4728  cintura

Date: Fri, 26 Jan 2007 21:58:12 -0300
From: Deby Novitz <dnovitz@lavidacondeby.com>
Subject: [Tango-L] cintura
To: tango-l@mit.edu

Do not confuse the movement of the cintura (waist) with movement of the
hips. Cintura is what Geraldine rotates not hips. This is also
referred to as isolation of the upper body or disassociation. The upper
body stays in front of the man while the lower body through the waist
not the hips rotates.

It takes years to develop cintura. If you had ballet early in life and
you are young and flexible enough you develop it. Some women never
develop cintura. Some women think that it is the hips that move. Keep
your legs in place and rotate your upper body to the side as far as you
can. This is cintura. (Without dancing or a partner) In this position
(when you are dancing) you can do a wide giro and various other
movements. Women who cannot disassociate move their hips. It is not
the same thing. I know exactly what Janis was talking about. These
women have poor upper body posture, they stick their butt out, and they
move their hips. Feo, feo, feo.

The upper body maintains good posture while the lower body carries the
dance. Watch elegant dancers such as Marcela Duran. She disassociates
her upper and lower body, she does not move her hips. Swaying hips in
tango is a no-no. That is for after when invited for a cafecito.

Date: Fri, 26 Jan 2007 18:55:35 -0700
From: Tom Stermitz <stermitz@tango.org>
Subject: Re: [Tango-L] cintura
To: Tango-L <tango-l@mit.edu>

Cintura means waist in Spanish, so that is above the pelvis.

In terms of skeletal structure, that would actually be the spine,
correct?

Moving the waist or spine, means rotation, arching or bending side-to-
side of the spine. (There is also the idea of stretching the spine,
but I'm not sure that helps the discussion.)

I understand rotation of the spine and how that is important for tango.

I strongly feel that arching the spine while doing ochos is a quick
path to back injury, perhaps not when you are a 20 year old ballerina.

I do not think bending side-to-side helps much in tango.





Again, when i watch bodies move (men and women) in the milonga. I
notice that their hips move.

All of them, not just some of them. Not just the bad ones.

Some of them maybe too much; some of them in ways that are too stiff
or too loose. Some of them in ways that will cause injury in someone
older than 20 years.



On Jan 26, 2007, at 5:58 PM, Deby Novitz wrote:

> Do not confuse the movement of the cintura (waist) with movement of
> the
> hips. Cintura is what Geraldine rotates not hips. This is also
> referred to as isolation of the upper body or disassociation. The
> upper
> body stays in front of the man while the lower body through the waist
> not the hips rotates.
>
> It takes years to develop cintura. If you had ballet early in life
> and
> you are young and flexible enough you develop it. Some women never
> develop cintura. Some women think that it is the hips that move.
> Keep
> your legs in place and rotate your upper body to the side as far as
> you
> can. This is cintura. (Without dancing or a partner) In this
> position
> (when you are dancing) you can do a wide giro and various other
> movements. Women who cannot disassociate move their hips. It is not
> the same thing. I know exactly what Janis was talking about. These
> women have poor upper body posture, they stick their butt out, and
> they
> move their hips. Feo, feo, feo.
>
> The upper body maintains good posture while the lower body carries the
> dance. Watch elegant dancers such as Marcela Duran. She
> disassociates
> her upper and lower body, she does not move her hips. Swaying hips in
> tango is a no-no. That is for after when invited for a cafecito.
>
>
>
>

Date: Fri, 26 Jan 2007 18:57:44 -0800
From: "Igor Polk" <ipolk@virtuar.com>
Subject: [Tango-L] Cintura etc.
To: <tango-l@mit.edu>

It seems to me that Janis was referring to by "swinging butt" is a special
move during ocho cortado.
We've discussed it. Remember "waving butts" ?

This move is a characteristic technique of modern Neo dancers. That is the
way they do some ocho cortados.
Men and women alike.

I do not do it myself. I wonder why no one of "alternative" dancers did not
say anything about it.
It might signal about something.

Igor Polk