Daniel Gauvin

Han bor i Frankrike, och har varit medlem sen 16 januari 2007. Daniel loggade senast in lördag 6 september, från Stratford-upon-Avon, County of Warwickshire, Storbritannien, Europa.

Daniel presenterar sig själv så här:

My first contact ever with Tango was during April 2005 in Paris. A friend of mine Susanne from Heidelberg in Germany visited me at that time in Paris. As she wanted to dance tango, I found a place where people usually come every day from Wednesday to Saturday dancing from 10.00 pm to around 2.00 am except Friday and Saturday till 4.00 am. Even if these schedule are not official for legal reasons… This place is “Le Latina”. (For more details bout this place go to my diary)

What I discovered at that time was something I could not understand. How come that people meeting for the first time could dance straightaway together in a close embrace on a so smooth and musical matter. And seeing them dancing it was obvious that there was something happening that I could fully understand from outside. But it was this mystery and the joy of seeing people happy together that makes me come at the same time days after days, weeks after weeks between May and July 2005. During this period of time, I’ve met and discussed with a lot dancers, from different cities in France and cities of all over the world. This place is indeed well located on “Rue du Temple” in the centre of “Le Marais” where are located a lot of gay and lesbians bars. The location is convenient for people with nearby access with the metro “Hotel de Ville” station.

Since, I took the decision not to remain an active witness but to become steps after steps a dancer.

My first regular teachers who gave me the first strong basic in the tango are Thierry Lecocq and Veronique Bouscasse. During my months of observation between May and August I had time to make my own opinion of the different teachers in Paris and their way of teaching, their engagement, their research on the subject. I choose Thierry and Veronique for their professionalism, their willing to take beginners from one point with the objective gradually and with structure to make them improve and arrive to a better level with always considering the basics as most important things.

As I always say to people I meet, a lot of old-fashioned teachers teach how to dance with a sequence of steps putting side to side with the same order. This means no place to improvisation (so no fun) and in particular this king of teaching will not give the means to cope with an unknown and difficult environment of a normal milonga.

When other teach how to dance an all sentence, Thierry and Veronique teach you first the alphabet, then the vocabulary of the tango in order to allow you how to make your own sentences combining the words you have learnt.

For me it was really what I need. And it allows me very quickly to go dancing in Milongas in Paris or abroad with much more confidence than a other beginner because I knew only some words of tango vocabulary but I did know them well and I was confident enough to invite women on this basis. My partners were delighted because it was clear for them and the combination of the few words was done a musical way. Today I’m still learning with Thierry and Delphine (as Veronique does have not time anymore to teach in Paris on a regular basis). And I’m very happy with their teaching and I’m sure for those who have had Thierry or Veronique in workshop in Paris or other cities in Europe will recognize as well that they are of course demanding but always right in their instructions and tips to make you feel better in dancing.

So if you ever come to Paris to dance let me know, I will be delighted to meet you and give you some tips on when/where to dance for each days. Because, what I did not say previously as hours of flights for an airline pilot what’s important for a tango dancer is the time spent in courses but also in practicing in workshops and milongas with different people.

You'll be able to find in my diary (soon, I'm just starting to write here) every places in the world I’ve already been dancing since 1 year and half. Waiting for your comments…. Daniel from Paris.

To finish with, I want also in my introduction thank very sincerly Maria Shanko. She is the wonderful and enthousiastic person who made me discover this website. Thank you Maria! ;-)