Interview © Tatiana Balashova 

... It's been over a year since I've heard from Oliver Kolker (one of my favorite tango instructors and dancers) that he started working on a feature project with Argentine tango. There was not much detail at that time available yet however my curiosity was already up high and it's exciting to get to know now that the movie "Glorias del Tango" will soon meet its audience.

Filmmakers say that the film is born 3 times: once in the writer's head, then on the movie set, and later on the editing table. I'd add as well that the film's journey starts a new important turn when it's being released. Distribution is a huge part of the pre- and post-production and often filmmakers have to think about the ways to distribute the film way before the film is being shot even.  For an outsider (an average viewer) making movies might look glamorous and fun. Those who are connected with filmmaking or have ever been on the set probably know that it's enormous work of a crew of 10-1000+ people and like a huge spaceship which one has to take care about and monitor every small thing.

We would like to thank you Oliver for taking time during these busy days to answer the questions for the TDBlog! There is one more big step to make the movie a success, please, dear TDBlog readers, enjoy the interview and feel free to read more information on the links in the interview. Let's welcome a new film with Argentine tango into the world.

Q1:  First of all, Oliver, tell us, please, how it all started. Have you been connected to cinema and filmmaking before? How did you get the idea of the film?

Well I studied drama in Argentina for many years, since 1995. I’ve done several commercials, TV and Print (MARTINI/BACCARDI) among them. After that MARTINI commercial I was able to buy my first car! Jajajajajaja. Since then  I’ve done acted in three movies, two in which I’ve played the leading role and the third one I played a cowboy. Great experience. I attended film school for in 2001, but I left because the way they taught didn’t stimulate me.

The idea for “ Glorias del Tango”  came when I was in NYC in 2005. The Tango Nuevo movement was just starting to become a big thing. For me,  having leaved in Argentina for practically my whole life, this new movement was a surprise, since I had never heard the term Tango Nuevo. For me Tango was only one thing. Then I realized by working and living  in NYC and traveling around the US, that a lot of people loved to dance, they movement, the playful possibilities of combining  different elements that Tango had to offer such as, Sacadas, Ganchos, Lapices, Volcadas, Enroques etc… but also many DID NOT connect with the music, in fact I heard a couple of times people saying “I can’t stand Tango Music, but I love the dance."

Many people enjoyed dancing Tango steps to other music; dancing to Janis Joplin, The Beatles, you name it. Was this wrong? Not at all, but in the beginning I have to admit I was a little shocked but I also understood that people weren’t disrespecting the dance at all, they simply did not connect with its music. Their roots where different.  So instead of writing a blog about it, I thought: Tango is such a deep and vast art form, a popular expression that has independently basically developed in four branches; MUSIC, DANCE, SINGING and POETRY, we can even speak in Tango lyrics! and that was it. We have to understand that tango talks about, Love, Friendship, Parents, Jail, Jobs, Romance, Betrayal, Food, Advice etc… life itself.

Q2:  Was it hard to find a crew or you already knew who u want to work with?.. Can you tell us a little bit about the leading actors.

  Yes, and NO. Hernan Findling my co-producer has been in Argentinean movie business the same amount of time I’ve been involved in Tango almost 16 years. I was shooting a movie for the US market in Argentina and he was the director. I approached him and pitch my idea. I said I was writing a script and he told me: "When you finish, you must register your work, the I’ll read it and if I like it I’ll produce it". So that was that.  I offered for him to Co-Direct it with me.  He took care of everything, finding the crew,  getting the permits, doing the paperwork. He also helped with getting financing  for the project from,  INCAA,  the National Institute that finances movie projects in Argentina. To access this grant you must compete and submit your work to be approved by a committee. The funny thing is that at the first submission I was rejected. This was in 2010, so I had to re write and finally I was approved in July 2012 after my friend Lynn helped me re write it.

(note by TDB: see more information about the actors in the teaser video and on the websites in the end of the interview!)

Q3:  Is the script yours? Did have study how to write screenplays or just went with intuition?

100% of the script is mine. The whole thing stems from my imagination. This was so difficult. I had the idea in my mind but I didn’t know how to write a script. The first thing I did was study script writing.  For almost 7 months, I read and read and read everything I could get my hands on.

I had  graduated with a Business Administration degree,  but after having read  all these books on script writing, I thought, “Why had I wasted my university years studying business”.  Everything I was reading concerning movies and script writing was so much fun and easier to understand. All those hours of TV that I watched when I was a kid (my parents used to be mad at me for this) made so much sense.  
So I wrote the first scene and showed to Silvina (Valz) and she said: I LOVE IT, KEEP GOING… So that was it. They key thing also was that I did not pressure myself at all, if I felt like writing I did, and sometimes I spent  three months without writing. I could afford to do this because writing was not my prime source of income. Silvina was a big help in my being able to accomplish my goals. Some of the scenes were actually written by Silvina. When the script was rejected the first time, I went to a script doctor who helped me rewrite some scenes.

