Αν και είναι μεγάλο, αξίζει να το διαβάσετε!
About criticism and my own experience:
In the last 10 years 2 events have changed drastically the way I see my dancing with Mariana and, the way I approach our teaching. My closest 4 friends and the people on these two stories know about it. Today, I decided to make it public...
Year 2007, Palais du Chaillot, Festival Buenos Aires Paris, organized by the gouvernment of buenos aires and the one in Paris. The cast was more than prestigious, among those Gloria and Eduardo Arquimbau, Orquesta Escuela de Tango directed by Emilio Balcarce, and Esteban Moreno Claudia Codega and Damian Rosenthal and Celine Ruiz.
My colleagues decided to make me a sort of "leading choreographer" for the group numbers although we all putted our part, I was somehow coordinating the numbers, thank you Esteban Moreno for your offer.
The day of the general rehearsal takes place. Everyone on stage. Every dancer tried their song with the orchestra, and we did tried out as well the group numbers. All under the watch of Gloria and Eduardo who happened to be seating on the fourth or fifth row if my memory works well.
At the end of the rehearsal and just before Gloria and Eduardo were called on stage to try their own numbers I decided to seat a second by their sides and asked them what they thought. Esteban and Damian came along with me.
Me:
"'Maestro Arquimbau, then... So? What did you think of it? (I ashamed to confess certain pride on my voice, pride because he knew me since young age... Since I was 8 or 9 years old... I thought he will be more than proud to see where I got after all that time)
Arquimbau: ( after a moment of silence he turned to me, and made sure he was looking into my eyes to tell me what he thought) "well... I liked it much more when you used to dance ! "
I thought.... He must have misused the words. When I used to dance? I thought he meant he liked it better how I danced in the past? Yes, and no... He clarified all in the following sentences
Arquimbau: "because... Now you don't dance at all, I can't tell you I don't like it because you didn't dance yet! The girl ... Well, the girls did all... You just stood still on two legs and hold her while she makes high boleos and high ganchos, and you simply and plain: just stand. That's why I can't tell you if I liked it. But I liked more how you danced when you were a child! You did move back then!"
I was simply shocked. My colleagues astonished by the statement of maestro Arquimbau maybe waited for me to react... I clearly remember Moreno trying always like a good friend to say something to somehow defend the "indefendible"... But I was shocked, I don't remember what Moreno said, his words were forgotten or simply I was too shocked to make sense out of his words.
I simply said... "Thank you maestro, I will think about it" and I left to the dressing room
That night we had to dance, it was the first show. We did the show, all was normal, and people liked it... Seemly liked it. I was (by the reaction of the audience) capable to arrogantly state that Arquimbau was wrong, or envious, or anything! But no... We did the show, and careless of the reaction of the audience that day something changed in me. And this story that I share with you now, is a subject of conversation every single time we meet with my two friends: Damian and Esteban.
Thank you Eduardo Arquimbau for sharing your point of view
---
The other event took place in the most unthinkable place and season... Hot summer, Corfu or one Greek island i dont remember which, but it was in Greece year? I think it was also 2007 or 2008
Greece Tango Festival... The cast, Balmaceda and Corina, And other two couples that i will not mention, but they were at that moment referents of the tango Nuevo wave as well as Mariana and I .
First evening of the event, we are required to attend the milonga early since the evening was a sort of presentation of the Greek teachers and guests, and all of them expected that the table of maestros will be witnessing every couple's show.
We were all on time. And then... Show time!
8 Out of the maybe 10 couples danced electronic music, but they were clearly not ready to interpret this music, but what was more strange is that they were all dancing open and trying to be "original" to the point that they were not looking like tango dancers at all...
One of my colleagues started to laugh... Then other started to comment... Then the whole table (teachers and friends of teachers) were commenting sarcastically... But then, Balmaceda said something :
"You might laugh at them now, but you are risponsable of what this people do! Then you laugh about your own work? You made them like this"
Silence, plain general silence...
Then argument... And the same that happened to me in that theatre seat, I was not able to make sense of the words said after that. I was just shocked.
Shocked not only because what Balmaceda said was true, no.. I was also shocked by the love with which he protected "them" from "us". How dangerous he felt we were, since we were no taking our educational responsibility in our hands. Because to his eyes we were just playing to be teachers.
I was the younger, and the one included in that circle of trust. So I limited myself to simply shut up and learn...
Then, like in any table of friends, The argument transformed in conversation and then the conversation in jokes again and all softened up, but something inside me had changed again. I understood my responsibility, because I was for the first time exposed to my failures by watching the results of my lack of commitment to "first, teach them tango!"
Thank you Balmaceda for these words, I listened
Από το προφίλ του Arce στο Favebook...
