Camille Cusumano

Tango Samadhi

Exploring Tango as a contemplative dance

With Sonja Riket & Camille Cusumano

Saturday, October 1, 2011, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

San Francisco Zen Conference Center

300 Page Street, San Francisco (near Laguna)

Pre-registration – $75 ($85 at the door) -

Mail registration: Send checks or money orders to:

Transformation Tango, c/o Camille Cusumano, P.O. Box 475099, SF, CA 94147

Class size is limited, early registration is recommended

OPEN TO: Everyone, from pre-beginner to experienced levels – No dance experience necessary – No partner needed

WEAR: socks or soft-soled shoes (suede bottom), loose, comfortable clothing

BRING: your embrace and an open mind; a bag lunch – Beverages available on site – Cafes are in the area.

More information: Contact Camille at ocaramia@mac.com; or 415-425-6515; or Sonja Riket, intimate_embrace_tango@earthlink.net, (415) 661-1852.

Sonja Riket is a Somatic Movement Therapist, Certified Feldenkrais and Body-Mind Centering Teacher, and a faculty member at the SF Community Music Center. Her 30-year professional dance career combined with decades of meditative practices inform her unique approach to teaching Argentine  tango. Sonja is the founder of the San Francisco Somatic Wellness Program at the Women’s Building and the Tango Revolution Orchestra in residence at Caffe Trieste, downtown San Francisco. www.IntimateEmbraceTango.com.

Camille Cusumano is the author of Tango, an Argentine Love Story; she teaches tango to seniors around the Bay Area.

ABOUT THE WORKSHOP

This workshop for non-dancers and dancers alike is full of surprises and spontaneous creativity. Tango (“it takes two”) is a metaphor for life because it is a dance of improvisation born of a most primal human urge: to connect, or be intimate with self and other. The workshop includes learning to “tango walk” in embrace, sharing, writing, discussion, and more. Camille will chat briefly about the writing of her book and living and dancing in Buenos Aires.

From Sonja Riket: “Argentine tango is a way of walking. The movement explorations allow us to find stillness within and listen and respond to another’s presence. We will learn the basic steps as the music ‘dances’ us into a greater place of freedom. True partnership emerges in the interchange between the roles of lead and follow. These skills can easily transfer to our daily life and relationships.  As we move into the heart of tango a joyous creativity and spontaneity emerge in the spirit of improvisation. Within the tango embrace, a non-verbal communication of heart, body, and soul, we find common ground in our humanity. It is an antidote against isolation, separation, and fearful existence we are led to believe is necessary. What better way to come home to ourselves and to connect with each other across our differences than the non-verbal power of a musical and dance embrace, listening and moving together as one?”

This video shows me leading Juliette at the end of the  class to review all that we covered in one hour.

I was so pleased and honored to be able to teach a class of tango to a small group or resident monks at Tassajara—with its hot springs for hedonists near Big Sur, California. We had a room in the new retreat center with a virgin wood floor (virgin, meaning it had not yet had tango danced upon it, as far as I knew).

Dan, Dominique, Mateo, Diana, Melissa, Rusa, Juliette, and I shined that floor in our sock-clad feet. Juliette who has been at Tassajara nearly two years, was an experienced tango dancer from Boulder, Colorado. Rusa is a friend and experienced tango dancer in San Francisco. Both of them happily assisted the beginners. I told the class that in one hour we would cover a lot of material—I called it a “survey” course—and said that I would overwhelm them. I knew that as Zen students, they could handle this with joy. And so they did.

I started the class with this reading in Spanish and English:

Primero hay que saber sufrir,/Despues amar, despues partir,/Y al fin andar sin pensamiento

“First you have to know how to suffer/Then love, then leave,/And finally wander without thought.”

These are lyrics of Homero Manzi, from his song Naranjo en Flor, written in 1944. I didn’t linger too long on the theoretical reasons why tango and Zen practice share so much (after all, I’ve written a book on it).

We jumped into dancing with just walking. First we walked normal, single file, in a big circle. Then I said add a little attitude—not swagger—just attitude. Swagger, you can add later when you understand the dance in your bones, I said. Next we partnered up and walked together, taking turns being the leader and follower. I pointed out that this caminando is really kinhin (the way monks walk silently in the temple) and useful in the zendo. In a couple of minutes, all of us knew who preferred to lead and who to follow. And, I gave the class my experiential teaching: Eventually there is no leader and no follower, just a dance—something Tenshin Reb Anderson once told a workshop at Green Gulch (Marin Zen Ctr) on the Dancing Buddha.

Although we did only open embrace (not closed and torso to torso), I asked the class to be aware throughout the class, of their inner dialog, of the connection between self and other. I pointed out that that connection is as internal as it is external. They understood this implicitly, of course, being students of the Dharma and the Way. I asked them to be aware of how they maintain their own axis (carry and transfer weight) within the bounds of concern for other—their partner.