Q4:  When the production was started and what kind of funding it was?

We had 3 weeks of Pre Production, 5 weeks of Production (SHOOTING) and we will have between 2 and 3 months of Post Production. Today we are still at the post production stage.  
Funds came from INCAA and from private investors. Oren Dobronsky is one of the investors in this project and his help, vision and trust has been huge.
We are in the middle of a Kickstarter Campaign in order to raise some extra cash  to help with the post production and the Argentine theatrical release  . So far we are doing amazingly well. Our goal is $50,000 and so far we have raised around $45,500 and we still have 5 days to go. The international Tango community has been a TREMENDOUS help . It’s amazing how much love and support they have shown us.

Q5:  Which language will the film, Spanish?

The movie is shot entirely in SPANISH, our plan is to subtitle the movie in as many languages as possible, English, French, German, Russian, Turkish, etc…

Q6:  What is the message of the film? What would you and your colleagues like viewers to take away?

That is great question, I did not write the story to send a message or a statement. Basically I wanted to to take the Tango Art form to another level by telling a story of Drama and Romance within the elements of Tango.   

Q7:  Will tango dancers be surprised somehow when watching the movie? :)

I can’t wait to see Silvina Valz in the film for example. You know, that special feeling when you see someone you know on TV or in the movie :).
We’ ll have to wait and see. You have to understand we’re aiming at NON Tango people to enjoy the film.

Q8: What is your distribution plan in brief, how people will be able to see the movie? Will it be submitted to the festivals first?

Yes. We are in talks with major distributors in Argentina and so far we have been invited to participate in the prestigious Mar del Plata Film Festival, which is the only Class “A” Festival in Latin America. We believe film festivals are  key  to  distributing the movie. Sundance is a big goal in our distribution plan; not easy but not Impossible.  

Q9:  I know that you have an "all or nothing" crowdfunding campaign on Kickstarter for "Glorias del Tango", which means only in the case the goal is reached or surpassed you can have access to that funding.  Where people can find more information about the film, the campaign and maybe behind the scenes materials? (There are a few days left and I hope more people will contribute to the project to be part of it and enjoy watching the movie soon!)

O.: the links are the following:

KICKSTARTER crowdfunding campaign –
Glorias del Tango 

Information, pictures...

www.gloriasdeltango.com
www.ferminlapelicula.com

Q10:  When you worked hard on the project, did you still have energy for dancing and teaching?

Yes of course I go dancing 3 times a week. I am not teaching right now.

T:  Ok, thank you! Good luck with the project!
I am proud to be among the backers! :) Can't wait to see the movie and hope it will have a great success at the festivals and among tango and non-tango people.

2013 © Tango Dancers Blog
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Note / September 2th, 2013 - Thanks to the support of many contributors including tango dancers, the crowdfunding campaign for the project "Glorias Del Tango" has successfully reached their goal in time!  Which proves the power of filmmakers and those who love them and the movies! :)  THANK YOU EVERYONE!!!

Look forward to watching the film! :)

It's hard to dance tango without proper shoes.  What kind of shoes will suit you it depends on many factors: type of feet, personal taste, dance floors you dance and practice on, price, accessibility and location... 

There are a few popular brands which most people have tried and many have come to come. Comme il Faut is for sure one of them. Enjoy this nice short documentary from Cool Hunting.

"Mosaic of Impressions"
Interview & translation © Tatiana Balashova

Today I am glad to talk to a talented photographer from Russia - Alexander Zabara.

When I was a child I did not take any pictures, got my first still camera after I came back from the army. It happened by chance and the story (“destiny”) of that camera was kind of complex. It was a cult camera Lomo-CA, it had a long history of being passed from hands to hands and I can only guess what it had seen before it got into my hands. I took a lot of pictures on it and it is still on my desk.

The first subjects of inspiration were the city and nature. Actually, those two themes I’ve been shooting all my life. As far as tango photography goes, I came to that reflecting on the city as a live organism.  Also, it was the tango-project which pushed me towards my new project “Free Forest” which I’ve been working on during last years.

Q 2:  Did you have any training in photography or mostly learned through practice? What helped you to develop your photographic style and how can you define it?

