You know that motivational bit »When have you last done something for the first time?« Well, ever since I started dancing tango more 'seriously', there's been so many first times it's hard to keep count! But I wish not to write about Poreč til the next Poreč :) I'll wrap it up by only giving account of the most memorable moments, as if they all happened in one night. My first pair of tango shoes I have been keeping my eye on the Shopping district for the past two nights. They sold shoes and pants and shirts. Not just any kind but tango fashion. I had made a deal with myself to treat myself to some dancing shoes, only when I would be able to honestly say that tango is not just another fad, another nine days wonder. Now that moment has come. This tanguero needs proper shoes! I stopped by the Turkish stand. A simple black shoe caught my attention. I love buying stuff from men with strong black beards. They are fierce negotiators! You get to spend money on the product, but negotiations lessons come for free. Well, sort of anyway :) Thirty minutes later, there I was, a new man. Double-silk black milonguero trousers. White shirt. And a brand new pair of black chamois leather shoes. The sales-man looked at me as if I was a model. He looked pleased with his products and the way they made me look good. He threw in a leather bag for shoes and a leather belt for good measure. My friends told me I had made a good deal. Appearances do matter A true-blooded milonguero now walked around the dance floor. My acting skills just gained 50 points. I would be even more effective in elluding followers into believing I could actually dance. The disapointment would be greater, since the contrast between the looks and the skill just grew an inch. But then again, »a suit makes a man«, as the saying goes. So it was quite possible that my tango would gain some points too. I have to confess that the new outfit was quick to grow on me. Had I not always have a soft spot for nice clothes and baggy pants? Had I not always been a tanguero? I walked around thinking who I wanna dance with. »Heeey, wow, look at you. New pants, right? And shoes!« Karolina made me feel like the new look really did suit me. I tried to stay humble, although it was not easy. »Tell you what: I'll just try on this dress. Then let's go and baptize your new outfit, shall we? I'll find you,« Karolina offered. Karolina sure took her time with trying on that dress... well, she said she would find me. So I continued to walk. Majci It might have just been my imagination, but ladies did notice me more. Mirada level went up! I made half a circle around the space and choice was plentiful. »Ohoho, look at youuuu!« I turned around. It was Majci, wearing a peach dress. She looked at me as if I just stepped out from a magazine cover. »Lookin' good, man! Say, why don't we...,« hinted Majci. Well, it was not a hint, it was plain obvious. It seemed she was eager to test the 'a suit makes a man' myth . So was I. We had danced with Majci before. Twice. It was rather terrible both times. I had commented that I couldn't find my way with her, since she was quite short. She argued she was about the same height as Sanja, and I seemed to have no problem with Sanja's height. Granted, a good point. But still. As we embraced, Majci's body somehow grew into a Maja grande version. And not just physically. There was Force inside her I had not met before. She was not the short, cuddly dancer I had known. Long story short: she made my night. Upon exiting the dance floor, she would smile and still look at me as if I god paid to wear that outfit, making gestures that implied I was hot stuff. Sometimes I can't believe how susceptible and frail my being is, letting my ego take every opportunity to comfort itself upon being presented with a compliment. Women are seductive enough as they are. But women who are also good tango dancers... deadly. And I haven't seen any advertisement for a workshop where I would learn to handle that. After the tanda with Majci, I had for the first time seen myself as a real tango dancer. Little did I know that it would only go downhill from there... Agnieszka
I walked around the space some more, enjoying the feeling of a good tanda inside my body. My confidence was up. My new shoes needed company and only high heels would do. I was going to make the most out of this night. I met Agnieszka. She noticed immediately I had spent time in the shopping district. I gave her a mirada to which we both started laughing. No one finished the cabeseo properly, as it was clear we were going to dance. I had never danced with her at a milonga before. I assumed we would do at least good, if not great. She was assissting with Sanja's classess, so the law of deduction should do its job. Soon I realized I couldn't develop my choreography that well. Agnieszka followed perfectly and obstructed me in no way. None the less, we didn't do anything miraculous. I was mostly sticking to my safe materials: walking, a cross here and there and an occasional ocho, which wouldn't work anyway. As the tanda ended, she seemed pleased. I felt I could've given more, but couldn't for some reason. »You have a good step,« she said. 'A good step? That's it? But that's just a step' I thought as I processed what she seemed to regard as a compliment. »Oh, I'm sorry. That didn't sound so good. Really, you have a good step. I know you probably think it's nothing, but it is really important.« A good step, huh? The way I saw it, a good dance would take much more than that. It was like saying to an 8-year old: »Hey, you count to 20 really well.« But it was, again, the way she said it that made me believe a good step was indeed not such a small acomplishment. I thanked her for the tanda, as I tried to hide the remnants of disappointment. Karolina I decided to sit the milonga tanda out, since it was a bit too fast and crazy for me. During the following cortina, Karolina found me. Just like she said she would. This would be the first time I would dance with her. I had seen her often at regular Tabor milongas in Ljubljana. She looked really elegant when she danced with Ervin. They danced in an open embrace, right in the center of the dance floor, and did all sorts of unusual figures. We embraced. It was time I used my best weapon: the side-step dramatico. And it's what I did. Soon after I realized I would experience something quite similar like the tanda with Agnieszka. I couldn't develop any choreography. And it was getting worse with each song. »Let's just walk, ok?« Karolina suggested. To my mind it sounded like: »Since we can't talk politics or philosophy, let's just talk about what we had for lunch.« I knew that was not what it meant at all. But the chemistry was inside the body, I already felt weaker and slower. I did as she suggested. We walked. One, two, oops her toe, four – and stop. Shift weight and back-step. Side-step... Cortina played. I wasn't sure how I felt anymore. Karolina had been nice all the way and very supporting. She showed not signs of discontentment. She even seemed pleased. I couldn't image what with. »How long have you been dancing,« she asked as we were leaving the dance floor. »Since February. That would make it... almost 6 months.« »I'll tell you what. Your lead is already coming from here (places her hand on my heart). Most leaders take 2 years to learn to lead from here. So keep up the good work!« There was more words of encouragement. I felt being patronized a bit, but I didn't mind at all. She had just taken me under her wing.
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AuthorBlaz B, social tango dancer since February 2015. I'm sharing these posts to inspire future tango beginners, to encourage today's beginners and to possibly entertain those dancers, who have already become regulars at tango heaven.
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