Nora Olivera Dinzelbacher, Maestra of Argentine Tango, is an Argentinean lady about my age, full of charisma and the graceful attitude this passionate dance demands. She had just returned from her honeymoon, having married Ed Neale, her dance partner and co-instructor. I heard that Nora had invited all her students to her wedding.
The lesson began and I was in heaven. After all those dance classes, I thought I had all the moves. Au Contraire! Postures, embrace, stance, steps, I just could not get anything right. Nora corrected almost every move I made. I shouldn’t arch my back but lean my torso forward, toward the leader (usually male). For basic steps, the follower (usually female) first steps forward, unlike ballroom dance. Tango is a 100% leader-led dance, choreographed by the leader as he goes (it is not a syllabus dance), I should relax my body, to be led. I was a DISASTER! What I had learned and excelled at in the last 16 weeks, was all wrong for Argentine Tango .
Hmmm, I could not understand one thing!
At the end of class, I asked for a minute of Nora’s time. “If Argentine Tango lines/moves are totally different than that of the ballroom dances, including American Tango, why the prerequisite?” Puzzled, Nora did not understand what I was talking about. I informed her that the front desk put me through the “prerequisite”. Nora’s beautiful eyes widened and puzzle turned to rage, “Whaaaat!” Right then and there, she walked to the front counter to give them a piece of her mind! Argentine Tango does not have any prerequisite. Yes, I learned all these wonderful dances and moves, but that was not my goal. It took me not 16 weeks, but more than 26 weeks, to undo the moves I had so diligently learned and practiced. I could have attended Nora’s wedding! Ughhh!
Nora & Ed
I looked forward to every Thursday night. I could barely wait an entire week to dance. This is when I called Sheldon to sign-up for his Saturday classes and Tuesday practicas (practices). (More stories on developments through Sheldon’s classes on later/separate post).
Through classmates, I found out about the Milongas, Argentine Tango dance parties, usually hosted by the instructors or their supporters. Luckily, in the San Francisco Bay Area, almost every Friday, Saturday and Sunday, there was a Milonga being held somewhere. After paying an entrance fee of $10~$15, a 45-minute lesson was followed by a DJ, playing the most romantic music to our dance. Delicious snacks were also provided! Initially, there were long periods, waiting to be asked for a dance. Patience being a virtue, it eventually did happen. The better my dance became, the more often I was asked.
I made friends from all over the world. We all had a passion for Tango. On the first day of Nora’s class, I met Millie, a smart, attractive, single woman of Mexican heritage, who was so American that she only knew as much Spanish as I did. Not much.
Millie was very hip and over a decade younger than me. Yet we communicated very well. We took Nora’s Tango Week together, a tango dance camp with set curriculum and professional instructors flown in from Buenos Aires. I started taking Tango very seriously. I wanted to challenge myself and see if I could someday teach.
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Millie brought me great news! Nora was passing around a brochure and sign-up sheet for her annual student trip to Buenos Aires, which included a few weeks of training by Masters, Milongas every night, and free days for sight-seeing and SHOPPING !!!
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Tango Bliss – By Artist Misha Lenn
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Beautiful story! I love this.
Isn’t it wonderful, all the places that dance can take you, and all the people you meet along the way? I can relate!
I read both part 1 and 2 today and enjoyed it very much!
Enjoy reading your blogs. Keep on writing.
Such a good story – can’t wait for part 3!
I really enjoyed reading your last two blog entries! <3