It was way later after I had got my first photo camera when I decided to take up photography more seriously. After finishing art school and working in design area I took a professional course at the Moscow Academy of Photography. That education gave me a strong motivation in creativity. Of course, it’s not just through education but rather through trial-and-error learning that you can develop a vision, find subjects, plots and the way material can be presented. Practice forms you as an artist... As far as my own photography style goes, I find it a bit strange to talk about that, especially keeping in mind that I am shooting so diverse projects. My tango-project was just one of them. I do what I do. If someone is eager to give it a name, I don’t mind.

Q 3:  Who are your favorite photographers? (in general and also the ones who take pictures of  dance and tango?)  Are there any other artists that influenced your vision?

There are three photographers who each at their own time influenced how I see the world:  Henri Cartier-Bresson, Alex Webb and Gueorgui Pinkhassov. Also some particular  paintings, especially by French impressionists and William Turner had a big impact on me. Creative works of those who take pictures with tango did not really influence me.

Q 4:  What are your favorite genres in photography?

I’ve been always fond of and have respected what Magnum Photos photographers are doing, especially their genre and reportage photography. As for me I value much more what you can see and find rather than what you can make-up and design in photography.

 Q 5:   What do you think about contemporary photography? (Reportage, portrait, fashion, commercial…)

Well, what IS contemporary photography?   It’s what all photographers on earth are doing in the present time… Who would dare to comment on and evaluate such a variety?

… Can’t say that I am keeping a close eye on current trends in photography.  Naturally, I follow the news, and come across some pictures from time to time. The place, where photography is now, where we have instagram, social networks, that lightness of taking a “snap”, actually results in depreciation of photography as such. Contemporary means of communication give photography a role of meaningless paillettes which fly down through the garbage chute. And such tendency is seen in many works shown at miscellaneous competitions, presented at exhibitions of contemporary photography.

Photo images of many renowned artists, including those who take prizes, are often very emasculated (“over-refined”) works, which have only consuming everything emptiness behind their effective façade. I don’t think that there are worse photography works or authors, I’ve seen that in many talented photo works that emerging photographers are doing and many renowned masters. However if you ask me about the tendency – it’s like that. That’s why to me personally it does not matter much how exactly the picture was taken, in which genre, whether it’s effective (impressive) in its look or not, how it was edited. What is important to me first of all is what it represents, what stands BEHIND the photo image and photographer.

Q 6:  Do you like working in projects or prefer shoot by shoot (a variety of genres)?

Sometime I take one shot after another and feel that there is something uniting them, then through years of work they get assembled into a common picture like a mosaic.

At other times I have a particular vision on a notion or event, and in that case I am looking for a visual language trying to take pictures in various genres.

- you have some great non-tango reportage pictures, for example the militia people on the Red Square and others… Did you do them spontaneously or was it an assignment / part of some project?

The pictures you mentioned, as well as tango photography, and other projects devoted to hip-hop culture and rock dance – all those series are like pieces of mosaic to me. They gradually help me build the picture of the city, the way I feel it.

Q 7:  Do you ever take part in photo competitions?  What is your attitude towards competitions?

Yes, when I studied photography I took part in competitions a couple of times. That helped me to realize their uselessness and I stopped applying. I am not competing with anyone and I am not a swimmer or runner. Photo competitions is for me as absurd as tango competitions.

Q 8:  Can you tell a bit more about the impressionistic series which you made? (the one you have on the English version of your website).

This project is the most important and most personal to me. I’ve been working on it for 6 years already. It started spontaneously, there were a few shots which kind of appeared as answers to the questions I asked to the world around. I am just taking part in creating those images and  very glad to feel that relation, connection. I bring those images from various parts of the world – Portugal, Carelia, from Altai mountains and Nepal, from Brittany and Crimea, and many many others. The world is much bigger than what we can see. All the world’s harmony is in each of us, in each tree and each stone. I am happy that working on those images helps me not only feel all that but even also share with others.

- There was one other video clip with a psychodelic feel “The Bulgarian Voices Angelite – Wave”, can you tell something about this slide show?

This video clip was part of the monochrome series “Gwenn ha Du”. It differs a lot from other forest images and was mostly shot in Celtic places in Brittany.  The clip is fully painted, it is not photography.

Hundreds of pictures were painted and assembled into a video. This project is personal and not done on request. Not sure if musicians are aware of that video or not, I did spoke to one of the musicians of “Huun-Huur-Tu” and he did not mind me doing it.

That series was a very difficult project for me, the idea had been growing inside me for a long time and later after I created the photo series, I felt something still remained untold. So I added this video to the project. That composition for me is an audio reincarnation of what I felt in those places.

