Sabine Ibes
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Sabine Ibes has been dancing as long as she remembers; She started focusing on Argentine Tango in 2003 after she was captured by the fluid movements to magical music. Tango has pushed her life in directions that she could not have imagined. It has brought her to places like Maui, Paris, Istanbul. In 2014 she was awarded a study grant by MRAC and spent over a month in Buenos Aires, similar in 2015 and 2016. She has taught in Buenos Aires at the renowned tango congress : CITA by invitation of Fabian Salas and Lola Diaz. In addition to her travels she has studied with many masters of Argentine Tango. (Gaston Torelli, Chicho Frumboli, Gustavo Naveira, Melina Brufman, Homer and Cristina Ladas, Brigitta Winkler, Tomas Howlin to name a few) She also has a deep interest in learning and teaching techniques, and a person’s ability to process information through body movement, control, and expression.
In 2005, she performed with Theatre de la Jeune Lune, Minneapolis, in “Maria de Buenos Aires”. Spring of 2012 she helped choreograph and performed with the James Sewell Ballet Company in ” a sound embrace” at the Cowles Center for the performing arts. She continues her education by traveling around the world and in the USA. March 2016 She is teaching at CITA (Congreso Internacional de Tango Argentino) The most important tango event in the world and the longest running tango meeting in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
At this time she is teaching at Dance Life Ballroom in Minneapolis, and at her private studio from her home. Sabine believes that while we are on the social dance floor the object is to have fun with the dance, and that you can have fun in exploring the opportunities of movement with a partner and look and feel darn good doing so at the same time!
The Classes that she teaches are well balanced, creative and fun. She is very keen on the fact that the student has to feel comfortable while dancing. A relaxed body and mind will create a confident connection, so the partner feels safe. Sabine is an enthusiast of all things Tango; Organic moves within tango while reflecting on the more traditional roots of Argentine Tango with a fluid embrace.
She helps build the Minnesota Tango community by bringing in Argentine Tango Artists from across the globe, hosting Tango Festivals and cultivating a welcoming atmosphere. She is one of the founders for the Argentine Tango Club at the University of Minnesota and helps foster new and upcoming tango teachers through her “fast track” program. She has also introduced the “tango Bootcamps” to the twin cities; a gateway for many of our community tango dancers today.
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[fruitful_tab title=”A Bit More About Sabine”]
I have always liked dancing; As a young girl I did not shy away from dancing in front of the mirror, yes, with a hairbrush, to ABBA’s dancing queen. I started with Jazz ballet. This was in the days that FAME was a big hit series and dancing to popular music was the thing to do. I added Classical ballet to my repertoire soon after. When I turned 16, I took lessons in Ballroom dancing at Vermeulen, Nijmegen, Netherlands. (where I was born and raised) I was officially hooked to dancing.
But life, as it usually does, took me in a different direction; I fell in love, packed my bags and moved to the United States. I had three lovely daughters. After my youngest came into my life I thought I had it all! But there was a small void, it did not take me very long to figure out that it was dancing that I needed in my life to fill that extra spot in my heart and soul.
Argentine Tango kind of fell into my lap, I remember my first lesson well. We started with walking. “walking?” I thought,” this will not be the dance for me, I know how to walk “. Still, I stayed with the class, did some exercises , some sequences and in the end I got to dance with my teacher (Daniel and Gretchen). The music was D’Arienzo and he took me around the whole dance floor. I did not need to know any steps, just listened to the music and let my teacher lead me. I was floored by the way that made me feel. I have not looked back since! (Turns out I did not know how to walk at all)
I started exploring tango, first to become a good follower. In my naive mind I thought it was about looking good on the dance floor and so I embellished every chance I got. That did not get me very far! I took everything any teacher told me at heart, that also did not work for me; it meant changing my dance style after every teaching style . I was so confused! (and so were my leaders!) My frustration became even bigger when I went to Milonga’s and was told by leaders: connect more, more resistance, less resistance, your feet are in the way, your knees are knocking my knees, odd posture etc. etc. About 7 years ago I went through the very same process when I started to learn how to lead this dance!
And still, I loved this dance, I waited for the moment on the dance floor where it all did connect and my heart would smile. I went on taking lessons, by traveling to Buenos Aires, Europe and in the United States. I found answers to most of my questions. I learned to be patient and giving on the dance floor. I opened my eyes to what music can do for a connection between myself and my partner. I was taught, by putting all of the advice given to me by all of my teachers, to dance the tango.
It was around 2007 that my husband John decided to give this “Argentine Tango Stuff” a go. Wow, what a deal! I even get to practice ( a little ) at home!
Needless to say, I found myself in this dance. It is a part of my life; Tango and I.[/fruitful_tab]
[fruitful_tab title=”Advice”]One of the best pieces of advice:
Only follow the good leaders, simply dance with the rest of them.
(Rebecca Shulman who in turn received this from Erik Jorrissen) This was an AHA moment for me. All this time I worked so hard in milongas to follow everybody. And sometimes just having a difficult time on the floor. Okay , sometimes it was a struggle and horrible!
When I say good leaders, I am really not that picky. A good leader does not mean that he has been dancing his whole life! It simply means that (s)he is a generous leader with some sense of musicality. He is kind in his embrace and knows that he is dancing with another human being. There are many beginner leaders that I enjoy being with and following them is just a breeze.
This is true for followers and leaders alike. Too many followers or leaders just dance (move on their own) without a true lead or follow. This is not always because (s)he does not understand the dance, it could be anxiety, expectations, not “feeling” it, being pre-occupied, a body that aches somewhere or many other issues. Dancing tango takes courage, patience, technique. And a healthy dose of reality and humor.
It is a give and a take on the dance floor. Trust is a big issue! When you find “THE” partner, you forget about how you look on the floor. You just dance and enjoy. This is only possible if you give back, if you trust one and other you can experience the “floating” feeling. And ultimately, to me , that is what this is about. Floating across the dance floor, being one with the music, partner and movement.[/fruitful_tab]
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