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Tango Moments with Jordana

May 4, 2014

When I first saw Jordana’s Tango art from a distance, I could have sworn they were black and white photographs.

Upon closer inspection I discovered they were paintings. She is that good. Since she paints with India Ink (a black ink that can be watered down) her work has a soft flowing feel to it, almost as if the dancers are really moving; a moment caught in time. Her subjects are our local dancers, often immediately recognizable, sometimes not.  She says some of the best ones can’t be shown publicly, for various reasons. Knowing that, how can one not be intrigued to see them?

Jordana del Feld is a trained artist with an MFA from NYU. She studied watercolour and figure drawing in the Beaux-Arts style in the New York atelier of Christopher Young.  She continued her art education at Parsons School of Design and the San Francisco Art Institute.  You can find her work is in private collections and has exhibited with the San Francisco Women Artists’ Gallery and the Studio Gallery.

Jordana is not just an artist, she is also a dancer and a writer (and many other titles). Perhaps because of this, she understands what it feels like to be a subject of her work. She uses her own experiences to capture the magical moments that happens between people in Tango.

Being a fan of her tango paintings, I asked her for an interview to learn more about the inner workings of this dynamic tanguera/artist.  As you will see, her answers proved aptly captivating.

Jordana del Feld at work
Jordana del Feld at work

SF Loves Tango:  What brought you to Tango and what does tango mean to you?

Jordana:  I have no idea. I generally act in order to learn, instead of the other way around. So I’ll let you know in fifty years. I also love a challenge. A ballet dancer friend once said “Argentine tango is the most difficult dance in the world!” So although I had never seen tango, I thought, “cool. Some day I’m going to do that.” I used to do a lot of martial arts. But I didn’t want to get my nose broken, so I stopped. I also used to do a lot of swing and ballroom, but didn’t find them intellectually demanding enough. Fifteen years after the ballet dancer’s remark, I saw a demonstration of ordinary social tango at the symphony, and it clicked. Here was the perfect blend. Finally, something that would never stop blowing my mind. I didn’t know at the time that it would hurt a lot more than karate…but that just makes it more of a challenge.

What does tango mean to me? I like the “tán-go: to hear and be heard” t-shirt. But whenever I say “it’s this,” I’m neither wrong nor right. I usually say, “it’s a lens through which we view life.” Or, “it’s yoga for two.” Or, “there are many paths but only one way, and this is one path.” Not wrong. But the act of saying them misses the point. Maybe I should add, “it’s what you can’t verbalize.” I like other people’s “wrong” answers because they teach me what I think. Someone said, it’s a challenge to be elegantly passionate. But for me, a choice to emphasize elegance and passion creates artificial boundaries: if I tell the dance what I think it should be, I don’t  allow it to be what it is. Someone else said, “it’s a social dance!” With which I disagree so much that I’ve now come full circle and agree, in all its disturbingly minimalist glory.

SF Loves Tango:  What inspired you to start drawing tango?

Jordana:  I like subjects with compelling narratives, dynamic composition, complexity, and simplicity. And I’ve always loved English murder mysteries. I’m driven to solve puzzles, secrets fascinate me, the seething amoral intensity of human nature is mesmerizing, and how we try to package all that up into something socially acceptable is brain fodder for a lifetime. I love the contrast between homo and sapiens, the balance between rational and irrational. I love thinking I know what’s going on and then realizing I have no idea at all. Sometimes I question my ethics in painting tango. It is, after all, none of my business. The public intimacy of tango never stops confusing me—not the perceived intimacy of a flashy leg wrap, but the invisible moments that happen between two people, that are just for them and nobody else. It would be better to avert my eyes. But then I tell myself, we all agreed upon a social pact by showing up, that we could all see and be seen. It’s like eating garlic: if everybody’s doing it, then it’s okay. And when I see that beautiful moment, it bugs me and bugs me and I must draw it.

guille3

SF Loves Tango:  What technique do you use to create your work?

