The Eternal Struggle with Argentine Tango

Started Argentine Tango more than several years ago with Teo and Marsha Bartek. When I came to town, I would stop by their teaching sessions.

At the time they were meeting downtown at Market Street Pub. They were dancing open embrace, which is typical ballroom style position. This was easy for me.

When I moved back to Gainesville in 2003, I started going to their weekly sessions at Emerald's and later at Orion Fitness. I also attended a weekend workshop at their house. Now they were doing Close Embrace, with the woman up against the man. This I could not do.

For three years, I could not take a single step in Argentine Tango. After dancing for more than two decades, that was how bad my balance for dancing was.

I danced like I played basketball and beach volleyball. Broad stance, deceptive movements, ability to change directions quickly. My defensive skills are useful for following. My natural movements as a leader, were the opposite of what they needed to be.

Started taking a class with Andrea Pham. She put a hand on my hip and another on my shoulder, leaned against me and would not let me move until I showed some sign of improvement.

The process was slow, but after a year and a half, last Wednesday I thought I had arrived. Elke and I had a great connection and a few wonderful dances. I was on theh top of my game. Felt like I had control of my balance throughout the length of every step.

Nope. Friday night I regressed.

At the University of Florida Tango Club, we danced several dances. It was more like stumbling. Worse, she needed steel toe shoes. Foolishing she had on open-toed high heels and I mangled her foot. Yes, I drew blood.

One step forward, one foot stepped on. The struggle continues.

Promotion and bio for Israeli Folk Dancing

Was recently invited to teach Israeli Folk Dancing at Santa Fe College, here in Gainesville. They asked for a write up on Israeli
Dancing and a bio for me. Here is what I sent them.

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Israeli Folk Dancing
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Israeli Folk Dancing is as old as the bible.

David leapt and danced before the Lord
~ Book of Samuel

Israeli Folk Dancing was reinvented officially in the 1920s with the first modern Israeli Folk Dance, Hora Agadati choreographed by
Baruch Agadati.

Israeli Folk Dancing is a secular activity, not a religious practice and done around the world by people of all faiths and
ethnicities.

We dance for fun, to socialize, to exercise and to participate in Israeli and Jewish culture.

Though Israeli Folk Dancing is secular, it is impossible to separate Jewish culture from Jewish
religion as they are intimately intertwined.

Many of the songs we dance to come from the bible or are inspired by biblical stories.
Nearly all the songs are in Hebrew, the holy language. Many of the songs are about about
the holy land of Israel, events in Jewish history and Jewish observances.

The music for Israeli Folk Dancing comes from all over the world, as the people that immigrated
to Israeli came from every where.

Some of the music styles are American, Arabic, Balkan, Brazilian, French, Greek, Indian, Latin,
Mexican, Native American, Persian, Russian, Spanish, Swedish, Turkish, Yemenite and many more.

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Andrew Weitzen
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Andrew's excited about the opportunity to introduce new people to the wonderful world of Israeli Folk Dancing.

Andrew started Israeli Folk Dancing twenty years ago. He has been teaching Israeli Folk Dancing in Gainesville for the last four
years. Andrew also teaches Swing and Hustle dancing.

Andrew has been a guest teacher at the University of Florida School of Dance, Hawthorne High School,
PK Yonge Elementary School and many other local organizations. Andrew has been invited as a guest
teacher in other states.

In South Florida, Andrew participated casually with four different Israeli Folk Dance performing groups.

Andrew has been dancing for thirty years and is experienced in nearly all social dances, including
Argentine tango, ballroom, contra, international folk, and latin dancing.

Andrew has written the book "Partnership Dancing(tm)", which teaches the fundamentals of dancing with a partner.

Andrew played varsity basketball for Gainesville High School and is an accomplished Beach Vollyeball
Player, winning the Gainesville Open Beach Volleyball tournament and trying out for the United States Maccabi Team. He has
organized, taught, coached and refereed numerous sporting programs.

Andrew is a software developer for the Internet. His own projects include a number of dance, Jewish
and Gainesville related websites, blogs and newsletters.

- Gainesville Israeli Dance weekly newsletter
- Gainesville Swing and Hustle weekly newsletter
- Internet Handholding monthly newsletter

- gainesville-florida-usa.blogspot.com - Gainesville blog
- gainesville.israelidance.info - Gainesville Israeli dancing
- gainesville.swingdance.info - Gainesville Swing dancing

- www.dancecalendar.com - Dance sessions around the world
- www.israelidance.info - Israeli dance information
- www.israelipartnerdancing.com - Israeli partner dancing
- www.jewishnetwork.com - Jewish events around the world
- www.partnershipdancing.com - the book Partnership Dancing

Reunion.com Profile

Started a profile on Reunion.com.

My profile is http://www.reunion.com/shrraack

They have a blog there too.