Grant and Karyn Fromont — an interview
Grant and Karyn contribute enormously to tango in Auckland. Karyn enjoys hosting their monthly practica in the Albany area, and also dances salsa. Grant has a passion for traditional tango music and regularly DJs during the week, when not driving their three children mad with it in the weekend. They have danced tango in many cities, and in a number of New Zealand camping ground kitchens.
What got you into tango? When was that?
Grant: My brother Robert was immersed in Tango at the time, and took Karyn along to one of the Milongas.
She was very enthusiastic and talked me into trying it out. Also I saw The Tango Lesson, with Pablo Veron, and a CITA Festival DVD. I had never danced before. We started from scratch on the tango journey everyone takes. We were very lucky to start with Maida Zanaboni who focused on technique for close embrace, and the feeling of milonguero style tango.
At that time I could not understand the lead, or the music. I decided to give it everything, for Karyn. Robert had a sizeable collection of tango music and I listened to it all on the way to work every day.
I faced the tough time all leaders go through, but one milonga night, Karyn made me dance all night without sitting down. I have been hooked every since, and rarely sit down!
What do you love about tango, or what does tango mean to you?
Grant: Tango as a leader is an improvised and spontaneous composition. It is analytical and logical. But for me as a tanguero and a person, it is being the music. It is all feelings, it is a communion of two souls, it is life, it is love.
How long have you been teaching tango for?
Grant: We ran our first workshop in 2005, it was for Leaders Floorcraft.
I wanted to help new leaders make the conversion from class to Milonga. Once they take that step, everything changes.
Which tango dancers have you learnt from, or who inspire you?
Grant: Maida Zanaboni, Maria Plazaola, Fabrizio Forti, Mariana Dragone, Jaimes Friedgen, Ney Melo & Jennifer Bratt. Others also.
Javier Rodriguez and Geraldine Rojas were truly stunning together and drew me to Tango.
Sebastian Arce & Mariana Montes, Julio & Corina, Chicho & Lucia.
I have a lot of respect for the master milongueros, like Carlos Gavito.
Which style(s) of tango would you say you dance and/or teach?
Grant: I occasionally dance a fusion style which is close embrace with some open, also called Liquid Tango, but mostly close embrace.
Karyn and I teach Milonguero Close Embrace Tango, Vals and Milonga.
What are your classes like?
Grant: We teach together, and we believe in practical application of theory. We also try to impart what we know by dancing individually with our students in the class, as tango was learnt this way originally in Argentina, in the Practicas of the 40's.
We have the following teaching philosophies;
- We emphasize connection, musicality, and technique, to allow improvisation and interpretation.
- The class is about people learning, not about us teaching. So we allow people to discover things, and to have fun.
- We aim to have people experiencing the feeling of tango, to experience a Tango Moment. To be truly accepted and known and understood by your partner, in the context of music and movement.
We do block courses which bring awareness of a number of topics.
Each block includes Connection and Posture, Musicality, Improvisation, Caminada, Giro.
We do sequences of 3-4 steps only.
Do you have any words of wisdom for aspiring tango dancers?
Grant: To those starting out, I would say that everyone, no matter what level, is on a journey in tango. Stick with it, at least until you have your first Tango Moment. To those leaders starting, there are a million steps, but good technique and posture, with maybe 5 moves done well, done with your partner and with the music, are all you need to create a Tango Moment. To those further down the track I would say, connection is everything, never forget your partner, even for a moment.
Grant and Karyn Fromont
August 2008