instructor, Katerini showed the men easy ways to start and finish ochos. Ochos and walking. Ochos and walking some more. I never get tired of the security blanket of the beginning lesson. All the walking settles over me and I BECOME the dance. 2:30- 4:00 we worked on boleos. Boleos look like hell if the foot and leg are wrong. I am timid about boleos. Every woman should have a movie of her boleos. My God they are ugly if the foot turns in or the free leg is askew. Marissa Quiroga- no relation to Guillermina- spent hours with my leg and foot in the boleo and I still refuse to take it off the floor for a higher kick. One look in the mirror and the leg stays as low as it can go. Mike likes the lateral boleo we learned from Johana Copes and he surprised me with a few of those during our last tangos. So now we're ready for BsAs again and tomorrow the packing begins in earnest. "Foot on the floor" boleos are on my "to do" list for April. Nobody has to worry about a kick in the leg from this woman dancer.

Our Last Night in Clarks Summit

It doesn't get any better than this night. Tina, who is a natural, came first. This gave us about 30 minutes to walk, do torso and balance work. She just soaks it all up and transfers all the learning directly to movement. I tell her something simple- something like, "Watch that your foot doesn't turn in when you step and for the rest of the night she turns her feet out. This puzzles me. How does she do that? I can't wait until this summer when we open our tent and we can practice all we know. I love and respect her ability to learn. Matt came next. A total of 7 couples on the floor at one time. Right before Cathy left I made a video of her tango with Mike. This man is amazing.
He's right up there with the best. A little like Carlito Perez and Gustavo ZAid. My milonguero after only 3 years of hard and dedicated work.
At 8:30 we played "A Juan Carlos Copes", my favorite milonga because it's short and jaunty and Mike can make it through the entire 83 seconds. Matt, Matt, Suz and Tina helped us pack up the tables and chairs. With a little help coming our way we can dismantle the dance floor and put it away in the morning. One more private lesson with Vince on Thursday. One more tango workshop on Saturday with Joaquin Canay and we're ready for tango in the deep deep south. That 11 hour plane ride just doesn't see so long when the real dance awaits.

Hope we can manage all this!

Sunday will be the last chance to dance at our winter space in Clarks Summit. Monday the headaches begin. Because we moved in over a 3 week period, I didn't realize the accumulation of things that have to be hauled out. 13 tables, 30 chairs, tango pictures, the coat rack that Mike almost made level. Next there are the signs, the lights, the 8' ladder, vacuum, garbage can, storage containers and the still thriving poinsettia we feed every Sunday with 4 huge scoops of ice.
If all goes well, about 5 helpers and 2 trucks will drive in on Monday morning at 10:00- rain date Tuesday or Wednesday- and if anyone is reading this just stop by and help for an hour or two. The hard part is moving the 1000 pound dance deck and hardboard under it.
Today I called Celina Tent in Ohio and ordered a sister tent 15 X 15 for our "tango tent" at the airport. These things cost a fortune. Might as well do it now, I thought, as we may have to pack it up, head south and LIVE in it next year.

Making Videos

Since we'll be closing our space in Clarks Summit in 16 days- only 2 more Sunday milongas, Mike and I decided to set up our video camera and take a good look at what we've learned before our April trip to BA. My dancing looks stiff. The long leg that reaches back isn't so long after all. Why do I think I look like Silvina Valz?
Balance and footwork seem fair, but the dynamics aren't there. Cecilia Gonzalez and my other wonderful instructors gave me a list of 7 ways to improve my dance. If I'm in a practice mode and not lost in the dance ( which is rare)I pick just one to work on. Yesterday it was a deeper knee bend on my standing leg and a push with the toes to propel back. Certainly looks different on the video than it feels. My best guess is that I need to relax more and let the dance happen. HAH!
Mike had a wonderful hint from Vince- to stop thinking about walking and think about where he wants to go- where he wants to take me. This made a huge change in his lead. He feels like Chiche- just taking me along for the ride. Most of our dance is just walking and thinking about Miguel Zotto's emphasis on embrace. Figures we save for another day.

This one was a success!

