Is Power Masculine?

Power is masculine, or that to be powerful, you need to assume a masculine role or masculine qualities. We live in a social paradigm that equates power with masculine definitions of what power is. And we often play into this without even realizing it.

I’ve heard women say that they want to lead to have more control of the dance – the musical expression, the movements, even the ability to invite people to dance. If we think that to be powerful as a woman, you have to act more masculine, then it would make sense to want to lead to have more power. LEADER = TRADITIONAL MALE ROLE = POWER, or more masculine = more powerful

One evening, I was at Dance Underground just up the hill here, and a woman asked me to dance. She knew that I also lead, so she asked if we could switch off lead and follow with each song. Why don’t you lead first, she said. Ok. We established our embrace, shifted weight a couple of times to calibrate with each other, and started walking. All was going alright until… we came to a turn. As soon as I initiated a turn, she took off like a runaway dock cart! A few more steps and another wild turn. Each time I’d start what I intended as a gentle turn, she would take it and run. I felt a little like I do playing Mario Kart or some of the race car games with really sensitive steering, when my little car keeps falling off the track and into the lava. I figured I had two options: I could try to fight her energy and subdue her, tame her and force her into listening to me – which sounded like a lot more work than it’s worth; or I could go with her energy and even add to it to make it into something collaborative. I chose the latter, so we went spinning around the dance floor like Tasmanian devils. After all, I came to dance, not fight.

Dad, "do not worry. I will be fine for telling the truth."

These words. 

This moment 

moved me. 

I too was born

in the Soviet Union

where I know

- like in many other countries around the word -

it would not have been

safe

to speak up

or to speak out;

where it would not 

have been safe 

to speak the truth.

Perhaps it is the absence of,

knowing what it means to go without,

that makes one treasure 

liberty and savor it

- that makes one yearn so audaciously

to preserve it,

to uphold it,

to defend it.

I am #grateful

for the #freedom of speech.

#freedomofspeech #USA

Lt. Col. Vindman spoke these words on Nov 19, 2019 in his opening statement to the House Intelligence Committee. The Pentagon "has protections for whistleblowers -- they're guaranteed in law," said Defense Secretary Mark Esper.

#speakup #speakout

The Steps are Just the Beginning...

I had a curious conversation with someone who has been dancing many years in our Pacific Northwest tango community about my upcoming Intermediate-Level Close-Embrace Tango Bootcamp May 4, 2019. The question they posed to me was, What will you cover? 

Fair question. 

I explained that the point of these bootcamps is to improve posture and close-embrace technique -- the quality of the dance, and that we will also focus specifically on the cross (different qualities of movement, variations, shapes, etc.) of this so very "tango" movement. 

This person immediately went to: "Oh, I already know how to do the cross."

Yes, this is an Intermediate-Level workshop. Participants should "know" the cross. The point isn't to learn how to do the cross from scratch; the point is to amplify the nuance and possibilities within a movement that one already knows -- for both leads and follows. Tango isn't about "learning" the steps. That is just the beginning. 

I was grateful for the question and happy to expand on this for this person and others.

Sadness

There are times

when you just need to be sad,

even if you know better,

even if it’s not worth it

even if it makes you feel vulnerable

even if it makes you question your worth

even if it makes you sad to feel sad.

There are times when you can’t get around the sadness,

Do you believe in Synergy?

In November of 2015, I left Seattle for Buenos Aires and was concerned about leaving my students, especially Tho Nguyen (who I had been working with for 1.5 years at that point) hanging without being able to practice his walking for 6 weeks. I suggested that he get back with a PT to keep working on his walking while I was away, but it took until January to set up. Since I was already back, he asked me to come to Valley Medical Center in Renton to show his new PT how we walked. The PT & OT linked me up with Stroke Nurse Sarah Devine to see about setting up our first group class at the hospital.

In the meantime, also in January 2016, I met Jon Rowley at one of Traca Savadogo's Cook the Book gatherings at Archis Gore's place. That meeting was a catalyst.

Seattle Spoke

This Jewish girl watched the Neo-Nazi rally in Seattle get supplanted by counter-protestors. Freedom of Speech means you can say what you want, and so can everyone else. Seattle spoke. (2017)

Close Embrace

Photo by Adrienne Yvr, Seattle Tango Marathon 2017.

The sweetness
of holding someone
and being held,
knowing that,
no matter what happens 
during the journey of the dance,
that journey
you will walk together.