Susana Miller is coming to Seattle in July. The Buenos Aires daily newspaper, Clarin, calls her one of the top four most important influences on contemporary tango (the other three, in case you were wondering, are Miguel Angel Zotto, Gustavo Naveira, and Gerardo Portelea).
I have had the pleasure of studying with Susana in Atlanta and Seattle, dancing at her nightclub in Buenos Aires – El Beso, and entertaining her at my home. She is a formidable person, in a good way, and certainly one of the biggest influences on me as a tango dancer.
Susana takes us where we need to go, which is always, always, back to the basics. I’m drawing from her course descriptions here, but see what she covers: posture, the embrace, balance, connection – these may seem like simple, mechanical ideas but I assure you they are not. And then there are what I’d call the more poetic elements: using your feet like hands, remembering and forgetting, energy and fluidity versus strength and control. Aren’t these intriguing? This is so much deeper than learning steps or sequences.
I’m planning to participate in as many classes as I can. If you happen to be in the Seattle area, there might be a few places left. K’ai Roberts Fu is hosting. See her website for more details!