Estilos distintas - Different styles

Yesterday we took our first tango classes here in BA. First we went to DNI Tango School, that is run by Dana Frigoli, and where Carina also teaches. We took a group class and did some efficient shopping in the DNI Store (pictures later!).
In the group class we did some sacadas and ganchos. The sequence itself was easy and clear, we were able to do it with our own style pretty easily, but oh boy, how to do it in the DNI technique!!! I was told to bend my knees, pull with my right hand, make my waist grow 10cm longer, separate my upper body from my lower body and move them to different directions, and wave my tailbone when I take a sidestep. Pasi had to pull with his left hand, connect his right knee and left shoulder, make a circle with his right arm and left foot, and move his foot with his pubic bone. Just do all this and it will be all right, all right? All right???!!???!? Whew. In the end of the 1,5 hour class we were able to do all this, or something like it, or something that remotely resembled it, or at least we felt different and confused. And strangely, it worked. Whew. Need to book more classes.

In the evening we went to a very different place. The practica of Carlos and Rosa Perez is famous for the Villa Urquiza style, training beautiful tango salon style dancers, and also producing winners for the World Championships of Tango Salon. Seven or eight winning couples of the last years have been training and polishing their style there! We are very interested in putting some Villa Urquiza into our tango salon, so the plan is to spend some evenings there. First we had womens' and men's technique separately, and then we just danced, and Carlos and Rosa helped the couples. They are really really nice and friendly!!!
So the new ideas from there? Carlos suggested that we change our dance hold in some little ways, or actually completely! With his right hand, the man doesn't hold around the woman's back but only until the middle or so. Then the man can lead with his right arm! Yes, he leads with his right arm on the woman's back!!! Because the lead from only the chest is not clear enough, and the woman has to feel a clear lead. Good for leading ochos, boleos... We tried this and it worked!!!
The leader's left hand is more on the woman's side than what we are used to. And we had to lift the elbows! And the woman's left arm and hand lies on the shoulder of the man. So in the end the dance hold felt strangely familiar... hmmm, wait... from Finnish tango!

Wow, so amazing to experience this diversity of styles and teaching!!! And so healthy to do things in a new and different way, and also to be told to do something in a way that we usually say NOT to do! So students, can you anymore believe anything we say? I would say it is not about believing, but trying out with an open mind what the teacher is proposing. Are you able do it in the way the teacher is showing? Can you do it in your own way? Feel how it feels, is it working, and then decide what is right for you!

Spreading the joy of Finnish tango

Yesterday we had the honour to show Finnish tango in Buenos Aires. We were invited to perform in the opening ceremony of the Scandinavian Film Festival, that takes place here in BA this week and next week. Last year the main guest of the festival was Mika Kaurismäki; this year the main guest is a Swedish director. The place was beautiful, Club de Progreso, check the photos behind the link!!! We danced on the patio, pictures 8-10!
It was a beautiful sunny day until the evening when it started to rain really really hard, so we danced one of my favorite Finnish tangos: Sateen tango, The Tango of the Rain.

We were happy with our dancing, and so was the audience, the Finnish and the Argentine alike. The Finnish people were happy to see Finnish tango danced in a soft and elegant way, and we were surprised to meet people who live in BA and don't dance tango. Oh no, we will never be able to understand that!

And, most importantly, my bright pink dress matched the poster of the festival.

Buen día, Buenos Aires!

After three movies, two bottles of champagne and a million long hours, the plane finally landed in Buenos Aires. Calm down mother, the champagne bottles were very very small.
We spent the first day with Carina: she was our lovely angel and saved us when we could not get into our flat in the morning. We had a very happy reunion: she has stayed 4 months in Tampere, and she arrived in BA only two days before us! She cooked us a lovely dinner and baked rye bread (pan de senteno), so we all felt at home.

In the evening we got to our new home: the lovely flat of our friends and tango colleagues Solange Chapperon and Gonzalo Orihuela. They are now on tour in Europe with their company Kambras with their new production Cram. If you happen to be in Switzerland or Germany in October-November, go and see the show!!!