Jordana:  I video dancers with my phone, which is the hardest part of the process. The best moments usually happen in places where it’s too dark for a camera to see. Sometimes I try anyway, and then have to decipher red and black blurs that feel like they’re about one pixel per square inch. I go through the clips frame by frame to find the right moment. I use the stills as references to freehand sketch all my pictures. No tracing. I make a very precise pencil outline on watercolour paper. You can’t erase over ink, so getting the foundation drawing exactly right is the highest stakes part of the process. Then I paint the grisaille, using a brush with full-strength permanent India ink in my right hand and a brush with plain water in my left hand. India ink is great because it has a strong black and dries instantly. On the other hand, it has a strong black and dries instantly—so the pressure’s on! Once you make a mistake, it’s there forever and everyone will see it, because covering up marks with white paint doesn’t work. Ink also leaves hard edges around its brush strokes, which is great when you want a sharp outline, and horrible when you want to draw something soft, like skin or hair. I handle soft areas and shadows by dropping ink into water on the area in question.

SF Loves Tango:  What are people’s reactions to recognizing themselves in your work?

Jordana:  Can I talk about people’s reactions to recognizing their friends and lovers instead? Because that’s universally positive. Ohmygosh, that’s amazing, so beautiful, looks just like them, I want one, etc. Most people recognize their friends with mind-blowing speed—even if the pictured friend is barely visible or defined—and they get excited. It’s like knowing someone with a Wikipedia entry. But when it’s themselves in the picture, the first thing people usually remark on is some aspect of themselves they feel insecure about. Painting people is extremely delicate social balance, especially for me, because I have no imagination. I see what I see and have difficulty pretending otherwise. I love all my subjects exactly the way they are in that moment, otherwise I wouldn’t paint them, and I think nothing is as beautiful as the truth. If it’s true, then it’s beautiful. If I make it up, it’s worthless. I don’t paint moments of bad technique. Dancers are beautiful people. I wish they would see themselves with as much love as I do!

andreamini4Sometimes people are happy and proud. Sometimes their smiling faces tell me they feel like they have to complain for form’s sake, to look modest, but inside they’re thrilled. A few visiting pros have seen my dancers on walls and protested, “hey, where’s my picture?” All in good time, guys…. Sometimes people are unnerved, like I’ve not only seen them naked, but shown their secret
nakedness back to themselves. That thing they were hoping nobody would notice. And sometimes, they notice nothing at all! I can feel like I’m yelling secrets from the top of the town bell-tower and nobody notices anything! It’s just like a milonga. People like to commemorate and share times when they were happy. In that way, my pictures act like glorified selfies. “Hey, there’s me, dancing with that guy/chick! I enjoyed that dance, I like that person, and man, we look great together!” I think they also find validation in being witnessed and recorded. That thing I thought I felt really happened. See, here’s a picture of it.

SF Loves Tango:  Do you solicit commissions?

Jordana:  I love commissions! Commission me! What could be nicer than a picture of yourself and/or somebody you care about, doing something you love? Let me capture your moment.

SF Loves Tango: Where can people see more of your paintings?

Jordana:  They’re currently for sale at la Pista, 768 Brannan, SF; Studio 1924, 1924 Franklin, Oakland; and Keiko’s dance studio at the Kabuki Salon, 771 Bush, SF. And on my site, jordanadelfeld.com.

Thank you Jordana!

 

Filed Under: Musings Tagged With: Argentine Tango, Bay Area Tango, Jordana del feld, Tango art, Tango dancing

Tango scenes in SF

sflovestango

Celebrate #bayareatango community, support everyone involved & share ♥️ of #tango with San Francisco Bay Area and beyond.

sflovestango
🧨 New year, new beginnings! One happened yester 🧨 New year, new beginnings! One happened yesterday at @thetangodome – first Women's Gathering hosted by @ayano.yoneda.tango, including folks who identify as women.

Part clothing & shoe swap, and part cultivating a safe space to be vulnerable, be generous, be supportive, and be real with each other.