About criticism and my own experience:
In the last 10 years 2 events have changed drastically the way I see my dancing with Mariana and, the way I approach our teaching. My closest 4 friends and the people on these two stories know about it. Today, I decided to make it public...
Year 2007, Palais du Chaillot, Festival Buenos Aires Paris, organized by the gouvernment of buenos aires and the one in Paris. The cast was more than prestigious, among those Gloria and Eduardo Arquimbau, Orquesta Escuela de Tango directed by Emilio Balcarce, and Esteban Moreno Claudia Codega and Damian Rosenthal and Celine Ruiz.
My colleagues decided to make me a sort of "leading choreographer" for the group numbers although we all putted our part, I was somehow coordinating the numbers, thank you Esteban Moreno for your offer.
The day of the general rehearsal takes place. Everyone on stage. Every dancer tried their song with the orchestra, and we did tried out as well the group numbers. All under the watch of Gloria and Eduardo who happened to be seating on the fourth or fifth row if my memory works well.
At the end of the rehearsal and just before Gloria and Eduardo were called on stage to try their own numbers I decided to seat a second by their sides and asked them what they thought. Esteban and Damian came along with me.
Me:
"'Maestro Arquimbau, then... So? What did you think of it? (I ashamed to confess certain pride on my voice, pride because he knew me since young age... Since I was 8 or 9 years old... I thought he will be more than proud to see where I got after all that time)
Arquimbau: ( after a moment of silence he turned to me, and made sure he was looking into my eyes to tell me what he thought) "well... I liked it much more when you used to dance ! "
I thought.... He must have misused the words. When I used to dance? I thought he meant he liked it better how I danced in the past? Yes, and no... He clarified all in the following sentences
Arquimbau: "because... Now you don't dance at all, I can't tell you I don't like it because you didn't dance yet! The girl ... Well, the girls did all... You just stood still on two legs and hold her while she makes high boleos and high ganchos, and you simply and plain: just stand. That's why I can't tell you if I liked it. But I liked more how you danced when you were a child! You did move back then!"
I was simply shocked. My colleagues astonished by the statement of maestro Arquimbau maybe waited for me to react... I clearly remember Moreno trying always like a good friend to say something to somehow defend the "indefendible"... But I was shocked, I don't remember what Moreno said, his words were forgotten or simply I was too shocked to make sense out of his words.
I simply said... "Thank you maestro, I will think about it" and I left to the dressing room
That night we had to dance, it was the first show. We did the show, all was normal, and people liked it... Seemly liked it. I was (by the reaction of the audience) capable to arrogantly state that Arquimbau was wrong, or envious, or anything! But no... We did the show, and careless of the reaction of the audience that day something changed in me. And this story that I share with you now, is a subject of conversation every single time we meet with my two friends: Damian and Esteban.
Thank you Eduardo Arquimbau for sharing your point of view
---
The other event took place in the most unthinkable place and season... Hot summer, Corfu or one Greek island i dont remember which, but it was in Greece year? I think it was also 2007 or 2008
Greece Tango Festival... The cast, Balmaceda and Corina, And other two couples that i will not mention, but they were at that moment referents of the tango Nuevo wave as well as Mariana and I .
First evening of the event, we are required to attend the milonga early since the evening was a sort of presentation of the Greek teachers and guests, and all of them expected that the table of maestros will be witnessing every couple's show.
We were all on time. And then... Show time!
8 Out of the maybe 10 couples danced electronic music, but they were clearly not ready to interpret this music, but what was more strange is that they were all dancing open and trying to be "original" to the point that they were not looking like tango dancers at all...
One of my colleagues started to laugh... Then other started to comment... Then the whole table (teachers and friends of teachers) were commenting sarcastically... But then, Balmaceda said something :
"You might laugh at them now, but you are risponsable of what this people do! Then you laugh about your own work? You made them like this"
Silence, plain general silence...
Then argument... And the same that happened to me in that theatre seat, I was not able to make sense of the words said after that. I was just shocked.
Shocked not only because what Balmaceda said was true, no.. I was also shocked by the love with which he protected "them" from "us". How dangerous he felt we were, since we were no taking our educational responsibility in our hands. Because to his eyes we were just playing to be teachers.
I was the younger, and the one included in that circle of trust. So I limited myself to simply shut up and learn...
Then, like in any table of friends, The argument transformed in conversation and then the conversation in jokes again and all softened up, but something inside me had changed again. I understood my responsibility, because I was for the first time exposed to my failures by watching the results of my lack of commitment to "first, teach them tango!"
Thank you Balmaceda for these words, I listened
Από το προφίλ του Arce στο Favebook...
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