These pictures look the way they were painted actually, no editing in photoshop was involved. I put my daughter at desk and gave her a plane table (she was 8 years old at that time), put some music and suggested that she can paint something. She was dragging the brush around spontaneously and I would change the music and save the result discreetly. We repeated that experience a few times however as soon as spontaneity was gone these images disappeared and ordinary children’s pictures appeared – grass, butterflies, horses. For me personally it was an important confirmation that the way I chose for my personal spontaneous projects was the right direction.

Q 10:  What do you think can help a beginner photographer to develop and find his/her personal style?

Don’t know really, I’ve never tried to develop my style. I think that if a photographer has something to say and if he/she is trying to speak with images honestly without copying others – that can be his/her own unique style.

Q 11:   What equipment are you using (if you don’t mind sharing that information) and what are your favorite lenses? Do you prefer working with natural light or enjoy using studio  / on-location lighting as well?

Depending on the project I use different lighting. I used to use Canon DSLRs for taking pictures with tango (have changed a few cameras throughout years), wide angle lenses, always working with available light. For street dance shoots direct flash light always comes in handy. Free forest project was shot with a variety of lenses including monocle and pinhole ones. During the last years, I have been shooting on mirrorless cameras by Fujifilm gradually letting go of DSLRs when doing urban photography.

Q 12:  Is photography your main occupation or do you specialize in something else as well?

Apart from working as a professional photographer, I teach at the Moscow Academy of Photography where used to study myself. My course is devoted to digital manipulation (editing) of photo images, and for the last 9 years it has helped photographers learn how to edit photo shoots efficiently, arrange and optimize the workflow.

Q 13:  What are you doing in free time? Any hobbies?

I try to spend time in the nature, I am fond of mountain and forest tracking. I read, listen to the music, go to the lectures on history of culture and art. However, photography is still my main hobby.

Q 14:  - When did Argentine tango came into your life? How long have you been dancing tango and what inspired you to try it?  When was the first time you realized that this dance can be something special for you (started enjoying tango :)?

I discovered tango in 2004 thanks to a friend of mine, also a photographer, who used to dance tango. I once saw a few couples circling around the embankment of Moscow river under the sunset light, and fell in love with that dance at first sight. Tango strongly influenced my life. It turned it around, opened new horizons and allowed to understand a lot about myself, people and the world around. I took a lot of classes, went to milongas and for two years dropped photography completely – tango was absolutely everything for me at that time. Then I tried to render the expressiveness of that dance in pictures, looking for various solutions to reflect what I feel in the dance.

- Are you still dancing tango?

Lately I’ve rarely been to milongas, and if I do go, I prefer taking pictures.

Q 15:  Is (was) it hard to combine taking pictures at tango events and dancing? How do you usually balance work and leisure?

At some point I realized that it’s better to devote yourself to one thing. My inner photographer usually wins over the dancer in me.

Q 16:   What was the most unforgettable tango you experienced and where was it?

It’s too personal to speak about it :).

Q 17:  What would you recommend aspiring photographers? 

Listen to yourself and look at the world around. 

Q 18: Is there any photographer you would like to learn from (intern with)? 

People who I would like to learn from are not photographers. 

Q 19:  What are your favorite pictures of your own work?  

The one that is not taken yet. 

 Q 20:  your plans for 2013?...  If you could work on any project anywhere you want, what would it be? 

As the famous saying reads – “a true way to make God laugh is to tell him about your plans”. 

If I could work on that project now, I would go where I was a month ago – the mountains of Nepal.

Blitz questions: 

- favorite tango music:  valses :) 
- tango DJs:  Felix Picherna 
- non-tango music:  celtic music, word music, mantras 
- color?  255/255/255 
- what is your favorite flower?  My daughter :) 
- favorite dish / food  - seafood 
- which animal would you like to be if you were an animal in your next life?   
I am hoping that in my next life I will stay a human being [Symbol]  
- what dance would you dance if not tango? -  Uprock! 
- what is your favorite film?  - 2001: A Space Odyssey  
- what Russian films would you recommend watching?  “Stalker” by Andrei Tarkovsky 
- book you recommend to read:  Wassily Kandinsky “Concerning the Spiritual in Art” 
- what place would you choose for a romantic trip?  Sintra, Portugal 
- what place would you live if you could live anywhere?  Anywhere 
- favorite non-tango place in Moscow  which you would show your friend (except your home)?  
  Gorky Park 
- if you had a chance to bring time back what would you do differently in your life? 
  If I changed something I would not be who I am. 
- Who would you like to say “thank you” to?   To all human beings 
- Your  motto:  Do what must and come what may 

- Anything else you would like to say to the TangoDancers Blog’s readers? 
Be happy, dear everyone! Thank you!

