I reached tango being drag by a friend! Yes… incredible, but true. I didn’t want to go! A good and very old friend drag me on, called me 3 times that day: let’s go, let’s go!
At Cina (Amsterdam Grand Café) the lesson already started at 6.00 PM. There were couples walking in a circle. I was quickly received by the host, given a partner that had just arrived, who was late too; I saw him changing his shoes, (he had dance shoes and I thought to my self: “say, he has been here before, so he knows something!”). And we went on. We walked.
Then the lesson was over and they announced that the party is going on.
People began to come. It looked like they knew each other.
When they arrived, everybody were kissing everybody (?!?!?!?) these guys loved each other I thought, … they seemed to me close to each other … mh…. Ok.
Then I sat and watched all evening long. What did I like most? The atmosphere.
The music? I did not understand a thing! Each and every song sounded exactly the same with the previous one, for me. Even a little bit irritating because of some showy instruments, and because of broken voices of the 40’s singers.
Interesting things? What people were doing when they were dancing. They were happy. They came there with joy. They were dancing with joy, and what they were doing, seemed to me spectacular... the ladies were doing some things with their feet in the air, or between the feet of the guys… ooooauuuu! Or the guys were throwing their feet between the ladies feet!
I was looking and looking. I took something to drink, the place was somekind fancy, the lights were dim, a warm feeling. After a while, when the music annoyed me, it was very clear that I didn’t know a thing about this dance, and I thought that if I wanted to learn something, I had to take it from zero, and to ignore what I knew about tango from ballroom dancing, to make space in my brain for new information, and to be patient as there was a lot to work. But the question was: did I want to learn? Mh… a little bit irritating that music!
At the end of the evening when we left, my fiend was already anticipating:
- We are coming next Sunday, are we? It was very nice!
- …..yeeeaaahhhh, we’ll see …
Next Sunday (23 October 2005) the phone rang again:
- Let’s go, you did enjoy Cina last week, at 6.00 PM we have to be there!
- ?!?!???.....Mh? At Cina? What to do there? What is going on at Cina? Why should we go?
I have already forgotten…
- You said last week we are going to tango today!!! Let’s go, it’s fun! And I heard there will be a show with some argentine guys!
- Tango? … Hhhhh…. I’m not in the mood…. (Say, and there is a show too…ih…)
I tried to skip it, but I couldn’t… We arrived at Cina at 6.
That week there was a workshop with Gonzalo and his partner, (http://stiri.zoot.ro/Vamos-a-bailar,39794.html) so we saw an argentine tango demo, which did not say much to me… I only remember Gonzalo’s red tight trousers and I raised an disapproving eyebrow … trousers that he worn the next year by the way, and then I raised the second eyebrow … the demo was not exactly what I thought tango should be. In fact, I didn’t now what argentine tango was and I didn’t have much expectation; I did knew I hated ballroom tango; from all ballroom dances, tango seemed to me the worst, the most unnatural dance that could exist!
At Cina was very crowded, bustle, people fancy dressed, event atmosphere, and a live concert. I was very surprised to learn there is a band that plays tango in Romania and I didn’t know tango could sound different. For me tango was related to drawing-room ballad or to Gica Petrescu (old Romanian singer), which I hated, honestly! It was a nice surprise for me to hear tango played only by 2 or 3 instruments: guitar, contrabass, and something else… it sounded completely different, it was closer to classical music, but it was not classical music… a mixture somehow …
They played and danced passionately! Only I was sitting, but even as a member of the public I enjoyed the “party”. I couldn’t exactly understand what was I doing there, but… in the end I could classify the evening as “a going out night”!
(http://stiri.zoot.ro/Vamos-a-bailar,39794.html)
Here comes Sunday again (30 October 2005); the phone rang:
- Yeah, I know, I know, we are going to Cina!
Same story: couples, which were changing partners between songs, we were told what and how to do… we were walking counterclockwise, the music was scratching my ear… what so ever. The lesson is done. We sat at the tables. Tea, tea. Light, light. Music, music. Nice atmosphere. People start to come. Kisses, kisses. Dance, dance. Feet, feet. Hhhhhmmm, wait a minute, now that I learned the lesson, I would like to walk too… but with whom? …. Nobody was asking me to dance… nobody knew me. I saw that people knowing each other were asking dancing between them (kissing each other when coming and leaving!?!?! – I just couldn’t understand this habit). There were some girls which knew how to dance! All right then, let’s take a look what they are doing here! I was paying great attention.