Yesterday The Scranton Times had my favorite headline. "Best Bets for Sunday- Argentine Tango" Guess where? This one we made special. Andi had her going away cake. Vince had a photographer come at 5:00 and I think he took 1,000 pictures. In came one new couple from Sugarloaf who smiled and smiled. About 5:45 we had the lesson and Mike and I made movies of many of the dancers. 20 of us gathered around the floor watching and learning. Juan suggested the celebration waltz and the guys danced with Andi. Even Mr. Mazz did some walking and side stepping. This turned into a late night for us. A little more work than usual on the clean up end. After we watched the downloaded movies spent another 1/2 hour watching Oliver and Silvina in Moscow doing swing, tango and a milonga- a milonga that can't be described as dance. It is pure joy and energy like a cyclone moving along the floor. All of these are on YouTube from their recent trip to Russia. Anyway it was just the way a tango evening should be.

Wisdom? Maybe yes, maybe no

TANGO- a place of boundless generosity.
WISDOM- let the tango happen, don't make it happen.
BALANCE-as it is in tango, balance in life is a narrow place.
****May all beings be at ease************
Will someone tell me why I am so crazy about this dance?

Jerry Neri and our "Tango Tent" Part 1

This story can get so long and so involved, and so so boring if I include the details, and there are tons of details. I might compose in 2 or 3 parts. The bottom line is that it cost us a ton of money which turned into summers of great Sunday pleasure and our own tango tent under the stars.
Part I.
Trying to get to the beginning of our encounter with Jerry and Randi started with a trip to NYC to see Jersey Boys with the Durkins. After that, I kept my eye on Frankie Valli on the web to see if he'd be in our area. The closest one I found was at the Count Basie Theater in Red Bank, NJ. Bought the tickets, not looking forward to the 3 hour drive, and then the unexpected happened and Mike was sheduled for prostate surgery at Sloan Kettering. Frankie was put on hold.
Again I searched and found he'd be at the Mountain Laurel Center only 1 hour from our home in NE PA. Bought these tickets, but never saw FV this time either. Came really really close though.
This worked out perfectly as we were on our way that weekend (Sunday afternoon)to Russell Sage College in Troy, NY to here John Gatto speak about public- and all- education. As usual Mike checked the route on Mapquest or Google and plottted spots along the way where we just might tango if the timing was right. Packed up our small Rialta motorhome on Saturday afternoon and off we went. This was at the end of June in '07.

Snow and sleet for our 3rd milonga

Just after we left for Clarks Summit to set up the 5:30 dance- which means shopping for ice and snacks- the sleet started.
With the temperature at 19 I thought we were going to skid our way to Clarks Summit. 5:30 came, 5:45 came and it was Mike and I doing a quiet traspie to Poema. Me thinking it would be an evening of tango for 2. The more I think about tango, I think it's only and always tango for 2. Slowly the dancers and the curious walked in - the new couples and singles looked at the lovely space and the night turned out to be a wonderful evening of dance and laughter. How lucky we are to have found the tango. How lucky we were to stumble into the perfect tango space with Ed Mazeleski being so generous with his attitude. Whatever you do is fine with me!
Now I want to share my favorite Gardel of the week- "Cuesta Abajo" from a cd we bought at the Plaza Dorego in San Telmo on a Sunday. Marco Bellini pulls the orquesta tipica together with a perfect and haunting tenor. Name of the group is "Tango Al Palo".
One last item. The dance floor is now a real dance floor.

Solution to the Spongy Dance Deck Problema

Ripped it all up. Got 14 sheets of 1/8 " hardboard and put it down. Crawled around with a roll of duct tape to keep the hardboard from shifting.
Put it all back and, wow, it helped. Almost perfect- now we can dance. WE CAN DANCE.
Nothing like lifting 2000 pounds to keep us young?
True confessions. Had help from Dan Wilga who picked up the hardboard and helped us put it all back. Frank ran in to offer a little help, too. How I wish Cecilia and Gustavo were here to have the first dance. If I only could magically transport them out of the Carlos Copello school in BA.

Ah! Andi

How beautifully she dances and how smart she is to be packing off to Rosario for 8 months- just north of Buenos Aires- with a Fulbright and her love of tango. With a little planning we'll spend some time with her in the capitol- maybe April and definately in November. Last night at our"winter tango tent" she looked so graceful with Matt. I like her style.
Now what to do about the squishy dance deck. Donna C made such a face when she tried to pivot we all burst out laughing. Me, I can't even walk backwards without falling off my axis.
Mike and I thought of trying to lay some hardboard under it -Dick thinks it might work, but Dalton Carpet says no. If the weather holds we'll do a test spot tomorrow. Why do these wonderful plans often run backwards? At least all this amuses me.