... or rather a short mocumentary :). Especially for those who are familiar with classical ballet and contemporary dance.

This film was created as a project of the University of Utah Department of Modern Dance ScreenDance course 2012. 

A charming TV issue in Russian by the Dancing Planet devoted to Buenos Aires, Argentina and tango. Author and host: Alexander Pukhov. (Russian TV "Moya Planeta") *** Wish they had English subtitles! It's really fun to watch.

Demo video for the film about Solo Tango Orquesta was just uploaded to FB and Youtube. Please LIKE & SHARE and hope it will inspire people to support the project. *** That video has some footage which was  taken in Buenos Aires. There is much more to capture and research. All short films will be dynamic, fun, with creative and experimental elements and we hope it will be interesting for both tango and non-tango audience. *** SUPPORT us & get gifts! & stay tuned with the news.

Photographers and media artists will be frequent guests at our blog and here is an interview with a young charming "dancing photographer" from Budapest, Hungary - Kinga Lakner.

© Interview by Tatiana Balashova
Slide show video by Kinga Lakner

T: Hi Kinga, Let’s start with the tango part of your life.

Q1:  Where did you learn tango and who were you main instructors? What dancers inspired you?

This could be a looong list, as I have photographed quite a few tango couples in Argentina, Europe and home with whom I had a private lesson as well. The inspiration keeps changing, but just to name a few: Fausto and Stephanie, Juana Sepulveda, Anabella and Mario, Mariana Dragone, Andrea and Laszló from home..and many more .

Q2:  Did you do any other dances, “bodywork” practices or sports before?

I danced flamenco for quite a while before tango and tried Aikido, Thai Chi a little bit, and lately I just started up with Lindy Hop.  Other balance sports and Pilates have helped on the way too.

Q3:  How did you life changed when you started dancing tango?

Oooh, a lot! More small travels in Europe, whereas before I would travel to far way places, many new friends whom I see occasionally, the way I view relationships now, opportunities to work with people anywhere in the world.. more diversity in many ways...

Q5:  Is tango an addiction for you?

I would say more like a huge source for creativity and joy and of course a base to grow in many ways of my life …

Q5: When was the first time you tried taking pictures and what inspired you? What was your first camera?

I first started taking photos on a round-the-world trip in the Buddhist parts of South East Asia with a 1.9 megapixel Casio which had a very clever rotating body feature that I loved.
In those times I got inspiration from almost everything around me like cultures, patterns, landscapes, cats, kids… but slowly my attention was more and more focused on people, and especially on the eyes of people, which became a kind of trademark of my current photography.

Q6: Did you have any training in photography or mostly learned through practice? What helped you to develop your photographic style and how you can define it?

I have learnt everything through experimenting, trial-and-error and a great amount of curiosity.
I would say my photographic style is romantic with a huge emphasis on intimacy and inner beauty, and it was mainly shaped through my previous works as graphic and interior designer as well as studies in mathematics, psychology and of course my interaction with the everyday or tango people and the world around me.

Q7: Who are your favorite photographers? (In general and the ones who do dance and tango photography?) Are there any other artists that influenced your vision?

I greatly admire the work of Mario Testino, Alexi Lubomirski, Paolo Roversi, Robert Doisneau and many more in fashion and documentary photography, but other visual artists have also influenced me like painters, sculptors or dancers .. but I never really tried to consciously copy anyone, as I what I do is more instinctive I would say ..
In tango I appreciate the work of Ishka Michocka, Mathias Bertrand, Peter Forret.

Q8: What are your favorite genres in photography?

Fashion, portrait, beauty, tango.. or pretty much anything that is connected with creativity, intimacy and passion. There is a similar flow feeling in photography like in dancing, when you experience a great connection and I love that!

Q9: What equipment are you using (if you don’t mind sharing that information) and what are your favorite lenses? Do you prefer working with natural light or enjoy using studio lighting as well?

I like working both with studio lighting and natural light for different results and reasons but maybe my specialty is the use of natural light in a particular way.
Hence my favorite lenses are: a 50mm F1.4 and a 85mm F1.8 , they are from Canon but I have no preference for them, Nikon would also do it for me .
I currently use a very lightweight SLR, the Canon 550D, its compact enough to run around with it but in a studio work for a magazine cover I could just pick any camera I wish, which is a nice way to try out old and new cameras like a Hasselblad for example which I would never afford to buy for myself.

Q10: When did Argentine tango came into your life? How long have you been dancing tango and what inspired you to try it? When was the first time you realized that this dance can be something special for you (started enjoying tango ?