Looking forward to more of this and building a community that keeps involving what tango events can be beyond the dance! 🙌 
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#tango #argentinetango #tangoargentino #tangolovers #womenintango #bayareatango #sisterhood #beyondthedance
As the year-end approaches, many SF local tango ev As the year-end approaches, many SF local tango events have had or will have their last event of 2022 to wrap things up. This year's last Milonga Rubia al Sur happened this past Sunday, Dec 18 with DJ @ayano.yoneda.tango and special performance with visiting artist, @martinalmironartist, and milonga host, Lisette @passion4tango. 

With the holidays coming up and Argentina winning the world cup, dancing tango all night long around Lisette's very own flower arrangements was just the appropriate celebration people needed.

Hosted by Lisette Perelle, Milonga Rubia is held every 1st & 3rd Sunday of the month, with current location at Just Dance Ballroom (2500 Embarcadero) in Oakland and a different DJ for each event.

✨ Fun fact - how Milonga Rubia got its name... ✨

Lisette's Argentine friends have always been calling her 'Rubia' because of her blonde hair. One day about 6 years ago, when she was discussing naming this new milonga with @julian_tangosf, he said, “Why not just call it Milonga Rubia?" That's how Milonga Rubia got its name! The event once was in a venue in Emeryville/Richmond. Once Lisette changed venues to a more southern location (Just Dance Ballroom in Oakland), the event's name was changed to 'Milonga Rubia al Sur' accordingly.
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#tango #tangoargentino #argentinetango #tangoevent #sundayfunday #milonga #milonganight #socialdancing #bailemos #embrace #tangodancers #bayareatango #oakland #keepdancing #dancingislife #weekendrecap
Last Saturday, Saturday Dec 17, @abrazoqueertango Last Saturday, Saturday Dec 17, @abrazoqueertango hosted their Holiday Bash with performances by @mirabtango and Miranda at @tangodome, a cool art gallery and dance space at 951 62nd St in Oakland.

🏳️‍🌈 Abrazo Queer Tangois a volunteer-run organization, and after expenses, all funds are used to pay for their events and offer discounts to students and folks short on cash. To help the org break even in 2022 and fund its 2023 programs, last Saturday's event was positioned as a fundraiser with a sliding scale $20-$40 for folks to choose how they'd like to show their support, offering a sweet night of performance, community and great music in a magical location. 

Missed the event yet still would like to support Queer Tango? Donations always totally work! Please write *donation* in the comment via your favorite method:
Venmo ➡️ abrazo-tango (Karen Curtis)
Paypal ➡️ abrazoqueertango@gmail.com
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#tango #tangoargentino #argentinetango #tangoevent #specialevents #milonga #saturdayvibe #socialdancing #bailemos #embrace #tangodancers #bayareatango #queertango #oakland #keepdancing #dancingislife #weekendrecap
💫 #motivationmonday is not over yet so here is 💫 #motivationmonday is not over yet so here is a quick recap of the International Day of Tango at @greatnorthernsf last night! 💫 Milonga hosted by @julian_tangosf with DJ @loco_chung. 
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#diadeltango #tango #tangoargentino #argentinetango #tangoevent #specialevents #milonga #sundayfunday #socialdancing #bailemos #embrace #tangodancers #bayareatango #sanfrancisco #keepdancing #dancingislife #weekendrecap
This Friday night in the heart of San Francisco, t This Friday night in the heart of San Francisco, tango dancers and the public who are curious art lovers had a unique experience with live music performed by local tango musicians and the strategic mix of TANGO • VALS • MILONGA • ALTERNATIVE music by DJ @jonas.aqui of @jxtango at @drawingroomsf_annex, an art • gallery • studio in the Mission district – a free event by the collaboration of @chetangosf, @drawingroomsf and @artistmigration. 

Artists featured:
Sumi Lee (piano) @sfsumi
J Ramada (bass)
Basma Edrees (violin) @basmaedreesviolin
Verónica Freidkes (vocal) @veroverofreidkes

Check out our stories and story highlights for snippets of the performances and tango dancing around art pieces!
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❣️ about Che! Tango SF❣️

All events created by Ramada Salieri and Elaine Chiu are dedicated to providing an inclusive and friendly dancing and learning environment in San Francisco and the Bay Area regardless of gender, age, sexual orientation, race, ethnicity, religion, or any other characteristic or trait.

