At the moment I'm tired and sick, but also feeling grateful for the many unexpected things I've experienced in these days away. I spent some time with a very beautiful woman and shared some good understandings. The memories are settling into a sunny botanical garden of clear moments now. I remembered not to hold on so much to regret and trust in people's strength a little more. I then spend almost a week diving into the German tango scene here at the Phantastango festival in Braunsbedra. This place is spectacular, like a dreamlike mix of an art gallery, heavy industry factory and church, the the suspended swinging sofas, giant drills and tall, arched windows. It was good to meet so many faces I already knew from other venues around Europe and everyone was very welcoming. I think I was a bit of a novelty being the only Englishman here - which has bit hard sometimes, not having a clue about the details of what anyone around you is talking about. But when they can people have often translated and I've met some great people here who'd I'd like to keep in touch with. Amen for tango.
I was just about balancing my work (deadlines looming for a new event, see www.champagne-singles.co.uk) and dancing, having some great tango exchanges and input from the teachers and my favourite dancers here and getting a lot out of just observing the classes and demos (I was too late to book the ones I would have been interested in, and besides I find there's little point unless you know you'll be working with a partner who's vaguely on the same page as you in their tango), when a few days ago I felt very tired, with a strong headache and a very sore throat. The next morning I woke up with a brite red, swollen gum at the back of the mouth, so much so it was starting to cover my molar, meaning I was biting down on gum when closing my mouth fully. You can imaging how much fun eating then became. The gum has now changed colours (hopefully just healing from the biting) and I'm liquidizing my food as best I can. People have been extremely kind here, I've had massages, homeopathic treatments and many kind words from people I barely know. While I wasn't dancing I got some decent pictures of the tango action and the fine group performance on the final evening. Today I was taken to a dentist by one of the attendees here and given a painkiller injection and some anti-biotics and told to get the tooth out as soon as I get home. Nice. But if it works that's ok with me. I'd neglected to take out travel insurance, but she didn't charge me. So, such a lot to be grateful for, but I'm feeling quite fed up still. Simply bitting into a sandwich without wincing again will feel great. Feels good to write this.
I'm hear now, day 9, with the cleanup crew, helping out and staying an extra night as my train leaves tomorrow. I have a bucket of blended pasta, potato, peanuts, tomato, olives and port cutlets next to me and a Becks green lemon - which is not quite as affective as the double bourbon was, but tastes so much better. I'd orginally planned to having a look around the churches and landscapes. Unfortunately it will be another 72 hours before I see an English morning again and can book an emergency dental appointment. Pants. But on the plus side this experience will probably work out to be a useful one, tough one's usually do.
Take care
ps. in terms of personal tango learning, for me the most important things have been observing more carefully the weight tranfer onto my left foot (as I have left knee troubles) and continuing to develop my sensitivity to the followers axis (which of course allows more comfortable and peaceful dance as well as crazy sliding volcada type action). perhaps I'll write more on that when I have more energy. Just one more thing. I've named the set of techniques I've developed (accepting someone, somewhere, sometime may have done the same) and that often flavours my dancing. "Switch catches". I might change it, but I like it for now. Essentially variation on the theme of some kind of catch joined to another via 1 or 2 baredas and/or a weight change, most often with the same leg of the leader doing the foot play. The idea can also be used with secarda ganchos, with the secarda rasing the leg to be 'caught' with a gancho and then bought back through into potentially into another catch - either mordida or gancho freeze. This concept rarely fail to bring a smile and giggle to a follower when performed well. One of the great things about these things is that some of them are rather little and simple things that most leaders should be able to do with a little practice, and of course when divilered as a concept provide ready avenues of exploration. I shall aim to write more about "Switch catches" before long. Getting well again and sorting financial life are priorities now.
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