Camille Cusumano

I’ve been promising since last October to share my data from the Second Annual International Conference on Tango Therapy, which I attended in Mendoza, Argentina. Health professionals from every walk of life were there—heart doc, psychologists, physical therapists, sexologist, nurses, and more, including passionate dance teachers. The notes and info I took away are copious and it’s been laborious sorting through to give you a clear concise idea of all the research and experience that is out there. The attendees were from many countries in Europe, South & North America, and elsewhere.

Two points I’d like to make before giving you a link to some of the material I’ve begun to transcribe:

1. Tango is different from other types of dancing for reasons that are definable and some that are not. You’ll hear about the pauses, the silence, the partners not speaking, not thinking, not looking at each other. The embrace is soft and sliding and so intimate, it’s as if the two partners are undergoing cell-fusion. The music has no fixed rhythmic pattern. The dance has a simple structure but is open to infinite improvisation (think of how few elements there are in the universe relative to the infinite ways they differentiate matter).

2. There is no such thing as tango. It only exists when two or more people agree there is such a thing as tango. So, if your divining rod to the chi, divine, Samadhi, god or god-ness, one-ness, bliss, or that zone is knitting, playing the accordion, surfing, cooking, hiking, or whatever, you need not change course. Unless you’d like to try another gateway to the same place.

Link to my notes from the Tango Therapy Conference.

Tango

Keep checking back for dates, times, details in July.

On my writing/editing services, and workshops.

What writers who have taken my workshop say:

“Camille Cusumano’s 2-day writing workshop infused my writing practice with a much needed boost. In the workshop, I generated new material and breathed life into old work. Camille created and held the space for me to clarify and focus my writing for two days, allowing me to take a big step closer to my writing goals. And the one-on-one coaching sessions alone were priceless. I walked away from the workshop with a targeted list of targeted resources, valuable insights from a seasoned author and editor, a polished story, the best query letter I’ve ever written and a fistful of additional tools and tips for use in my writing practice. Camille’s teaching method is compassionate, supportive and focused. No matter where you are on your path as a writer, you will benefit greatly from taking Camille Cusumano’s writing workshop!” Katherina Audley, Portland, Oregon, January, 2010:

“Camille is an inspiring teacher, coach and cheerleader. I walked home after her 2-day writing workshop convinced that not only I can, but must write my story—maybe more than one.”
Peter Esser, Ph.D., Buenos Aires, January 2010

I have done my share of writing classes and workshops over the years and, most recently, started one-on-one consultations with Camille which have proven to be HUGELY beneficial. Camille treads tenderly on my art-side of writing, always encouraging and highlighting the good; then she fearlessly takes a surgeon’s scalpel to the craft-side of the writing and demonstrates and explains in great detail how to make the piece stronger and more compelling. At the end of the session, I am left with a polished piece of writing that is true to my story, but one that I also love reading again Life circumstance now puts us in different parts of the world, but thanks to internet and Skype, our consultations continue! I recommend Camille’s coaching/editing services highly Oga Cho, world citizen, March 2010

Camille’s 2-day workshop was exactly what I needed! I’ve been writing alone and in writing groups for years but have never felt any of my work was finished and ready to submit. Camille helped me get there. Her knowledge of the market, guidance in approaching editors and getting published, and her patient and focused editing of my work helped me rewrite with a clearer focus and feel confident that it’s ready. I’ve written my first query letter, and I’m excited about working on my many other pieces with the same vigor. I came away with a much better understanding of how publishing works, and a much greater confidence in my ability. Thank you, Camille! Angela McCallum, Buenos Aires, http://santelmoloft.com

“I could not have felt more affirmed as a human being or more sincerely acknowledged as a woman who has a story worth telling. Not only to hear Camille’s words, “I want more,” but to see in her body language that she meant it, is more than I even hoped for. – Susan Prosser, Tulsa, Oklahoma

In addition to the scheduled workshops, I’m available through August for on-demand writing workshops — private or group. Whether you are just getting started and want to take the plunge (into the inkwell) or need encouragement and confidence, I offer workshops to suit your and your writing group’s needs. Here is a list of several workshops I teach. Contact me for details and rates – ocaramia@earthlink.net or ocaramia@mac.com:

1. A Thousand and One Words - Find your Writing Setpoint – Just as with body weight, we all have a writing setpoint—a natural length that suits our message and determines our ideal genre. 1,000 words is the mean, from which you assess your need to unpack and flesh out or shrink wrap and tighten. We’ll meet four goals in this class: embracing your personal setpoint; understanding when to unpack or shrink; preserving the narrative arc, no matter what length; and writing with full confidence. All levels writers welcome.

2. Travel Memoir Writing - With the travel-writing market evolved beyond the go-here/see-this approach, personal experience and artful story in travel is more and more in demand. As a magazine editor, I successfully moved from the traditional how-to travel writing to publishing my personal experience travel stories in books and as essays in publications. I’ll help participants understand how they can do this, too. Even if you are still writing for the traditional travel outlets you can infuse your story with sparkle – snap, crackle, and pop. We’ll look at how you can satisfy the reader’s needs and still craft a story with your personal style.  All levels welcome.

3. Tap into your Autonomic Writing System - Much can be said about the Writing Down the Bones and Wild Mind approach to unlocking the writer within. Now is the time to circle back to the discipline and the practice of craft—without killing the golden goose. This class is designed to tap into the autonomic system of writing—where words begins to flow and to arrive on schedule, like breath. All the while, we consider craft. The goal of this workshop is to have participants leave inspired, enthused, excited, perturbed, riled up, having tapped into their own autonomic writing system; and ready to face the empty white page, armed with their own art and skill. All levels.

4. Writing about & from loss (See August 1, Writing as Refuge)- Many of my students found me through my memoir, TANGO, which is my writing about my own loss (and finds) through tango and Zen practice. I’ve worked with aspiring writers who were ready to face the blank page as a place of refuge after tremendous losses and grieving. When we sit down to write about our lives, pain, grief as well as bliss and contentment rise to the surface. Putting down the words gives a sense of meaning to life in dark times.