Radka Šulcová

"Improvisation, emotions, communication, harmony, distinct roles within the couple, but also music, poetry, company…all these are elements tango has taught me to think about differently. Today, I perceive movement through the partner, dance is not about myself anymore, it’s a story of the two of us, an intimate embrace. Tango has given me an insight into my own identity, into my femininity, it has taught me to be confident about it."

My dance carrier began in my early childhood when I started doing rhythmic gymnastics. Later on, I added modern dance and then also flamenco which I got to know in Mexico and danced for about five years. Tango was, as things usually happen, quite a coincidence. Until spring 2000, I had hardly heard about it but then a friend of mine took me to a lesson of Marek and Katka, the Prague tango pioneers who had started to give lessons just a couple of months before.

Dance education and inspiration I’ve been gaining experience by working, dancing and observing dozens of teachers and great dancers in many places all around the world, and from each of them I’ve learnt something – about the dance, the music, expression or methodology. It’s been too many of them but the most important ones for me personally include: Marek Štefan (CZE), Elizabeth Guerrero and Maximiliano Ávila (ARG), Eric Jarrisen (NL), Pablo Verón (ARG), Gabriel Glagowski (ARG), Sebastián Arce and Mariana Montes (ARG).

Marek’s influence has been the decisive one – it was him who introduced me to tango, showed me the beauty of pair dancing and helped me to focus on the technical side of dancing. Today, it’s mostly our discussions about music, our perception of it and the rhythmic interpretation what I greatly appreciate in our collaboration. Elizabeth and Max’s elegant performance and the way they combined tango with the human body’s natural movements merging it with other genres fascinated me. Elizabeth has revealed her womanliness and elegance to me, inspiring me to relax and fully enjoy the dance even if technical perfection lags behind (which was essential for survival at the beginning). Eric has an extremely nice attitude to dancing, teaching and to people in general. His workshops are a big pleasure, he fills people with energy and enthusiasm. Pablo Verón’s precision, speed and stability helped me to get back to the ground. Gabriel has opened my eyes to see the anatomy of movement and the importance of breathing correctly. Most recently, it have been Sebastián Arce and Mariana Montes’ workshops on dynamism of dancing. Finally, yoga, Pilates and contact improvisation help me to relax and to see my body from a different perspective.

Teaching and dancing I love dancing different styles, although where I feel most secure is probably tango milonguero and tango salon. Also, I often go abroad to enjoy tango nuevo. Improvisation makes every dance or show unique, it brings tension and harmony at the same time, it allows me to keep exploring and adapting myself to different styles and partners. Those I work with are Marek Štefan at home and Pablo Verón, Fernando Guidi, Viacheslav Ivanov, Erdal Atik or José Vázquez abroad.

I give both regular lessons in Prague and specialised workshops or women’s technique (summer dance school in Pelhřimov, Brno, Hradec Králové, Poland, Bulgaria, Germany, Russia).

"Tango allows me to find harmony with beautiful music and with the partner, with my mind, soul and body, it let’s me evolve my fantasies in an improvised dialogue with the man, to know and follow my femininity."