Actually photography had a part in it: After a break-up I discovered a video of Gotan Project with Juana Sepulveda and the lighting really caught my eyes as well as the movements and the subtle details of seduction. I also became intrigued by the beauty and difficulty of the connection between the two dancers and the music.

I actually really enjoyed dancing from the beginning. I loved the playing, the discoveries and the dances.. so I started to have more downs later on when I realized I had not enough technique or training to dance well, or was too impatient with my progress.
In the summer I will dance for about 3 years now and I must say I am very thankful to tango for learning so much about life, people and the relationship between man an woman.. and also for the great friends I got to know along the way!

Q11: Is it hard to combine taking pictures at tango events and dancing? How do you usually balance work and leisure?

No it's not hard at all! I love the combination, I like watching people to dance or enjoy themselves as well as getting lost myself in a dance.

Q12: What was the most unforgettable tango experienced you had and where it was?

I had many for different reasons, the first when I was just barely a beginner and the last I just had on my last tango marathon with a dancer I did not talked before. Great connection with the movement and music and playfulness with a kind of flow-like trance would describe it best.

Q13: What would you recommend aspiring photographers?

I once read an interview about the top fashion photographers that they are trying to achieve every day something new to develop what they did the day before .. and that after your first few thousand photos you start to take the good ones finally..

Q14: … Have you got any hobbies? … What do you enjoy doing in your free time? (apart from tango and photography)

I looove doing crazy and adventurous things like traveling, discovering far away places in tropical jungles and different cultures .. also snowboarding, surfing, or snorkeling and the like.. and to share precious time with some wonderful people.

Q15:  Your plans for 2013? If you could work on any project anywhere you want, what would it be?

Photography will take me along many tango event in the first half of 2013, like Lyon, Budapest, Oslo, New York, Copenhagen, Lisbon, Rome, Hamburg, Berlin and who knows where else in the second part

My dream project is to work with one of my favorite photographer for a fashion shoot in NY and of course alone for some designer label :))
...
(interview continued below - blitz questions)

"Tango Moments" slide show by Kinga Lakner.

Blitz questions:
Tell us please what you like most:

- favorite tango music:
Jacinto Chiclana by Antonio Agri, or Troilo and many more.. basically the romantical ones I guess … Canaro, Di Sarli, Calo, Fresedo, Lomuto, Piazzola..
Singers: Roberto Goyeneche, Raul Beron .. Alberto Podesta, Hector Mauré..
Particular songs: Cicatriz, Pocas Palabras, Calle Corrientes, Viejo Ciego, Cascabelito…

- tango DJs:
Godoy, Florin, Caputo, Sab Fab SuperSabino, La Rubia, Katalin Czidor...

- non-tango music:
lots of jazz, maybe Chiquilin De Bachin by Adrián Iaies, or Fats Waller or Melody Gardot… swing... flamenco, world, soundtracks of films, Zaz, Buika, Ayo, Lura, Aerosmith...Mitsoura ... Soda estereo from argentina & others.

- color? 
Gold with burgundy

- favorite flower?
Lotus

- favorite dish / food
Thai Panang curry and Szilvásgombóc!

- what is your favorite movie / film?
(name a few if you want)

“Sky Burial”, “I shall wear midnight”, “Stranger in a strange land”, “Ender's game”, “The unbearable lightness of being”, “Hesse”, “Márai”, “Böszörményi”, “Ervin Lázár”, “Valley of Flowers”, “Indochine”, “L'amant”, “Night on Earth”, “La vita bella”, “5th element”, “Hamam”, “the legend of 1900”, etc...

- what place would you choose for a romantic trip?
Belize, Bali, Cuba

- what place would you live if you could live anywhere?
Paris, New York, Burma

- which animal would you like to be if you were an animal in your next life? :)
snow-leopard

T: Thank you, Kinga, good luck with your New York trip and all the projects!

 © TangoDancersBlog.com

 ©  Interview by Tatiana Balashova

THOMAS RIESER - Nou Tango Berlin (Germany)

Q1:  Hi Thomas, thank you for agreeing to give this  interview. Tell us please when did you first hear about Argentine tango and what inspired you to try that dance? Share your story.

- In 1998-2000 I did a training in movement education and therapy (Bothmer Gymnastik + Spatial Dynamics), and once a week we had dance lessons from a woman from Brazil, who especially liked Tango, lucky coincidence.

Q2:   Where did you learn tango and who were you main instructors? What dancers inspired you?

