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Karsinova’s “Don’ts For Dancers”

By on March 1, 2012 in codigos, library, made me smile, tango thoughts...

I first picked up this book and heard a heavily accented Karsinova telling me… ”Don’t be intimidated by the Tango.”  I could see her, bedecked in the best of 20s fashion,  jewelled and coiffed to an inch of her existence and of course smoking a cigarette through a holder.  Dispensing her tips as though it were the most obvious thing.

Karsinova, is this you?

 

This pre-fab image played so on my conscience that when I found out this was an alias, I changed her accent to something more London, albeit more upstairs than downstairs.

“Don’t lose heart because you’ll never learn all the steps the experts dance.”

The advice came thick and with the way I was reading fast too. ”Don’t lean on your partner. Hold body erect but not rigid.” If I ever felt like I repeat myself in classes, this was a meditation on consistency, after all she’s been at it since 1925.

Karsinova, this is more you... (filmtrivia.tumblr.com)

Don’t be fooled by the size or the age of this book, it is a little gem shining with tips and reason for the milonga and you’d have to be a hard hearted milonguero/a if it didn’t bring a smile to your face while reading. Easy to pick up on Amazon. Hardback Version here  and one for your Kindle too.

Small and beautiful, there's a Kindle version too.

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The beautiful game….

By on June 23, 2010 in codigos, tango thoughts...

Having World Cup Tango thoughts…

Yellow Card

  • Chewing gum whilst you're dancing
  • Checking the time whilst you're in the embrace, 
  • Forgetting that you're in an embrace (eg thinking the woman's arms are extension of your own and checking the time, scratching your head)
  • Expecting a yes
  • Not understanding a no!
  • More than a step backwards
  • Ignoring someone you've bumped into, stepped on, (what's so wrong with saying "I'm sorry"?)
  • Overtaking (why can't you use the space you have?)

Red Card

  • Bad body odour/bad breath
  • Teaching on the dance floor
  • Inviting one woman to get rejected and then the lady sitting next to her
  • Inviting a woman to dance whilst still mopping the sweat from your brow
  • Taking it personally, if your invitation is rejected, especially if you haven't used the cabeceo.
  • Using the embrace to an unfair advantage. 


Off-side (thus taking yourself out of play)

  • Not using the cabeceo
  • Ignoring the flow of the floor
  • Ignoring other dancers on the floor
  • Thinking you're too cool for school (not respecting the rules)
  • Fancy footwork with the ball (ie. dancing by yourself)

Great plays…

  • A smile
  • A bit of conversation between dances on the dance floor, 
  • A bit of conversation off the dance floor
  • actually being interested in what you're talking about.
  • walking your partner back to where they were sitting.
  • Not worrying if it doesn't go according to plan…
  • Thinking about the quality of your technique, not the quantity of your moves…

What do you think?

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