A part of the Qualities of cabeceo mini-series A signature cabeceo? All in all, there is one final notion about the whole cabeceo thing. Over time, I have come to discern between different 'styles' of the mirada. People have their signature miradas. The style of mirada gives character to a person's cabeceo. So it's not too far out to speak about signature cabeceos as well. I will give a few examples. Please keep in mind these are my interpretations. No one of these people actually named their miradas/cabeceos. So, for taking the liberty to do so myself, I will give these good souls the privacy of nick-names.
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A part of the Qualities of cabeceo mini-series 5 types of cabeceo (by invocation) We speak about cabeceo as if it was just one. It's not so. In my limited experience, the whole cabeceo thing is being described way to mechanically. The mechanical explanation, given in part 1, is more or less correct. But it is dry and leaves out all the juicy stuff (pun intended). Ask yourself: when and how does a cabeceo really begin? I have come to discern 5 basic types of cabeceo, defined by its invocation:
Let's begin by me admitting it took me 8 months to figure out how to spell cabeceo :) 'Pohruškanje' A cabeceo is something that has become a pre-requisite in our tango community. Ladies would appreciate it if you did it and would resent you if you didn't. So, clearly, not much of a choice. 'Slatkice', a non-formal group of younger generation tango ladies here in Ljubljana, have even invented a term to describe the act of a man asking for a dance without cabeceo: to be »pohrkuškana,« which would literary translate to »to be peared.« What it means is that a man picks her like a pear from a tree. He comes over, stands in close proximity and extends his hand to ask for a dance, often accompanied by a gesture of a slight bow towards the lady. Indeed, when a woman is sitting, 'pohruškanje' does remind me of a man picking pears from a small tree. Asking somebody to dance verbally, without the bowing and extending the hand, is also considered 'pohruskanje.' Of course, also a lady could 'pohruškati' a man. I have experienced it a couple times, enought to understand why women don't enjoy it. Spiraling down After the milonga in Trieste, things have been gradually going south. Little by little I have been sinking in some murky, unpleasant state of being. The thing is: in Poreč I felt like I have nothing. I had nothing to loose. But since then I had had some trips to tango heaven. That's why I was able to tell when I was far from it. Things have changed. I had something to loose. The baby-beginner's phase came to an end. My ladies, the more experienced followers, were not so full of praise anymore. Instead, they began demanding I made some changes fast. One lady felt she was suffocating by my hand on her back, saying I was pulling her in too tightly. This began the project of 'relaxing the back hand.' The other lady was complaining I was twisting her right wrist, which gave birth to project 'untwist the left hand and lower the elbow while you're at it.' The third lady, which was about my height, complained I was pushing my head into her head which was giving her neck pain. That was my third project. Self-improvement projects were piling up. The Story Still hyped up from Poreč, I immediately agreed to join the company that decided to go for a milonga in Trieste that Sunday. And why not? My favourite ladies would be there! Frane was driving, we were three guys in the car, together with Bostjan, a seasoned tanguero. None of us knew where the milonga was held. But we had our GPS devices. The hour we spent in the car went by quickly. It was mostly talk about dancing. As it is ever so. The rest of the crew had some head start. They would already be all warmed up when we arrive. Coming to Trieste, we knew that the location was somewhere along the coastal road. However, the location marked on the GPS map was faulty; in reality, there was nothing there, just a concrete wall dividing an industrial zone from the road. No entrance, no lights, no signs of milonga. Long story short: we needed one more hour and help from our friends to find the entrance. Peter was kind enough to wait for us at the wall and showed us the way in. An unbelievably well-hidden entrance. If they used it during WWII, I'm sure no one ever found it and the soldiers could play poker in peace. |
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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