Sunday (6 noiembrie) I call my friend:
- We are going tonight to tango, at Cina…!
- Ok!
I began to know some faces there, especially those who were practicing with me during the lessons. I start to dance at milonga with these guys. And others began to ask me to dance. I kinda start to like it!
I couldn’t wait next Sunday! To go to Cina!
…and then the next Sunday… and the Sunday after… the week was passing waiting the Sunday day to go to Cina!
I started to dance little by little, in the way I’ve been taught in classes, I liked to dance more and more, and I began to dislike sitting down! He, he, he... I didn’t realize what I was going into!!!!
The time spent during classes was nice, relaxed, into a nice location, where everybody felt free, and I was having some dances for sure. You could take something to drink, you could smoke, take part to the lesson, and it was a public place in the end…. The “advanced” people started to come later after the class, and I was most happy when the advanced guys arrived earlier, and advanced girls were not yet there, as I could be invited by those guys. Seeing those girls coming I knew my evening was over, as I was no longer invited, and the only thing to do was to sit and to watch. At the beginning it was ok, but after a while, when I saw them arriving to milonga I was really irritated: “here they came again! Those girls! So… I’m not going to be asked to dance any longer this evening!
There were many events at Cina which made a lively atmosphere: at the end of November, there was a concert with Anca Parghel (http://www.alternativ.ro/arhiva/arhiva_stiri/Tango%20de%20Anul%20Nou.php).
Incredible! She sang superbly. I didn’t know tango music, I didn’t have any education or information concerning this zone, but what I heard, I did like! My skin went chicken boobs once. Again the place was crowded, nicely dressed people, excitement, dance, joy, and every time when it was over, I wanted to stay longer, I wanted more and more! I started to pay attention to what I put on, and always to take my dance shoes! I tried to dress nicely, but not too nice not to draw the attention on me. The choices were few, as the winter came … it was cold outside, … the pullovers were hard to wear, as if you dance you get quickly warm,…I’m talking from my experience, and from what I saw on the dancing floor … : there were guys going sweat … hhhmmmm! Especially when some fast song came, when they were running, and they were making the girls tired …, but the girls were very happy after those fast dances! Those songs I learned they were called “milonga”. And I was scared by this milonga!!!! I ran away from it for a long while!
After sometime, I had at least 2 partners which invited me at least once during one evening. There was a guy which loved the beginners, who took me dancing and showed me things several dances/tandas in row (at least 8 songs one after another). And after me he took another beginner…it seemed to me he knew something, as he knew how to dance salsa and some ballroom dances. And when I grew up he forgot me!
What we were doing during the classes was one thing, (walking, crossing the legs and the most advanced thing going around the guy), but after the class it was different, as I could dance free, and learn things from those more advanced, and to practice what I was seeing to other girls. The most difficult thing was to wave my leg in the air, but I liked it very much. I was looking only to the legs!!! I was fascinated by the dance!
The music… I didn’t like it! I couldn’t recognize a song from another, they sounded the same for me, only some of them were fastest than others, and there were some very slow and modern songs that I couldn’t understand… I couldn’t catch their rhythm at all!!!
Those slow songs, I learned later, were tango Nuevo! And I was very frightened of them! And they were so looooooooooong, endless songs. After I danced once on these songs, I tried to memorize them, in order not to find myself in the situation to be forced to dance on them! Awful! There was something more bearable which resembled to waltz, as my ear was much more comfortable with the waltz. Generally it was not the music I was interested in; the music was a false reason to be dancing, it was giving me the rhythm, which I was often mixing up, as it was kinda changing from time to time, or… something was happening… I don’t know … ha, ha. The point was to be able to do the things those girls were doing!!!! And to be invited to dance! Quicker!!!
I sat. I sat down a lot and I watched. I sat months. I was sitting down and wanted to dance. I wished to be invited to dance by those good leaders. And if happened to be invited by the good leaders I was completely thrilled, and I couldn’t believe they had a dance for me!!! Sometimes I was so excited I couldn’t dance, and I was thinking I was ruining my chances to be invited again! And afterwords, I was sitting again. And sitting. And watching.
