400  Heels up and down

Date: Sat, 12 Jan 2002 14:26:54 -0800
From: sarah La Rocca <danzisima@YAHOO.COM>
Subject: Heels up and down

Hello List:

In following the discussion about followers dancing up
on the toes or with heels down, I think it is
important to remember that tango is based on walking
naturally and that means with the heels down. We don't
tip toe across the street in real life, so why do that
in tango? Of course you need to lift the heel a wee
bit to travel and pivot, but that is a different thing
from dancing up on the toes, or releve as we call it
in ballet. The walk needs to be earthy and grounded,
connected to the floor thus creating a sultry look
instead of the prissy glassy look of being up on the
toes. of course personal taste enters into this
discussion.

Previous trianing in ballet or modern shouldn't
matter. ballet is a different thing from tango. If I
want to make a pizza I don't need to know how to make
a chocolate cake. Tango was developed by ordinary
folk, not ballet dancers. That is part of the beauty
of tango-you can be a regular guy-old and fat and
still be a beautiful dancer! A rare situation in the
dance world!!

Striving to press the heel down also creates a longer
line in the leg. The challenge is to be able to do
this while moving fast. I was always taught by Fabian
and Gustavo to keep the heels down. So that is my
story and I am sticking to it.

sincerely,
sarah la Rocca
NYC