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The Beginner’s Mind in Tango

January 15, 2018

Greetings for the New Year!  A new year is a great time to renew or begin your passion for Argentine Tango.

This post was first published in July of 2015, yet still provides great advice for Tango dancers of all levels.

Shoshin (初心) is a concept in Zen Buddhism meaning “beginner’s mind”. It refers to having an attitude of openness, eagerness, and lack of preconceptions when studying a subject, even when studying at an advanced level, just as a beginner in that subject would.

Last night I had the opportunity to dance with a beginner dancer.  I say “opportunity”, because if you are like me and have been dancing for numerous years, you probably are a bit picky about your dance partners. And here in the Bay Area, one can get really spoiled as there are just so many really good Tango dancers. At a regular milonga I can easily have one great dance after another and be kept in Tango heaven all night, or at least until my feet scream at me to stop. So, with so many great dancers to choose from, dancing with a newbie can be low on the priority list. And quite frankly, after reaching a certain level of competence, it’s only natural to seek out dance partners that are good complement to your skill level.

RoseGardenYogaThis brings me back to dancing with a beginner. The opportunity arose as it was still early in the night and I was antsy to dance. I also like to keep an open mind as to my dance partners, as sometimes someone new can be a pleasant surprise. But in this case, it was obvious that my partner was a new dancer from the first embrace. Although the tanda was decent, especially considering my partner had only been dancing for a few months, it could have been a lot smoother and safer for both myself and the people around us. Not wanting to deter this new dancer, I refrained from any criticism or advice. But afterwards, I kept thinking about what could have made the experience better, not only for my partner and I, but for everyone around us.

The problem with learning anything new is that it sucks not to be good.

It takes time, patience and dedication, and in this world of instant satisfaction, its easy to become frustrated. We watch advanced dancers execute difficult moves flawlessly not realizing they practiced for years in order for it to look so effortless. So how does a newer dancer deal with the sucking until finally reaching competence?  Focusing on the basic elements of tango instead of just learning fancy steps is a good start.

I started out this post thinking about what a beginner dancer should focus on when first starting tango, but as I began to write, I realized these tips are relevant for all Tango dancers, no matter what level.  So these are tips for not only the beginner dancer but for the dancer with Shoshin, the beginner’s mind.

beginners_mind_experts-mind

For Leaders:

  • Practice your Tango walk, by yourself and with a partner. The Tango walk is the foundation of Tango.
  • Practice staying in the line of dance. At a practica or class, stay behind the couple in front of you and always do your best to maintain an equal distance between you and the couple in front. Plus, always look around and notice where others dancers are in relation to you.
  • Practice connection with your partner. Connection happens not only at the points of contact, but also with your spirit.
  • Practice new patterns by yourself and also with a partner. Practicing the movement over and over again helps to get it out of your head and into your body.
  • Practice awareness of your partner’s weight changes. Know which foot they are on before leading a new step.

For Followers:

  • Practice your Tango walk, front and back ochos and adornos by yourself and wearing your dance shoes.
  • Practice collecting your feet after every step. Collecting your feet makes it so much easier for your partner to tell which foot your weight is placed so that they can lead you into the next step.
  • Practice being grounded (really feel the floor with your feet, and slightly bending knees helps) and also relaxed on the upper half of your body.
  • Practice being sensitive and patient to your partners lead. From a collected state, there are many options. Let your leader decide. If you anticipate, most likely you will be wrong.

For Everyone:

  • Listen to a lot of Tango music. Get to know the top orchestras and what makes each one unique. Knowing the music helps your body to become an instrument with the music.
  • Watch good dancers. A lot can be learned from watching.
  • Pay attention to your breath, posture and quality of movement, as all three of these are interconnected.
  • Be content but not complacent. Know and understand the level you are at yet always strive to improve.

As a side note, many people, when first beginning their tango journey, flit from one instructor to the next. This is fine when first starting out, but once you find someone you like, stick with them. All Tango knowledge cannot and will not be shared in just one workshop or class series, but over time your instructor will share jewels that will resonate with you forever. The beauty of teaching Tango is that those who do it, do it because they truly love the dance and want to share this joy with you. So for all of you dancers, advanced, beginner or somewhere in between… keep on learning and exploring possibilities.

Life is full of uncertainty, so let’s remember to find pleasure and enjoyment with friends and loved ones on and off the dance floor. Blessings to all of you in 2018!

Filed Under: Learning Tango, Musings Tagged With: Argentine Tango, Bay Area Tango, Beginner Tango, Dancing Tango, Learning Tango, San Francisco Tango, SF Tango, Shoshin

Tango scenes in SF

sflovestango

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

sflovestango
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
🤩 𝓜𝓲𝓵𝓸𝓷𝓰𝓪 𝓕𝓲𝓪𝓽 🤩 𝓜𝓲𝓵𝓸𝓷𝓰𝓪 𝓕𝓲𝓪𝓽 𝓛𝓾𝔁 by the @berkeleytangoclub (ATCB) returned to the #ucberkeley campus earlier today, with DJ Prashant! 🎶

The ATCB is a Registered Student Organization of the Associated Students of the University of California (ASUC), comprised of University of California Berkeley students, staff, alumni, and members of the local community who love tango. Their mission is to develop a student tango community at UC Berkeley fit to carry the flag of this generation and the generations to come.

They currently hold classes and práctica every Sunday and a milonga (Milonga Fiat Lux!) about once a month. Whether you are just beginning tango, or have been dancing for some time, you are welcome to join. They aim to hold high-quality events to prepare students to become active members of the Bay Area tango community, and to provide a safe and welcoming social dancing environment.

📌 Mark your calendar for the next Milonga Fiat Lux, a winter edition🎄
𝟮–𝟱𝗽𝗺 𝗦𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗮𝘆, 𝗗𝗲𝗰𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝟰
See you in 𝟮𝟰𝟬 𝗘𝘀𝗵𝗹𝗲𝗺𝗮𝗻 𝗛𝗮𝗹𝗹 of UC Berkeley!
https://m.facebook.com/events/1713049302422431

For more updates:
Email: ucbtango@gmail.com
Facebook: @ArgentineTangoClubBerkeley
Instagram: @berkeleytangoclub 
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#tango #argentinetango #tangoargentino #tangoargentino♥️ #tangoevent #milonga #socialdance #partnerdance #bailemos #bailar #bailando #dancing #tangodancers #berkeleytangoclub #bayareatango #sflovestango
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