Escape?
(16 Octombrie 2005)
La tango am ajuns “tarata”! Da, … e incredibil, dar e adevarat. Eu nu vroiam sa merg! O buna si foarte foarte veche prietena a tras de mine, m-a sunat de 3 ori in ziua aceea sa mergem, sa mergem!
Apoi ora s-a terminat si s-a anuntat ca “petrecerea continua”.
Au inceput sa vina oameni. Parea ca se cunosteau intre ei. Toti care veneau incepeau sa se pupe intre ei (?!?!?!?) mama-mama ce mare dragoste aici intre oameni… pareau ca sunt foarte apropiati… mh…. Ok.
Am stat apoi toata seara si m-am uitat. Ce m-a cucerit? Atmosfera.
Muzica? Nu intelegeam nimic din ea. Toate melodiile pentru mine erau la fel. Chiar putin enervante prin stridenta unor instrumente, si a vocilor sparte ale canteretilor din anii 40, asa mi se parea mie.
Ce era mai atractiv? Ce faceau oamenii cand dansau. Erau veseli. Venisera acolo cu bucurie. Dansau cu bucurie, si ce faceau mi se parea spectaculos... fetele faceau niste miscari cu picioarele prin aer, sau printre picioarele baietilor… ooooauuuu! Sau baietii cu picioarele intre picioarele fetelor!
M-am uitat, m-am tot uitat. Mi-am luat ceva de baut, localul era mai “fancy”, lumina mai difuza, atmosfera calda. Dupa o vreme de uitat, timp in care m-a cam enervat muzica, mi-a fost clar ca nu stiu nimic despre acel dans, asa ca am pornit cu idea ca daca vreau sa invat ceva, trebuie sa o iau de la zero, indiferent ce stiam io de la dans sportiv; trebuia sa las tot ce stiam deoparte, sa golesc mintea, sa fac loc pentru noi informatii, si sa ma inarmez cu rabdare ca era de lucru acolo. Dar vroiam sa invat? Mh… cam enervanta muzica asta! La sfarsit cand am plecat, prietena mea deja anticipa:
- Venim si duminica viitoare, da? Ai vazut ce frumos e?
- …..mmmdaaa, mai vedem…
Duminica urmatoare (23 Octombrie 2005) suna din nou telefonul:
- Hai mergem, ca ti-a placut la Cina saptamana trecuta, la ora 6 trebuie se fim acolo!
- ?!?!???.....Mh? La Cina? Ce sa facem acolo? Ce e la Cina? De ce sa mergem?
Deja uitasem…
- Cum, ai zis ca mergem la tango!!! Hai sa mergem ca e tare frumos! Si am auzit ca o sa fie si un spectacol, chiar cu niste argentinieni!
- Tango? … hhhhh…. n-am chef…. (auzi, si mai e si spectacol…ih…)
Ca o fi, ca o patzi, am dat-o la intors, si am incercat sa scap pe toate partile… n-a fost chip, n-am avut cu cine sa ma inteleg. Am ajuns la ora 6 pana la urma , la Cina….
Era dupa un seminar tinut de Gonzalo si partenera lui de pe vremea aceea (http://stiri.zoot.ro/Vamos-a-bailar,39794.html) asa ca am avut parte de un demo de tango argentinian, din care nu am priceput io mare lucru… nu-mi aduc aminte decat de pantalonii rosii de “trening”, mulati, ai lui gonzalo, la care am ridicat dintr-o spranceana dezaprobatoare, ….pantaloni cu care a venit si anul urmator by the way, si atunci am ridicat si a doau spranceana… demo-ul nu prea era ce-mi imaginam io ca trebuie sa fie tango. De fapt nici nu stiam ce e tango argentinian si nu aveam prea mari asteptari; stiam ca detest tango de la dans sportiv; din toate dansurile de la dans sportiv tango-ul mi se parea oribil, ceva mai nenetural nici ca putea exista!