Finally, a mystery picture: find Pasi and Theo the cat!

Travelling...

Soon we will go on a little holiday, and we will have the most wunderbar people replacing us in Tampere!!! Daniela y Raimund from Mala Junta Tango School in Berlin will come to live in our house, teach our classes and, simply, BE us. Make them feel welcome, enjoy their company and make the most of their time here in our beautiful city!!! Make Finnish October and November feel like Spring in Argentina!!!

Ommm....

Ohh, what a beautiful week in the Asthanga yoga retreat!!! Yoga teaching and hosting and island by Stefan Engström and Anatomy of Wholeness teaching by David Gorman. PyM is now totally mesmerized by the  Learning Methods... You can be sure that you'll hear about it in the tango lessons this autumn!!!

Peruskurssit Maailmantangofestivaalilla 15.-16.9.2012 Argentine tango basics

Tervetuloa tutustumaan argentiinalaiseen tangoon! Kahden päivän kurssilla Pasin ja Marian valmennuksessa opit perusteet helposti, ja Maailmantangofestivaalin konserteissa ja tanssitapahtumissa pääset heti tanssimaan! Suosittelemme kurssia myös niille jotka haluavat kerrata perusteita, tai jotka joskus, esim. viime vuonna, ovat olleet tangon alkeiskurssilla. PyM ei koskaan pidä kahta samanlaista alkeiskurssia!!!
Kurssi järjestetään yhteistyössä Tango aMoroson ja Maailmantangofestivaalin kanssa. 

La 15.9. klo 11-14
Su 16.9. klo 12-14

Tunnit pidetään ravintola Telakan 2. kerroksessa.
Kurssin hinta 50e / henkilö.

Ilmoittautumiset pareittain ja mahdolliset kysymykset sähköpostitse osoitteeseen
info ÄT pasiymaria PISTE net
tai puhelimitse 040 840 1426

Tervetuloa!!! Bienvenidos!!!

Welcome to beginners course for Argentine tango! During these five hours you'll learn the basics of tango, so that you can dance in the concerts and dance evenings of the World of Tango Festival!!!
The workshop is also good for those who want to refresh their tango basics, and also for those who took part in this course last year! Pasi y Maria always have a little bit different approach on every beginner course!

Saturday 15.9. 11h-14h
Sunday 16.9. 12h-14h

The classes are at Ravintola Telakka 2nd floor.
The price is 50euros per person (40e for students)

Registration in couples by
e-mail to maria AT pasiymaria DOT net
or phone 040 840 1426

Welcome to the world of dance and tango!!!

Visiting tango teachers

What a great summer camp we had in Varala!!! Sunny days and amazing thunder storms!!! And great friends, beautiful dancing, laughing, good jokes and bad jokes... Now our house feels quite empty.

But not for long! We have the pleasure to welcome Maxi Gomez and Laura Legasque to our home and our tango community! They are visiting Finland, and teaching also in Tampere. Some of you remember Maxi from last summer, and Laura from Oulu Tango Week some years ago.
The classes are arranged in co-operation with Tango aMoroso and PyM.
Here is the program:

Argentine tango classes, group and private classes! 
Solo and partner technique!

Friday 10.8.2012
17h-18h Women's technique I (Flamencostudio)
18h-19h30 Men's technique I (Studio PyM)

Saturday 11.8.2012
11-12.30 Folklore: Chacarera
12.45-14.15 Tango salon: complex figures
14.30-16 Tango show: coreografia

18-19 Women's technique II
19-> Practica

Price 15e/workshop, technique classes 10e. 
Registration and info Maria Laurén
maria@pasiymaria.net
tel. 040 840 1426

Private classes possible on Sunday 12.8. and Monday 13.8. at the Studio PyM. Contact directly Maxi or Laura on Facebook. 

Maxi y Laura will teach also on Tuesday 14.8. at the Mustalahti harbour 18h-19h before the milonga!