Connected Movement: An Interview with Alex Krebs
Alex Krebs is an Argentine tango instructor based in Portland, Oregon. He has taught and performed throughout the United States and Europe and now owns the studio Tango Berretín in Portland. He is especially known for his focus on musicality in the tango. With a Bachelor’s degree in music and physics from Reed College, Alex has been a musician for most of his life. In 2002, he started playing the bandoneón, the challenging accordion-like instrument that gives the tango its distinctive sound. He is also the director of Conjunto Berretín, a tango orchestra that plays at local festivals and events.
At Portland’s Tangofest in October of 2008, I sat down with Alex in the Tiffany Center ballroom in downtown Portland before Conjunto Berretín’s rehearsal for the Grande Ball. I was especially interested in Alex’s perspective on the concepts of musicality, connection, and flow in Argentine tango based on his unique background and experiences. As we began talking, I immediately formed the impression that Alex has the ability to be analytical and thoughtful when it comes to the tango while simultaneously communicating a great passion for the dance and the music that inspires it. His answers to my questions showed deep reflection and attention to detail, which I immediately identified as qualities that make for an instructor who not only understands what he is teaching but communicates that understanding to his students with great clarity and vision. That vision comes as the result of an interesting journey into the heart of the tango.
(0) Comments Filed under Interviews
Like this article? Please share!
Social Dancing in America: A Review
Copyright © 2008 Karin Norgard
As popular as social dancing is in the United States, it is amazing that there has never been a single comprehensive text dedicated to the history of social dance in this country. That is, until now. Ralph Giordano ‘s Social Dancing in America: A History and Reference consists of two volumes: Volume 1: Fair Terpsichore to the Ghost Dance, 1607-1900 and Volume Two: Lindy Hop to Hip Hop, 1901-2000. Over 600 pages of social dance history along with an extensive bibliography make these texts an invaluable resource for the social dancer who is interested in the historical and cultural development of their craft.
Social Dancing in America begins with the settlement of the American colonies, tracing the importation of European dances along with the development of dances indigenous to the continent. Each chapter provides an overview of the political, social, and cultural climate of the time period as well as an examination of the dances themselves. The book is well-researched, giving the reader plenty of quotes from primary sources as well as excellent diagrams and pictures to give a visual image of the dances and the cultural environment in which they developed. Giordano pays special attention to the cycle of rejection and acceptance that all social dances have gone through, painting of vivid picture of the controversy that social dancing awakens.
Though Social Dancing in America ambitiously attempts to provide a history and reference that encompasses all social dances, it falls short in several respects, perhaps betraying only the author’s personal dance experience and preferences and nothing else. The second volume is meticulous in its exploration of swing dancing throughout the twentieth century; however, other dances are not given the same thorough analysis. The Latin dances in particular are given cursory examination, and in some cases the information he provides is misleading and even incorrect. There are sins of omission as well: ten pages were devoted to the swing dance revival of the late twentieth century, while the development of some Latin dances during this time period – Argentine tango and bachata are two specific examples – are not even mentioned. Giordano himself is an avid swing dancer, so perhaps this bias is subconscious and even natural. However, it does detract from the enjoyment of the book for Latin dancers.
Despite this major limitation, this two-volume set presents an excellent in-depth exploration of social dancing in America as well as the historical, social, and cultural forces that shaped its development. No other text even attempts to offer such a comprehensive overview of this field. For this reason, Ralph Giordano’s Social Dancing in America is an invaluable history and reference and a must-have text for every avid social dancer.
(0) Comments
Like this article? Please share!
New Salsa Documentary
Check out the new salsa documentary A Gozar (To Enjoy): An Introduction to Salsa Dancing online. Enjoy!
(0) Comments Filed under Quotes | Links | Videos
Like this article? Please share!
