This
is a personal note for those interested in my life
experience and how Tango fits in.
Some people ask me how long I have been dancing. 'All my life' is my first thought. I grew up in a working class musical household. My early recollections take me back to weekend or holiday parties, neighbours showing up with guitars and banjos, my uncles standing around the piano singing the old favourites as my grandmother and aunt and later myself, played to accompany them. And dancing, as a very little girl standing firmly but lightly on my father's feet, enjoying the feeling of following him as he moved around the living room. I delighted in the challenge to just stay with him, to balance as best I could, to not anticipate nor block his expression. A different culture and different music but a similar time ... as families in Argentina were getting together, socializing, and dancing Tango.
My curiosity about balance and the way people moved have always intrigued me. As a young girl I would wonder why some people would sit hunched over or walk pigeon toed or like a duck or have one shoulder higher or more forward than the other.
I excelled in sports as a child, majored in physical education and zoology at university ending in an education degree. I went on to study Modern Dance, Alexander Technique, and T'ai Chi in my 20's. In 1976, I trained in structural and movement integration at the Rolf Institute in Boulder, Colorado ... which became a career for the next 20 years. Throughout that time my focus and work was helping my clients find balance and ease in their every day repetitive activities by understanding and changing their body's relationship to the gravitational field. I enjoyed the variety of situations where people wanted to either improve performance or simply feel better ... from triathletes, musicians, and potters to office workers, mother's carrying babies, or people suffering from MS. All ages and all walks of life came through my door.
My love of dance plus my children reaching an age of independence inspired a change, and soon a new life ... within the world of Tango. I quickly became obsessed and started the 45 minute drive from my home in Cobble Hill to downtown Victoria at least twice a week for the first year or two. I studied with every visiting teacher and also went off as often as I could to the Vancouver and Seattle tango communities. (I have since also been to Argentina).
But it was Miguel Angel Pla, one of my first Argentine teachers and a regular visiting instructor who I recognized as most authentic and before long I started to immerse myself in his teaching.
I have since learned the importance of finding a teacher that suits you and staying with that teacher until you've learned all that you can ... and only then move on. Otherwise it is easy to get and stay confused.
It was Miguel's suggestion that I start to teach Tango. I realize how valuable my years of experience of working with clients have been. It is easy for me to recognize the core problem in a Tango student since both balance and posture are so important and ultimately bring success in the enjoyment of the dance.
For many years I hosted Miguel, organized his tour throughout the west coast, as well as accompanying him to most of the communities where he was invited. I had the privilege to attend almost all of his workshops and private lessons and feel honoured that he asked me to carry on his work to keep the lineage and tradition of Salon Tango alive and well in this area of the world.
Some people ask me how long I have been dancing. 'All my life' is my first thought. I grew up in a working class musical household. My early recollections take me back to weekend or holiday parties, neighbours showing up with guitars and banjos, my uncles standing around the piano singing the old favourites as my grandmother and aunt and later myself, played to accompany them. And dancing, as a very little girl standing firmly but lightly on my father's feet, enjoying the feeling of following him as he moved around the living room. I delighted in the challenge to just stay with him, to balance as best I could, to not anticipate nor block his expression. A different culture and different music but a similar time ... as families in Argentina were getting together, socializing, and dancing Tango.
My curiosity about balance and the way people moved have always intrigued me. As a young girl I would wonder why some people would sit hunched over or walk pigeon toed or like a duck or have one shoulder higher or more forward than the other.
I excelled in sports as a child, majored in physical education and zoology at university ending in an education degree. I went on to study Modern Dance, Alexander Technique, and T'ai Chi in my 20's. In 1976, I trained in structural and movement integration at the Rolf Institute in Boulder, Colorado ... which became a career for the next 20 years. Throughout that time my focus and work was helping my clients find balance and ease in their every day repetitive activities by understanding and changing their body's relationship to the gravitational field. I enjoyed the variety of situations where people wanted to either improve performance or simply feel better ... from triathletes, musicians, and potters to office workers, mother's carrying babies, or people suffering from MS. All ages and all walks of life came through my door.
My love of dance plus my children reaching an age of independence inspired a change, and soon a new life ... within the world of Tango. I quickly became obsessed and started the 45 minute drive from my home in Cobble Hill to downtown Victoria at least twice a week for the first year or two. I studied with every visiting teacher and also went off as often as I could to the Vancouver and Seattle tango communities. (I have since also been to Argentina).
But it was Miguel Angel Pla, one of my first Argentine teachers and a regular visiting instructor who I recognized as most authentic and before long I started to immerse myself in his teaching.
I have since learned the importance of finding a teacher that suits you and staying with that teacher until you've learned all that you can ... and only then move on. Otherwise it is easy to get and stay confused.
It was Miguel's suggestion that I start to teach Tango. I realize how valuable my years of experience of working with clients have been. It is easy for me to recognize the core problem in a Tango student since both balance and posture are so important and ultimately bring success in the enjoyment of the dance.
For many years I hosted Miguel, organized his tour throughout the west coast, as well as accompanying him to most of the communities where he was invited. I had the privilege to attend almost all of his workshops and private lessons and feel honoured that he asked me to carry on his work to keep the lineage and tradition of Salon Tango alive and well in this area of the world.
