A child asks us to remember

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My nephew turned one this summer and his parents threw a powerful luau to celebrate. I was entranced by the hula dancers - the mood, the intricacy of their innocence.

Remembering a healing hula danced by Sughanda Ferro Black at the end of a Tango teacher training program on Maui some years ago, I asked her for Hawaiian music suggestions. Among the sweet parcel of songs she recommended was Blaine Kamalani Kia’s gorgeous chant Kamali’i O Ka Po.

A Tango improvisation to this Hawaiian chant: 

Photo by Ahmed Tlamid. Presented at the 10th San Diego Tango Festival on Friday, January 1st, 2016. Video by Scott Haller.

In this chant, a child asks her brother if he remembers how he fits into the bigger picture. “You are holding the fish’s belly - but where is its head? Where is its tail? Where do you come from? Where will you go?” 

Those questions spoke to the dark child within me. It is so easy to dissect away that bigger picture, when we find ourselves in a hard or hungry place. With effort we did make it through our darkness: a dark year, and we even struggled through a dark moment right before dancing this hymn. “Where will you go?” No place but here, just deeper. 

I share this with the hope that we each might feel joyfully connected to the deep intelligence of the larger, longer cycles of life - that we feel ourselves peacefully at home within the vastest of views.

May we all shine together
May all needs be met

Improvising to Pugliese on a windy night

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If you've been following this blog you might be aware that our opinion is that we've sucked for many years. In this performance, though, we both agree that we don't suck. :) We felt present with each other and with the music and able to let unexpected things come through. We didn't even know exactly which song we'd dance to - we gave DJ Varo five Pugliese pieces to choose from, and he selected...Emancipacion! 

This performance happened because our friend Ilona Glinarsky of Living Tango invited us to perform at a milonga held in honor of the wedding of our friend Naomi Hotta to Sergio Higashiyoshihama. She invited us just a couple days before the event, saying that we represent a beautiful union whose partnership would be in keeping with the spirit of the event. We were so happy to be able to make this gift to the couple. 

I am finally wearing the dress created by Rina Gelderman of Atelier Vertex! Thanks Rina! With many thanks also to Robert Le for taking this video. 

Four Things That Helped Us Find Our Connection

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Or, What To Do When Things Suck For Years

by Mitra Martin 

I’ll tell you the truth: we sucked for eleven years.

And I’m not saying we’ve stopped sucking now. But maybe there is some kind of silvery kindling that has a bit of goodness in it. It feels different, anyway.

I wanted to share this because I know how hard and painful it can sometimes be to try to develop partnership. In life or in Tango or in business or anywhere. And if you’re struggling with this mysterious process maybe it would help to know of others who also found it NOT EASY. And hear what helped them a little bit.

Here is what helped us a little bit.

1. Failing

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