La Cina era foarte multa lume, forfoteala, lumea intzolita festiv, atmosfera de “eveniment”, s-a cantat live. Am fost uimita sa vad ca exista o formatie care canta tango… habar n-aveam ca tango poate sa sune si altfel. Pentru mine muzica de tango se asocia cu romanta, sau cu muzica gen Gica Petrescu, pe care sincer, o detestam! A fost oarecum o surpriza sa aud tango doar cu 2-3 instrumente, ghitara, contrabass si inca ceva parca…., dar suna total altfel, se apropia de muzica clasica oarecum, dar nu era clasica… o amestecatura oricum… . Si s-a dansat cu mult foc! Numai eu stateam pe bara, dar chiar ca si membru al publicului, tot mi-a placut. Nu intelegeam exact ce cautam io acolo, dar … puteam sa bifez seara aceea ca “o iesire in oras” la urma urmei!
(http://stiri.zoot.ro/Vamos-a-bailar,39794.html)
Vine din nou duminica (30 Octombrie 2005); suna telefonul:
- Da, stiu, mergem la Cina!
Aceeasi poveste: perechi perechi, care se tot schimbau, partenerul mergea la pauza dintre melodii la urmatoarea fata, ni se spunea ce si cum sa facem… mergeam in cerc, ma zgaria muzica in urechi… in fine. Se termina lectia. Ne asezam la mese. Ceaiul, ceai. Lumina, lumina. Muzica, muzica. Atmosfera placuta. Incepe sa vina lumea. Pupaturi, pupaturi. Dans, dans. Picioare, picioare. Hhhhhmmm, dar stai asa, ca acum am fost si io la lectie, parca as mai patrula si io un pic … dar cu cine? …. Pe mine nu ma invita nimeni… nu ma stie nimeni. Am vazut ca cei care se cunosteau (si se tot pupau la venire si la plecare !?!?! nu reuseam sa inteleg obiceiul asta) se tot invitau intre ei. Erau cateva fete care stiau! Bine zic, hai sa ne uitam ce fac ele aicea! Deja atentia era marita.
Duminica (6 noiembrie) pun mana pe telefon:
- Mergem diseara la tango, la Cina…!
- Mergem!
Incepusem deja sa stiu cateva fetze de pe acolo, in mod special pe cei cu care “tropaiam” la lectie. Am inceput sa mai exersez la milonga cu baietii cu care faceam pereche in timpul orelor. Si au inceput sa ma mai invite si altii. Incepea sa-mi placa!
Abiea asteptam sa vina duminica urmatoare! Sa mergem la Cina!
…Si apoi urmatoarea duminica, …. Si duminica de dupa…. Trecea saptamana asteptand sa vina duminica sa merg la Cina!
Am inceput sa dansez asa, putin, putin cate putin, cum invatam la ore, imi placea sa dansez din ce in ce mai tare, si incepea sa nu-mi mai placa sa mai stau jos! He, he, he... inca nu-mi dadeam seama in ce intrasem!!!!
La ore era fain, era o atmosfera relaxata, intr-un local ok, unde fiecare se simtea liber, si sigur apucam sa “dansez” macar cateva melodii. Puteai sa-ti iei ceva de baut, sa fumezi o tigara, sa participi la ora, in fond si la urma urmei erai inre-o zona publica… . “Trupa” mai avansata a inceput sa vina mai tarziu, dupa lectie, ma bucuram mai ales cand veneau baieti avansati mai repede, iar fetele care dansau demult nu erau inca acolo, ca asa puteam dansa si eu cu ei. Cand le vedeam venind stiam ca gata, seara mea s-a terminat. Ca nu o sa mai fiu invitata, si ca nu-mi ramane decat sa ma uit. La inceput a fost ok. Dar dupa o perioada cand le vedeam intrand chiar ma enervam…. Iar au venit fetele astea! Iar nu mai dansez!