ONGOING EVENTS
Che! Milonga: Every 1st and 2nd Saturday of the month 
Che! Música + Milonga: Once every quarter on a 2nd Saturday
Milonga Uno: 3rd Saturday of every other month
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❣️ about The Drawing Room SF ❣️

MISSION
The Drawing Room connects community through art to help improve the overall human condition by making art accessible and part of the daily fabric of our lives. 
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❣️about Artist Migration❣️

ANTI CAPITALIST ART
Artist-led curatorial project providing performance and exhibition opportunities to international artists.
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#tango #tangoargentino #argentinetango #concert #milonga #specialevent #onenightonly #livemusic #fridaynights #art #tangomusic #contemporarymusic #contemporarytango #womenintango #womeninmusic #artislife  #tangomusicians #musiciansofinstagram #sanfrancisco #california #bayareatango #sflovestango #jxtango
Those who came out to @tangolabruja last night had Those who came out to @tangolabruja last night had an epic evening of dancing and live music with three highly skillful tango musicians’ improvised music – Trio Tangazo, a dynamite tango trio made up of Sascha Jacobsen (bass), Seth Asarnow (piano), and Adrian Jost (bandoneon). 

~~Fun fact~~
Sascha, Seth and Adrian all performed at La Bruja previously - either with other tango ensembles or in duo - but it was the first time all three of them taking the stage together!

📍 @berkeleycityclub 
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#tango #concert #milonga #milonganight #specialevent #onenightonly #tangomusic #improvisation #travelingmusician #musiciansofinstagram #california #berkeley #bayareatango #tangomusicians #tangodancers #socialdance #dancingislife #sflovestango
🥧 Tomorrow is Thanksgiving so @milongamalevaje 🥧 Tomorrow is Thanksgiving so @milongamalevaje is closed for that matter, but here is something different & fun from last Thursday 😉 with DJ @jonas.aqui, courtesy of hosts @tanguera_e, Ramada Salieri and Adolfo Caszarry.

Have a wonderful holiday everyone!
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#tango #tangoargentino #argentinetango #milonga #milonganight #tangoevent #tangoalternativo #alternativetango #tangonuevo #embrace #bailar #bailemos #socialdance #partnerdance #tangodancers #dancingislife #bayareatango #sanfrancisco #sflovestango
✨ FRIDAY NIGHT TANGO ✨ It’s been awhile sin ✨ FRIDAY NIGHT TANGO ✨

It’s been awhile since Milonga La Genesis (hosted by @julian_tangosf) has live tango music. Last night LEO TANGASSO QUARTET was in the house, featuring @leogassomusic from Montevideo, Uruguay on bandoneon,  @smurfetteshum on piano, Stella Bonilla on violin,  @digsmahler on double bass.

(🎥 @tangonnection, edited by @sflovestango)
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#tango #argentinetango #tangoargentino #specialevent #bayareatango #tangomusic #livemusic #tangomusicians #bandoneon #piano #doublebass #violin #quartet #onenightonly #milonganight #sanfrancisco #sflovestango
👏 The all-female tango ensemble, 𝙇𝙖𝙨 𝘼𝙡𝙢𝙖𝙨, wrapped up their 2022 concert tour at @alameda_elks1015, playing for a full house of guests at the @housetango Community Milonga.

𝙇𝙖𝙨 𝘼𝙡𝙢𝙖𝙨 is a collaboration between powerhouse female tango musicians @sfsumi (piano), @heynisolera (bandoneon), and @teagbby (violin). Their concert on Sunday featured guest bassist @fabricanfabricant and vocalist @teresatam.sing.