We cruised through backward, then forward ochos. They were grand in accepting the time limit and everyone of them learned this step that involves collecting feet and pivoting, perhaps the only multi-tasking in tango. Ochos often takes a whole class alone to grasp. There was a lot of smiling and chuckling as each  one learned to project a foot cross body, collect feet, pivot, and repeat. Multi-tasking Zen style always involves smiles.

Next I gave the class the 8-count basic, or basico, also called the cruzada. I told them this is the Mother of all Tango Steps. I never told anyone that before, but it’s true. And I had a tiny awakening Rinzai-Zen-style. And then the paradox: Do not count in tango dancing, yet you must know the 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 of footwork. This class got the Mother like no other I’ve ever taught. Furthermore, they got it well enough to lead it or be led in it. And with smiles the whole time. Bravisimo!

In the video, notice how in sync Juliette and I are in this Mother pattern. Juliette is an awesome, elegant dancer. That’s why.

Finally, I had hoped to teach one figura, or figure as the patterns in tango are called. Seen at the end of the video, it is thus: Lead 4 back ochos; over-rotate the follower to your right as you parada (or stop) her left foot with your right; barrida (or sweep) her foot. Sandwichito her foot. Invite her to paseo over your left leg. You see Juliette does a little lustra or shine to my leg as the video ends and we all laugh rapturously.

When can we do this again? Deep, deep reverent bow until then.

FREE TANGO CLASS AND PRACTICA

This may be the best tango deal in town. Maestro Ivan Shvarts trained in Buenos Aires with several excellent tango teachers. I am assisting him and we’re having a ball. Although his class is promoted as tango for seniors, the classes have great talent in ages ranging from 30s to early 90s. You will never guess who’s over 80. Ivan brings in fantastic talent almost every week. Occasionally, we have a beautiful Argentine singer Roberto Traina, 80, sing original tangos to us each week after class. Kate Bernier accompanies him on piano.

WATCH A CLASS HERE!

AND HERE – TOM & CAMILLE!

Come join us – drop in – no need to have danced before. We’ll have you up and moving in one class.

“Tango Curiosity, developed by Ivan Shvarts, is the first program of its kind specializing in tango for Bay Area Seniors. Dedicated to teaching authentic Argentine tango for all skill levels and ages, Tango Curiosity currently offers classes in San Francisco, Emeryville and Redwood City.”

4321 Salem St, Emeryville, CA 94608, – Every Friday
1:00 – 2:15   Class all Levels and ages
2:15 – 3:30   Practica, No partners needed

home made lunch $3 at 12:00 for members, membership is Free

Emeryville Senior Center
4321 Salem St.
Between San Pablo & Adeline
of 43 rd. St.
Emeryville, CA

Art deco veterans building,
original hardwood floor 3000sq.f
tangocuriosity@gmail.com
www.tangocuriosity.org

I am helping teach at Christy Cote’s tango classes every Tuesday, beginners and intermediates, followed by a practica, 9 to 11pm or so.

The floor is smooth and spacious. Drop by.

Tuesdays:

At the old Metronome on 17th St. near DeHaro

7pm to 8pm – Beginners

8pm to 9pm – Intermediate

9pm til midnight – practica (only $5 for the practica)

Visit www.christycote.com or www.tangomango.org for more prices, details

Buy signed copies of Tango, an Argentina Love Story or The Last Cannoli.

$15 per book, shipping and handling included. Please email your mailing address to me after you have paid: ocaramia@me.com. Allow seven to ten days for delivery. Special, overnight delivery is available upon request, for added cost. Email your request: ocaramia@me.com.

You may also pay by check. Mail to: Camille Cusumano, P.O. Box 475099, San Francisco, CA 94147. Be sure to include your mailing address, specify how many copies of each book, and to whom you wish the books dedicated.

number of copies

one copy $15.00 two copies $30.00 three copies $45.00 four copies $60.00

At a cocktail reception and  award ceremony with Mike Rayburn entertaining.

Wells Fargo recognized me and three other Californians for doing something different and impressive—for following our passions—after age 50.

Who says quitting your day job is not advisable? I did so in 2005 when I fell head over stiletto heels in love with tango and went to live in Buenos Aires. Now I’m being rewarded by WF with a sum of cash and a party for 100 of my friends and family.

We are called Second-Half Champions.

The event took place on Tuesday, March 22, 2011 in Walnut Creek, CA at:

Lesher Center for the Arts
1601 Civic Drive
Walnut Creek, CA 94596

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:

WHAT PARTICIPANTS SAY

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. It is the naturally manageable increment to bite off and chew, whether you’re writing a short story/feature or a saga. 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 begin 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 - 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.