- When I moved to Berlin in 2000 I took classes with Udo Hartmann, it was impossible to resist his overwhelmingly positive energy and love for the dance. In 2002-03 I studied a year abroad in California, where I met Homer Ladas. I learned a lot from him about the social aspects and the playfulness of Tango. In the past years I was very lucky to teach regular weekly classes with two outstanding partners: Gaia Pisauro and Sigrid van Tilbeurgh, whose research, knowledge and insights about Tango opened many doors for me. When I watch someone dance I want to be moved, taken away, it doesn’t matter so much to me what I see but much more how I feel when I see it. As an example: one of my favourite couples to watch like this are Mariángeles Caamaño and Bruno Tombari.

Q3:  Do you remember your first milonga? Did anything surprised you about social tango, music and dancers? What stands out in the memory?

- I picked the wrong one, and really did not have the best time but somehow thought i need to get through this... I think I learned something important that first night though: Tango should (also) be fun, and if it isn't, maybe you picked the wrong place ;).

Q4:  What music did you like most when you started?
- Canaro

Q5:  Were you trying to master a particular “style” of dancing and how did that perception of social tango change with time?
- I was always taught a “social style”, it never changed

Q6:  Did you do any other dances, “bodywork” practices or sports before? Ballroom? Flamenco? Martial arts?  Figure skating?  …

- when I was younger I did a lot of free climbing, but stopped after I had an accident in 1992

Q7:  When did you start teaching and why? How did Nou Tango appeared and why did you choose that name for the school? …

- When I came back from California I had the strong urge to do something, not just talk and fantasize, but to actually go for it and take a risk. Together with a close friend of mine, a greek fellow, I opened Nou in 2004, as a space for art exhibitions, educational get-togethers and movement. The name comes from greek: “nous”, it is a philosophical term for the faculty of the human mind which is described in classical philosophy as necessary for understanding what is true or real, similar in meaning to intuition. In September 2004 I started the first regular weekly Tango class and Milonga at Nou. Out of everything we had envisioned for the space Tango was the one thing that really worked well –and that I liked most– so I kept doing it.

Q8: Tell us about your team and what events you are doing.

- the team grew organically throughout the years … after a year we added another day to the program, and after four years we opened a second venue, which we moved to a different location two years later, where we finally felt like “home”. 1,5 years ago I closed the venue where I had started in 2004 and now we are running “Nou Mitte” as our one and only location. Currently we are 18 teachers, some of them are part of Nou since 2005, others joined last year. What is important for me is that everyone involved has a unique motive and character, and that Nou is, so to say, a “mosaic” of different ideas and perspectives, all valid and all open-minded. 

Nou hosts regular classes and workshops, we invite guest teachers for seminars, and have a weekly Friday-Milonga and a Monday-Lounge, since 2007 I organize a summer tango festival called “Berlin Tango High”, and since 2012 co-organize the “International Tangofestival Berlin”, I also organize a Tango-vacation-retreat together with Gaia Pisauro since 2008: the “Summer Tango Treat” outside of Berlin, and I am part of the Team of the beautiful “Tango Alchemie” Festival in Prague.

Q9:  I noticed that you collaborate a lot with the photographer Ishka Michocka. Can you tell us a bit about that and maybe there is some fun story connected with that? :)

- I often think that meeting Ishka feels like encountering a "new interesting galaxy"! Knowing and working with her is a special treat that I am very thankful for. There is no idea odd enough to not find her interest. I learned to be careful what to wish for when I am around her :).

Q10:  What is the most challenging and the most rewarding part of being and organizer?

People's needs, wants and wishes are quite broadly spread, it is not always easy to take as many perspectives into account as possible without loosing the warm core that keeps it meaningful, not arbitrary.
There is something like a "social flow" that I compare to the dance flow: when everything goes well, the music is great, the people are happy, and the time is just right, the atmosphere at a Milonga can be amazing. Just watching this, seeing everyone smile, dance beautifully, laugh, talk and meet each other, and to breath this in deeply, is a very special and giving moment.

Q11:  3 things you would you recommend to an emerging (beginner) organizer?
1 - it helps to love what you do
2 - talk to people, not just professionals but to all dancers, get to know them, if it is not interesting for you it may not be the right field
3 - don't copy

Q12:  Is tango your main occupation? … Have you got any hobbies? … What do you enjoy doing in free time?
- When I started Nou in 2004 I was a dedicated university student, but –running the business and continuing the studies in an appropriate way– it took until February 2009 to pass my masters in history of art and philosophy. It was a hard decision to leave the academic world behind, but it felt freeing to be able to focus on one thing only. For three years tango was my main occupation. Last year I was very happy to be able to re-connect to university and, actually, to be able to combine it with tango: In 2012 I started a PhD project at Charité Berlin,  where we are researching to what extent dance can be applied as a therapeutic approach for children and adolescents with malignant disease, in order to influence long-term effects and subsequently to improve the quality of life.

