If you're one of these people that has never stopped dancing because of an injury (tango or non-tango related) then you should be glad that you're in a very restricted club. And you should read this post with much attention.
For the first few years of tango I spent a third of the time not dancing. Not because I didn't want it, not because I didn't feel like it, simply because I couldn't bear the pain anymore. I tango limped, which did not help my knee, my head or my confidence, let alone my tango.
The first thing that I advice is not to lose contact with the music. Listening to the music will let you know about what's coming next and that gives you an invaluable advantage when improvising.
Second thing is, don't be passive about your injury. If only one bit of your body is hurt try to maintain the other bits active. Even the little bit that is hurt can move most times but check with a physiotherapist first.
Third, try to get basic concepts in your head. Basic concepts such as line of walk, bringing feet together... Everytime I was injured for two months I came back to my first milonga and people would ask me if I had been hacing lessons with someone else. When I told them that I hadn't danced for months they wouldn't believe me. But it was all down to organising tango within my head, rather than in my chest or my feet. There is lots of good stuff to read (and lots of crap stuff). I can advise Tao of Tango and (online) Tango and Chaos.
Fourth, get some inspiration. If youtube gives you inspiration, wonder around it. If watching ballet gives you inpiration why not buying some tickets for the show that is just coming around to your town? Keep your brain flooded with ideas, whether they are tango, or non-tango related.
Fifth, and perhaps most important. When you come back, PLEASE, start by doing simple stuff. Even a short time such as 3 weeks can leave you completely out of fluidity. "Less is more". Although this is the motto for tango generally, here it is an obligation. You'll see that after 3 or 4 milongas/praticas you'll feel much better and much more fluent. Like riding a bike, it all comes back, but takes some time and to paraphrase my tango mentor, "it also takes some tango mileage"
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
Tango and injury
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3 comments:
I can sure relate to this post, KR. The last 13 months have been about physical injuries and Tango time-outs. It has not been fun, and it has been VERY frustrating.
I cannot agree more emphatically with your last point - take it easy when you get back. Unfortunately, it is advice over which follows have very little control. The only thing we can do is sit more, dance less.
Oh, and thank you SO much for the plug :-)
Hi Johanna:
I agree, my last point is the most important. The first times I came back I felt SO frustrated! I was trying to do everything that I could do before I stoped and I couldn't do anything. I came out of the milonga after the first tanda, apologising to the partner whom I only danced one tango (fortunately she was a good friend and understood what was happening). But if you start doing the very basic it's less likely you get annoyed by lack of fluidity.
I hope you're getting your fluidity back. It's amazing how a few milongas make an impact!
Well, last night was my first time back in 12 days. And I went, despite my back not being 100%. The first couple of tandas were VERY "iffy", and I was seriously wondering whether I should even have gone. But my back did loosen up, and I DID request NO VOLCADAS from my partners :-)
I had a great time. However, this morning my back is not all that happyy....
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