[Tango-L] Gabriella Elias

[rcgimmi@aol.com]

INSTRUCTOR REVIEW

Gabriel Elias (edugabitango at hotmail.com)  4574-1593
website www.advance.comar/usuarios/edugabi

I took a gamble on this class and just showed up for it.  I knew 
nothing about Gabriel Elias or her milonga traspie class when I 
enrolled.  The results were something akin to winning the lottery.  
"Fue un exito grande."

There were approximately 15 people in the classroom when Gabriel walked 
in.  Ten of these students were men.  For me, that's not an auspicious 
way to begin the class.  While Gabriel was talking with the class, 
another five students drifted in late.  All of these -- luckily -- were 
women.

Gabriel is about 5' 5", mid to late 30s, slender and has shoulder 
length red hair.  She has a slightly Roman nose.  Her eyes are deep set 
and bulge just a little bit in their sockets.  She has a distinctive 
appearance and she is very attractive.  She's was also full of 
enthusiasm and energy for the class.

First, she addressed the class in Spanish.  She said she would prefer 
to teach the class in Spanish because that was her natural language; 
but, if it was necessary, she thought she could use English as the 
language of instruction.

Then, in English, she asked, Who here speaks absolutely no Spanish?  
Two people raised their hands.  Next, she asked, Who speaks Spanish?  I 
raised my hand, as did two thirds of the people in the room.  And, 
finally she asked, Who speaks English?  Everyone in the room raised a 
hand.

OK, she said, the class will be in English but you're going to have to 
help me translate from Spanish if I get stuck.

She put some milonga music on the CD player and asked us to face the 
long mirror that lines one of the studio's walls.  She demonstrated a 
basic milonga step and asked us to copy it.

We arranged ourselves into four rows that were five people abreast.  We 
stood behind her, watched in the mirror, followed her example and, 
together, we danced.  First we advanced on the mirror.  Then, in 
reverse, we danced away from the mirror.

What a pretty spectacle that was!  Everyone was simultaneously 
following her steps and we were all on the beat.  We weren't partnered 
up.  Each of us was dancing with the rest of the group.  If the world's 
artists were to form an army, this is how it would march.

Gabriel then changed the pattern and made it slightly more difficult.  
She asked us to copy it.  After we went through two more iterations of 
such changes, she told us to partner up and try to combine the 
exercises -- and keep it on the beat of the music.

By the time the class ended an hour later, we had done ten basic steps, 
including two new, interesting ways to do back ochos.  She also showed 
us some multiple, shuffling steps that are done while both the lead and 
the follow stay in the cross.

A few people were still experiencing some minor difficulty at the 
conclusion of the class.  But, I think everyone left with a clear 
concept of what they were supposed to be doing.

As we were closing up the room in preparation for the next instructors 
and their students, I told Gabriel that I was impressed with both the 
lesson and her ability to conduct it in English.  (Our students were 
 from Holland, Germany, Belgium, Japan, the US, the UK and who knows 
where else.)  It had been an impressive performance.  Sure, she 
stumbled for words frequently.  When this happened the students had 
always been able to help translate.  She conducted this rather large 
class without the benefit of a partner or assistants, too.

She put in a pitch for her milonga before we left.  Friday night, class 
at 8:30, dinner at 10:30, milonga at 11:00 until whenever.  Avenida 
Ramon Falcon 2750.  Live music and a show included.  $7.00 = $2.35US.

Gabriel gave me two of her business cards.  The second one was a group 
card for Labaldosa Tango.  labaldosatango at hotmail.com  website 
www.labaldosatango.com.ar.

(I subsequently learned that Gabriel has performed at Caesar's Palace 
and at the Waldorf Astoria in the US.)


GABRIELA ELIAS, A BIT MORE

I enjoyed Gabriela Elias's traspie milonga class on Monday afternoon 
(12.12.05) so much that I signed up to repeat the same class on 
Wednesday morning (14.12.05).  I hoped the second time around might be 
as inspiring as the first.  It wasn't.

The Monday class had 20 students.  The Wednesday class had 6 students 
and all but one of these -- a very nice, older Japanese woman -- were 
leads.  The majority of the people were also beginners.

At the start of the lesson, Gabriela apologized for the low turnout, 
which she attributed to holding the class so early in the morning.  
(And, yes, 11:00AM is early for much of the tango crowd.)  She then did 
a nice job of teaching her students.  We received far more individual 
attention that the people in the Monday class received.  But, the 
Wednesday classs lacked energy.

When I reviewed Inarra and Figliolo's class last week, I said something 
to the effect that having good instructors could have a galvanizing 
effect on their students.  No offense to the beginners in the Gabriela 
Elias's Wednesday class, but it seems that the students also have a 
huge effect on the tone of the class.

Gabriela criticized the way I led the Japanese woman into the cross, 
too.  To help find the problem, Gabriela and I took the embrace and we 
danced a few steps so she could diagnose the problem.  She said I 
shouldn't be turning my shoulders before the woman crosses.  This 
touched off an interesting discussion between the two of us.

There has been a long-running debate in the tango world about whether 
the "cruz" (cross) -- which is the defining step in Argentine tango -- 
is led by the man or done by convention by the woman.  In Portland, we 
don´t hear much about this conflict because ALL of Portland's 
instructors say that the cross is led.  (It's difficult to have a 
debate when the opposing viewpoint isn't represented.)  Most of the 
instructors in Buenos Aires, too, will say that the cross is led.  
Gabriela is the first true expert I have encountered who says the cross 
should be done by convention.

I didn't try to argue with her.  Neither my knowledge of tango or my 
poor Spanish would allow it.  But, I did question her technique and I 
said that my other instructors thought the cross should be led.  Her 
response?  "En MI libro . . ." she began, as she pointed to herself.  
(In MY book . . . )

She's a famous tango dancer.  I've watched her perform and I can't 
argue with the results.  I danced with her again for a minute or two 
and, this time, I did not lead the cross with my shoulders.  She was 
satisfied I could do it her way and we dropped the matter.  I didn't 
want to eat into the time she could be using to help her other students.

She remained calm during that discussion and I've continued to lead the 
cross in spite of her instructions.  We understand each other's 
positions and we have simply agreed to disagree.  She's very nice and 
we still do the kiss on the cheek greeting before class begins.

I first became aware of the "lead vs convention" debate back in 
Portland in 2003 when I began Argentine tango.  Instructor Megan 
Pingree spoke about it during one of her drop in classes.  After two 
years of dance instruction, I started thinking that the debate had 
ended with the "led" viewpoint emerging victorious.  I am pleaased (?) 
to report that the issue is still alive and kicking and the authorities 
are still divided.