Se intamplau diverse lucruri la Cina (evenimente) care faceau ca atmosfera sa fie animata: la sfarsitul lui noiembrie a fost un concert cu Anca Parghel (http://www.alternativ.ro/arhiva/arhiva_stiri/Tango%20de%20Anul%20Nou.php). Incredibil! A cantat superb. Nu cunosteam muzica de tango, nu aveam cultura si educatia in directia asta, dar ce am auzit, mi-a placut! Chiar mi s-a facut pielea de gaina la un moment dat. Din nou multa lume, intzolita, forfoteala, agitatie, dans, bucurie, si de fiecare data cand se termina vroiam sa mai stau, vroiam mai mult! Am inceput sa fiu mai atenta cum ma imbrac, si sa-mi iau pantofi de dans! Pe vremea aceea, imi faceam pantofii inainte de fiecare lectie! Si incercam sa ma imbrac dragutz, dar fara sa atrag prea mult atentia. Posibilitatile nu erau prea variate, ca venise deja iarna… si era frig afara… puloverele erau greu de purtat, ca daca dansai, am observat eu ca te incalzeai repede,… vorbesc din proprie experientza, si din ce am mai observat pe ringul de dans….: erau baieti care se incingeau chiar foarte tare… hhhmmmm! Mai ales cand veneau niste melodii asa mai repezi, unde alergau ca niste titirezi, si scoteau sufletul fetelor…, dar care erau foarte vesele dupa acele dansuri! Melodiile alea am invatzat io ca se numeau “milonga”. Si mi-era frica de milonga asta!!!! Multa vreme am fugit de ea!
Dupa o perioada am inceput sa cunosc ceva lume, sa am cel putin doi parteneri care ma invitau macar odata pe seara. Era unul mai ales care avea o inclinatie spre incepatoare, si care ma lua si imi tot arata lucruri mai multe dansuri la rand (macar 8 melodii la rand). Dupa care ma lasa in pace si isi lua o alta incepatoare. Se vedea lucru ca stia el, mai ales ca se vedea ca facuse salsa, si ceva dans sportiv. Iar cand am inceput sa avansez, a inceput sa uite de mine!
Ce faceam la ora era un lucru (mergem, incrucisam picioarele, si cel mai avansat lucru o rotire in jurul baiatului), iar dupa ora era putin altceva, ca mai apucam sa dansez liber, sa prind lucruri de la cei mai avansati, si sa experimentez ce vedeam la alte fete. Cel mai greu era sa fac cu piciorul in aer, dar imi placea foarte mult. Ma uitam numai si numai la picioare!!! Eram fascinata de dans!
Muzica… nu-mi placea! Nu recunosteam si nu deosebeam melodiile intre ele, toate erau la fel, doar ca unele erau mai ritmate cateodata decat altele, si mai erau niste melodii foarte lente si moderne care nu le pricepeam defel, nu le prindeam ritmul deloc!!!
Alea am aflat io ca se numeau tango Nuevo! Si de ele mi-era frica! Si erau luuuuuuungi, interminabil de lungi. Dupa ce am apucat sa le “dansez” odata, am incercat sa le retin, ca sa nu mai ajung in situatia sa le dansez! Groaznic! Era mai suportabil insa ceva care semana cu valsul, urechea mea era mai obisnuita cu sonoritatea unui vals. Dar in general nu muzica ma interesa; muzica era un pretext ca sa te misti, si iti dadea un ritm, care de multe ori il cam scapam, ca parca se mai schimba, sau nu stiu ce naiba se intampla… ha, ha. Important era sa ajung sa fac si io cum faceau fetele alea!!!! Si sa ma invite si pe mine baietii la dans! Si mai repede!!!
Am stat. Multa vreme am stat pe margine si m-am uitat. Luni de zile am stat. Am stat si mi-am dorit sa dansez. Mi-am dorit sa fiu invitata la dans. Si sa ma invite baieti care dansau bine. Si daca se intampla sa ma invite cei care dansau bine ma emotionam toata, si nu-mi venea sa cred ca aveau cate un dans si pentru mine!!! Cateodata eram asa emotionata ca m-au invitat, incat nu mai eram in stare sa dansez, si ma gandeam ca imi “ruinez” sansele sa ma mai invite altadata! Si apoi iar stateam. Si stateam. Si ma uitam.
Si cu toate astea reveneam, in fiecare duminica. Drumul pana acolo era o placere. Orashul se impodobea pentru sarbatorile de iarna. Afara era frig. Cand intram la cina era cald; era muzica care te transporta in alt timp, un timp al filmelor cu Humphrey Bogart, mesele de sticla, scaunele si canapele tapitzate, sfesnice aurii pe masa, carafe cu vin rosu, fumul de tzigara, revista “Gotan” pe ici pe colo…, luminile Ateneului, si aerul proaspat care te invaluiau la plecare!
Evadare?
Comentarii