Stepping back

Leaders... please, please, please don't step back against the line of dance unless you're 100% sure that it's safe. If you're in front of me and you do that, I will exercise my duty to protect my partner and extend my arm to discontinue your path to step on my partner, even if that results in physical confrontation.

Volver a soñar

No sé si fue mi mano o fue la tuya
que escribió la carta del adiós en nuestro amor
No quiero ni saber quién fue el culpable de los dos
ni tengo desazones ni rencor
me queda del ayer envuelto en tu querer el rastro de un perfume antiguo
me queda de tu amor el lánguido sabor de un néctar que ya nunca beberé
por eso es que esta estrofa el muerto idilio no es afán
de hacerlo entre los dos resucitar
si acaso algo pretendo es por ofrenda al corazón
salvarlo del olvido nada más

To dream again

I don't know if it was my hand or yours
that wrote the farewell letter in our love
I don't even want to know who between us was guilty
nor do I hold uneasiness or grudge.
From yesterday, the trace of an old perfume wrapped in your love remains.
From your love, the languid taste of a nectar that I'll never drink remains.
That's why this verse is not eager to revive the dead romance between the two of us.
If I hope for something, it is as an offering to the heart,
to save it from oblivion, nothing more.

Cabeceo 102

Women: if you think you achieved cabeceo, keep eye contact and wait for the man to come up to you. It's not only a matter of elegance - because, in fact, it looks inelegant, clumsy, and even desperate to be so eager that you prematurely get up and meet the man mid way. It's also a matter of logistics: you don't know for sure if the man intended to do the cabeceo with you or the woman next to you or behind you. Save yourself the embarrassment in case the man is honest enough to tell you he meant to dance with someone else or the grudge of the other woman who might know with some certainty that this tanda was meant for her.

DJing pet peeves or things that make my blood boil when I'm on the booth

Although I try to be as tolerant as reasonable, there are certain things you can do if you want to be on my shit list. It's not a comprehensive list, but here it goes:

1. Standing on the floor with your next partner during the cortina. Though it may not seem like a great deal, it's a great disrespect to the DJ. Unless you're a psychic, you don't know what I'll play next. Yes, yes, maybe you trust me that I'll play good music. But there is hardly anything else that kills my motivation as this. How can I motivate myself to play good music if people will just dance to whatever I play, not because of what and when I play? And it's not just about that. There are some kinds of music that go better with certain partners. For example, maybe I like to dance a slow romantic tanda with A, a dramatic instrumental tanda with B, or an aggressive fast rhythmic tanda with C. Develop these tastes and take the experience to a new level (really it's not my business if people don't enjoy as much as they could, but as a dedicated DJ, I want them to). You don't even have to know what orchestra it is. Just listen to the first song for a preview of what's to come. Then choose who you want to dance with, not before. In other words, cortina means GTFO and don't come back in till I say so!

2. Dancing ugly. Troilo would have probably rolled over in his grave if he saw some of the dancing to his music last night. Yes, musical interpretation is personal and free. But some things are simply wrong. Things like poorly performed ganchos, saltos, sentadas and a bunch of other stuff that didn't even go with the music (and shouldn't be done during social dancing anyway). Maybe it would have gone well if it was later instrumental Troilo, but it was moody Troilo with Fiorentino. And please, please, please don't do volcadas... it looks ugly whenever you do it... no matter what the music. Oh and soltadas too. I just threw up.

3. Peeking into my workspace. Seriously... it's my modus operandi. I might be watching porn. Just kidding. But no, it's intrusive and rude. On the other hand, I appreciate when people come to personally thank me for the music or ask me the name of a song they like.

4. Teaching on the dance floor. This is really obvious, but people still do it. And evidently, the ones teaching on the dance floor are really shitty dancers. They're so awful that they can't get dances with good dancers, so they dance with naive young beginners. I'm all for dancing with everyone no matter their level, but you should adjust. In other words, don't try to lead a beginner to do some steps you can't even lead properly... Please... and then tell them how to do it. Yeah, instill some bad habits in the beginners, thanks a fucking lot, idiot.

5. Asking for nuevo. I won't do it.

To be continued

Sólo compasión

Yo sé que vivo arrinconado,
vencido, triste y cambiado,
pero la culpa no es tuya,
no temas ni me huyas,
que todo lo he olvidado,
ya ves, te miro sin encono,
y ahogando un llanto perdono,
no sé que siento por vos,
será ternura o amor,
o sólo compasión.

¡Compasión!,
por la que nunca comprendió mi amor,
¡compasión!,
por la que busca mi perdón,
yo que también alzo mi cruz.
Perdono cual Jesús, a Magdalena,
¡compasión!,
por la que nunca comprendió mi amor,
¡compasión!,
por la que un día se extravió,
ya te dirá mi corazón
si es esto compasión
o restos de un amor

Translation:
I know I live cornered,
defeated and changed.
But it's not your fault.
Don't fear and don't avoid me,
because I've forgotten all.
See, I look at you without spite
And drowning the weeping, I forgive.
I don't know what I feel for you,
if it's tenderness or love,
or just compassion...

Compassion!
for the one who never understood my love...
Compassion!
for the one who seeks my pardon...
I also raise my cross,
I forgive like Jesus to Magdalene.
Compassion!
for the one who one day went missing.
My heart will tell you now
if this is compassion
or just the remainders of love.