Here I am again. Or let's say: here I am finally. My last post was in January this year, far too long ago. I really wanted to write more, but I did not find the time. Really.
This is why.
My original plan for 2015 was to work less, which is why Detlef and I did not accept as many invitations as in the past years: we scheduled two-thirds of our usual workload of workshops and festivals. I wanted to finally have time to lead a normal life, think about possible post-tango-occupations, make plans for new projects and - on the side - write a book and produce a film: Caminar Abrazados.
Yeah, right...
I of course underestimated the work on the book and DVD a lot and ended up working more than before: Writing the script, organising the set and co-workers, filming, preparing and supervising the editing process, writing the book, choosing photos, drawing charts and graphics, discussing text and layout with my co-workers, preparing the printing and publication with our editor, publicity, setting up the new website and shop, then managing the sales... All of this was quite a feat besides managing the regular teaching and tours from my desk, as well as actually traveling and teaching. I don‘t recall one single day in the last eight months without work. Add many nights in front of the computer or lying in bed, trying to solve problems in the head. Now I am catching up with work that had to be postponed: We even had to delay the start of our next teacher training (TTT), as I did not get around to set the dates and start the promotion earlier. So the next group will start in early 2016. Until then, we also plan on publishing the german and french editions of the Caminar Abrazados.
I guess that 2015 will end as crazy as it started.
When it comes to work.
Because, apart from work, I am actually leading a very normal non-tango-life with my non-tango-boyfriend: spending lots of time at home in front of my computer, working out, cooking (or mostly: eating meals that have been cooked for me), watching TV-series, meeting non-tango-friends. Sounds quite ordinary, doesn‘t it?
Well, it is not. Fate decided to give me a talented photographer as partner, whom I got involved into our Tango business right away. So Thorsten Janes took over the filming, photographing, editing and layout of Caminar Abrazados, which meant that he became part of my work-life as well. He occasionally accompanies us on our teaching gigs or to an Encuentro. He even got his first engagement as the official photographer of a Tango event, the lovely Festivalito Rural in Slovenia. So, although he does not dance Tango, my sweetheart got to know everything about it, most of my tango friends, lots of Milongas and events. Which sounds potentially complicated, but is surprisingly easy. He obviously gets along fine and as an artist likes watching the dancers or talking to people. Just recently, I went to bed before the end of a Milonga and he stayed. I don‘t know what to make of that. ;-)
You can tell that a lot has changed in my life. Although I am surrounded by Tango every day - writing, thinking, analysing, listening to, organising Tango - I am much less exposed to teaching and even less to dancing. As you know, I almost never visit Milongas in my hometown and dance quite little during teaching engagements - mostly to keep up my working capacities or because I am the DJ. That is fairly normal for me, but in other years, there were still more opportunities to really dance, as I was visiting events for fun or teaching at Festivalitos, where I - despite the fatigue - dance quite a lot. But this year, as a result of the project, I did also not have the time/energy/financial-means to drive to Milongas in the region or visit Encuentros, so I ended up practically not dancing in 2015. This year, I have been dancing on five (5!) occasions, all of them being Encuentros/Festivalitos, four of them being teaching engagements. It's a shame. (And I possibly should not write about this, as it will encourage people to doubt my qualification as a teacher.)
The first Tangos on each of these occasions felt very weird, because I feared that I might have unlearned dancing. Turns out it is like driving a bike: you get into it very quickly after a few steps. Although my partners might have felt differently about that. They claimed that everything was fine, but maybe they were just being polite.
In any case, I never thought that I would say this: I miss dancing. Last week, Detlef went to the Festivalito Porteño in Romania. I stayed at home and envied him a lot, knowing that the rest of the year will not pose many more occasions to dance. I reckon two or three.
This has to change in 2016! I don‘t know how, but I will have to try and visit some more international Encuentros or milongas in our greater region or move to a city where I can actually visit local milongas.
I also would like to find some more time to write my blog. There are several articles in my head that want to be written.
But in order to be able to do so, I have to do some more work. Back to it now.
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