I am very lucky that my work is also my “hobby”  ;)

My free time is dedicated to my wife and two daughters, if I can read a paper once in a while and drink a good coffee life is perfect. 

Q13:  How did you life changed when you started dancing tango?

- I don’t feel that I can say that my life really changed because of Tango, besides the obvious consequence of staying up very late  ;)  Being surrounded by the flowing and positive energy of this dance all the time, and all the interesting people who are practicing it, … it may be that this had and has an invisible touch upon my life that I profit from more than I notice.

Q14: Is tango an addiction for you? J  How did your relationship with tango changed through years?

- The dancing part is not an addiction, as -due to the climbing accident- my ankle hurts when I dance too much; it reminds me to enjoy every Tanda, which is a beautiful thing. Tango and I definitely became closer and closer throughout the years. I appreciate and respect this dance a lot, and I learn more about it almost every day.

Q15:  What would you advice people who started dancing tango but are going through a rough patch and think about quitting/ switching to another dance?

- I would try to understand their situation and offer a solution with respect to their individual needs. In my experience everyone goes through a ditch, some bigger some smaller, and the “real” tango usually starts right behind it, so it may be worth to give it a try. 

Q16:  What in your opinion might help people to enjoy tango dancing and get more comfortable in a milonga setting?

- a social atmosphere and basic tango skills, knowledge of the concept of the “ronda”

Q17:  What would you advise to people whose life partner does not want to do tango and maybe is not thrilled that his/her beloved is dancing with other men/women?

- I would try to get the partner to join at least once to see and experience what it is all about, I would be clear and honest to both of them and name the possible difficulties. If the relationship is healthy it won’t be a problem, but if not … good luck. 

Q18:  Did you manage to “convert” some relatives or friends to tango dancers?

- almost, but not quite

Q19:  Now let’s talk about Berlin.  Were you born there or moved? What is really special about living in Berlin?  (both for dancers and non-dancers)

I moved to Berlin in 2000 and I love it. Berlin is big but not disturbing, relaxed, rather clean and green, mostly friendly, with a good sense of neighborhood, it is affordable, interesting, has great food, and is children friendly. Berlin Tango has a long history, which makes it feel strong and healthy. We don’t need “local stars” and we all respect each other. More and more young people start to dance and come to the Milongas. Berlin is very open-minded and makes offers to all kinds of interests, both in tango and non-tango.

Q20:  Are you traveling for tango?  Have you ever been to BA and what impression did it leave compared to the tango scene in Europe?

- I don’t travel for tango and I haven’t been to BA, not because of lack of interest, but because of lack of time. 

Q21:  What are your plans for 2013? If you could work on any project anywhere you want, what would it be?

- I am very happy with what I have and would not choose anything else

Q22:  if to look at those years spend with tango what was the most special (dear, emotional) moment that comes to your memory?
not just one moment, it is how close I became with some people.
..................................................................................................................

Blitz questions:

Tell us please what you like most:

- favorite tango music:
it changes from mood to mood

- tango DJs:
  every week I hear great DJs, and once in a while there are outstanding nights, but a DJ who has an amazing night one night can have an mediocre one next time, I can only refer to very, very special personal memories: Tommaso Fiorilli, Analía La Rubia

- non-tango music:
  lots...

- color?
  red

- what is your favorite flower?
mountain wildflowers, poppies, violets, blooming (fruit-)trees

- favorite dish / food
  Peach Passion Smoothie, Californian Food

- which animal would you like to be if you were an animal in your next life?
 panther

- what is your favorite film?  (name a few if you want)

Woody Allen: Whatever Works, Olivier Nakache & Éric Toledano: Intouchables, among others …

- what place would you choose for a romantic trip?
a remote valley in Transsylvania

- what place would you live if you could live anywhere?
on earth

- favorite non-tango place in Berlin?
my home

- Who would you like to say “thank you” to?  Someone helped to initiate Nou, I am very thankful for that .

T: Anything special you would like to add?

Th: Good luck with your Tango Dancers Blog  :)

T:  Thank you for the interview, Thomas! :) Good luck with your projects!

http://www.noutangoberlin.de/

Tango Dancers Blog © 2013

Hello everyone!

Welcome to the TangoDancers Blog! We are very excited to launch this media blog! :)

Hope you will have fun with it and enjoy our interviews and special stories about tango dancers.

Call for Talent:  if you have some great idea and would like to contribute to the blog by submitting (preparing) an article, photo story or film / video, feel free to contact us with a short description of your creative material / idea.

Here we go -> Camera, Action!