The International Art of Tango

Tango. Argentine tango is one of the most international dances around right now. What was once a forbidden dance in its own country has becomes a world wide art form that is enjoyed in many places world wide.

Here I am practicing in a class at the Tucson Tango Festival, from which I just returned. There were teachers from countries  such as  Russia, Colombia, Argentina, and the United States. People came from many states to this festival. I  had  fun dancing with a Russian who now lives in Las Vegas.Only in America! 

Dances are divided into blocks of three or four tunes, called a tanda. You dance with one partner for these songs. Then comes a break and it is off to a new partner. Proper etiquette requires the gentleman to ask the lady to dance. It is a dance that is Latin based, so that is their culture.Is that difficult?  It  can feel so if you aren't dancing.  Regardless, it truly looks and feels like art when it is well done. That is a feeling shared by those  of us who dance, no matter where we come from, or where are feet are moving!  

Tango and the Artist

Well, I haven't been at my desk writing my blog this last week because I just got back from the Albuquerque Tango Festival. Here I am with one of the nice dancers I met there.We are in our casual practice clothes because we are going to classes and are on our feet all day. However,  when it is time to go to the evening milonga, or formal dance,  then everyone gets dressed up and the high heels start moving. I wrote about tango back on my March blog, and I am still practicing and working at improving my techniques.
In many ways, dancing the tango resembles the life of the artist.We are always working on trying to improve what we do. How can we take the basic steps and give them more style and refinement? What can we add in way of embellishment to take our expression to a new height? In Argentine tango, it helps to be a good dancer, or at least a graceful one, if you wish to be spend time on the dance floor rather than on the sidelines. As an artist, one wants to be respected for all the time, skill, and especially , the results we are trying to achieve. If the audience gets it, then they will buy what we offer.That is the final dance. To take what is difficult, and make seem effortless. 

Reiki in Calligraphy Form

I am feeling kind of mellow this morning. The soft Sedona sun is filtering in from the east; is is a Monday, which is the beginning of a new work week, and I like my work; I have people in my life that I care about and I feel I matter to them. I was reminded of this calligraphy piece that is in my current show in Jerome.It is a collage piece, about 24" by 36", in shades of tan and brown. Just in case you cannot read clearly, it is called the 5 Principles of Reiki, which a healing modality that I don't really know too much about, but am curious.

It goes something like this.... Just for today I will live the attitude of gratitude...I will not fear or worry... I will not be angry...I will do my work honestly...I will be kind to my neighbor and every living thing.

So that is my task for myself today: to go forth and to live out my own art work, and catch myself when I go into those old patterns of reacting to things , without being mindful of my intention.

What are your feelings on this? care to comment?

Why Tango is like Art

I just got back from my first Tango Festival in Tucson. It got me thinking about how Argentine tango is connected to creating any art form. First you must pay attention to your body, your form , your axis, as you go out onto the dance floor. In art we start with the idea or what we want to create , and then the media we are going to use. Is it pen, paper, watercolor, or clay that best expresses our design. For me , it works best when I see the creation in my mind, then all the rest seems to follow. In fact my idea of success is wheher I can translate my idea as well, or better than my visualization. Then there is the tension. Tango is about the male and female; the smooth and abrupt; the moves and counter moves. When you look at a piece of art you are drawn in by that tension, however subtle. Well, time to get to the studio and try out some of these ideas.