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Archive | December, 2011

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year…

With every year that draws to an end there’s always the sensation that time has passed at lightning speed and one wants to savour the best of what’s passed with what’s left before that slice of time is sealed forever and transforms itself from moment to memory.  I sometimes get that end of year feeling going into the last part of a really good milonga, where the music has flowed like nectar, inspiring wonderful dancing and you’ve seen old friends and made new ones.

The last part of this year holds much to cherish as it saw the return of “abrazos”. We started at Goodenough College as a pop-up class and practica in November and we will go from pop-up to permanent becoming a regular fixture on Wednesdays.
Looking beyond the festive season to 2012, you’ll see below there’s lots going on, just click through for more info.

There’s nothing left to say but the important things.  Thank you for supporting me and a taste of tango in 2011 and I hope that you will continue to do so in 2012.  Here’s to a wonderful festive season to you and your loved ones, I look forward to seeing you on 9th January.

¡Felices fiestas!

Jenney

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January timetable.

January 2012 timetable
Locations
the Black Prince Pub,
6 Black Prince Road,
London, SE11 6HS,
(map)

Goodenough College,
Large Common Room,
Goodenough College,
Mecklenburgh Square
London, WC1N 2AB,
(map)

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The First Actresses: Nell Gwyn to Sarah Siddons

If like myself, you’re one of the masses who don’t have a ticket for the Da Vinci exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery, you’ll be happy to know that the gallery have kept 500 tickets a day aside on a first-come-first served basis. Unfortunately I found out at first hand that these sell like hotcakes and the supply is exhausted by midday.

Having been disappointed and eluded by Da Vinci and determined to have a sponging up art afternoon, I remembered something about Nell Gynn at the National Portrait Gallery,  I went off to the neighbour’s house to see if they had a cup of sugar and I found something very sweet indeed.

The introduction of the possibility for ‘respectable’ women to carve out a career in acting is the starting point of this fascinating exhibition profiling the pioneering women who chose this path in the early 18th century. The coolest thing about the show was the fact that the public appetite for celebrity news and gossip is nothing that modern society has invented,

The exhibition is absorbing, and the fact that there’s no audioguide is testament to this, you can just walk around looking at the characters come to life in front of you, no special effects required. The exhibition runs until 8th January and you can find out more info here.

If you not able to get to the NPG, the book of the exhibition has the portraits and even more materials and you can get it here.

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Posture, body awareness and well being

Whether you think of Rolfing, Pilates or Alexander technique, the way you hold and move your body is important for your life not just your dancing. Watching this video,  I couldn’t help but notice how many of the ideas for posture are present in my Tango, the way I’ve learnt it and the way I teach it.

When I started taking my dancing more seriously and doing more classes and especially when I started to teach I started a journey of searching constantly for things that would help explain and improve the way the body was used to connect and dance. Pilates, dynamic alignment, stretching, yoga, dance imagery were all things that I looked into and continue to do so.

Terminology and explanations may have varied slightly, but they all seem to overlap and have common aims.  Maybe I’m too much of a sceptic to think about Rolfing or Pilates curing serious ailments, I’m sure that someone out there will tell me otherwise.

 

ROLFING
Dr.Ida Rolf founded the Rolf Institute and created the Rolfing therapy system which has a holistic approach to aligning the body. Dr. Rolf wrote about her theory and practice in “Rolfing: Re-establishing the Natural Alignment and Structural Integration of the Human Body for Vitality and Well-Being” published in 1977 and revised in 1992.
If listening to a CD is more your thing then check out “Rolfing in Motion: A Guide to Balancing Your Body” by Mary Bond.

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Last class of 2011, so let’s have a party…

Wednesday 7th December is the last installment of the pop-up class and practica at Goodenough College in Bloomsbury.  The dancing time has been extended, music will be in tandas and cortinas as always and we will definately be paying a trip to the bar between dances.  Sound like fun? Come and join in.

Class 8-9pm
Dancing 9-11pm
Cost £15 for class and dancing, £3 for dancing only
Where: Goodenough College, Mecklenburgh Square, WC1N 2AB London,
Tube: Russell Square
Parking: After 6.30pm in bays or single yellow lines.
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