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The mission of 𝙇𝙖𝙨 𝘼𝙡𝙢𝙖𝙨 is to present contemporary Argentine tango through virtuosic artistic performance and educational events.  Sumi, Heyni, and Teagan originally bonded in Buenos Aires, drawn by a mutual love of tango music, as well as by a realization of the inequality of professional opportunity for women in the tango genre. They studied under the same maestros and performed with prestigious tango orchestras in Buenos Aires.  They now frequently perform around the world, including in their respective adopted cities of San Francisco (Sumi), Washington, DC (Heyni), and NYC (Teagan). All of the musicians also produce their own music. 
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#tango #concert #milonga #specialevent #onenightonly #tangomusic #contemporarymusic #contemporarytango #womenintango #womeninmusic #travelingmusician #heynibando #tour #beautifulwomen #musiciansofinstagram #sanfrancisco #california #berkeley #oakland #bayareatango #tangomusicians
🎉 Saturday, October 22 marked the grand re-open 🎉 Saturday, October 22 marked the grand re-opening of Vecher Tango at the Russian Center of SF!

After a long pause of two and a half year, the magnificent grand ballroom was filled with tango energy again. What made the occasion extra special was the incredible performances by another visiting master couple @javierchikk & @moiracastellano. To top it off, @virginiaychristian "Los Totis" joined Javier & Moira on the floor for a mixed maestros dance!

Shout-out to our dearest friend Davood Yazdani, Julia Schiptsova of Tango Element, and all the local organizers for making this weekend feel like a mini tango festival in San Francisco!
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#tango #argentinetango #argentinetango♥️ #tangoargentino #milonganight #tangoperformance #bailar #bailemos #bailando #tangoshow #tangoevent #tangodancer #tangocouple #specialevent #onenightonly #tangophoto
✨It's a star-struck tango week in SF!!✨ @vir ✨It's a star-struck tango week in SF!!✨ 

@virginiaychristian "Los Totis" have been teaching in San Francisco (brought to you by our very own Davood Yazdani who's in collaboration with Julia Schiptsova of Tango Element!) And we were mesmerized by their fantastic performances last night at the special edition of @milongamalevaje at @verdiclubsf ! 🤩👏
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#tango #argentinetango #argentinetango♥️ #tangoargentino  #tangoperformance #bailar 
#bailemos #bailando #tangoshow  #tangoevent #tangoperformance #tangodancer #tangocouple #specialevent #onenightonly #tangophoto
💫 Exactly a year later, 𝙇𝙖𝙨 𝘼𝙡𝙢𝙖𝙨, an all-female tango musician collaboration, has returned to the SF Bay Area!! 

Last night they took the audience on a magical journey to Buenos Aires with a concert-milonga at @tangolabruja in Berkeley. Check out our stories to see more snippets of their performance!

𝙇𝙖𝙨 𝘼𝙡𝙢𝙖𝙨 is a collaboration between powerhouse female tango musicians @sfsumi (piano), @heynisolera (bandoneon), and @teagbby (violin). The concert last night featured guest singer @veroverofreidkes.

The mission of 𝙇𝙖𝙨 𝘼𝙡𝙢𝙖𝙨 is to present contemporary Argentine tango through virtuosic artistic performance and educational events. Sumi Lee, Heyni Solera, and Teagan Faran originally bonded in Buenos Aires, drawn by a mutual love of tango music, as well as by a realization of the inequality of professional opportunity for women in the tango genre. They studied under the same maestros and performed with prestigious tango orchestras in Buenos Aires.  They now frequently perform around the world, including in their respective adopted cities of San Francisco (Sumi), Washington, DC (Heyni), and NYC (Teagan). All of the musicians also produce their own music. 

Catch them for the rest of their tour!
🔸10/20 (Thur) 10pm, World Folk Jam concert w/ ten other world music groups, Oakland
🔸10/21 (Fri) 7pm, Sebastopol Center for the Arts
🔸10/22 (Sat) 7:30pm, Sunset Music and Arts, San Francisco
🔸10/23 (Sun) 3:30pm, houseTango Community Milonga @ Alameda Elks Lodge, Alameda
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#tango #concert #milonga #specialevent #onenightonly #tangomusic #contemporarymusic #contemporarytango #womenintango #womeninmusic #travelingmusician #heynibando #tour #beautifulwomen #musiciansofinstagram #sanfrancisco #california #berkeley #oakland #bayareatango
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