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Post date: Mar 28, 2014 7:41:48 AM
Following on from Vanina and Chicho Tango-Part 1 and About Vanina
In this video Vanina shares her philosophy of tango and gives some great advice to tango dancers, particularly female dancers.
When asked what was the best advice she had ever received - Vanina replied that it was Maria Nieve's warning not to sacrifice a family life for a tango career. Her reason for ending her tango career was that although tango had helped develop her as a human being, she wanted to move on to a "different project" and different journey of self development.
Here's some of my favourite quotes from the video...
"Tango allowed me to know my strengths and weaknesses"
"The (tango) embrace is what I chose for my whole life. This is what made me fall for tango." Vanina recalls how it was the embrace of Gustavo Naveira's father, who she partnered in her first tango lesson, that got her hooked to tango! That makes three generations of Naveira's who've influenced the course of tango history!
Vanina's main advice to female tango dancers is...
"Let yourself feel, let yourself discover your bodies, learn as much as you can from others but try to discover your own style...
"You have to feel as if your back is your front...dance with your whole body." This advice particularly intrigues me, and will be explored further!
The main advice she wants to give tango dancers in general is...
"Technique is great, but you have to feel. If you don't feel you don't dance. Dancing is feeling"
"Practice technique then forget it. Let yourself go with the flow of the dance."
"You can learn technique as a way to feel, or you can learn to feel and then learn technique. It doesn't matter which comes first as long as you are going in the right direction."
"Be truthful...don't copy others. Dance your own way. You have to learn from others, then produce your own style...when you see something honest you know it."
"It's only three minutes, go through them, live them."
Her advice to Tango Show (ensenario) dancers...
"When you dance for your own enjoyment everyone can see it. The mistake is to perform for others. That's not genuine. If you don't feel it, how can you communicate it?
And what about Chicho, you may ask?
As mentioned in Vanina and Chicho Tango-Part 1 Chicho was Vanina's first choice when asked who she would most like to dance with (a very good choice too). The interviewer, Pepa, notes that both Chico and Vanina place a strong emphasis on authenticity and feeling in tango. I'd also add to that list musicality, for which they are both renowned. When they dance together at the end of the video they certainly exude all these qualities!
Photos: Centre right - Gustavo Naveira, Vanina's first teacher. Lower right - Chicho Frumboli
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