1203 Playing the rhythms and musical energy with "Non-steps "
Date: Fri, 25 Apr 2003 12:46:50 -0600
From: Tom Stermitz <Stermitz@RAGTIME.ORG>
Subject: Playing the rhythms and musical energy with "Non-steps "
Playing the rhythms and musical energy with "Non-steps "
(1) Beat & half-beat decorations (not steps)
You can hit the beats, not by stepping but by using other
expressions. For example, the rebounding motion as the follower's
body spirals during a boleo is often a strongly emphasized half-beat.
If she doesn't spiral for the boleo, the emphasis might be caused by
the WHACCK! of her leg & foot rebounding at the beat.
There are a huge number of these possibilities:
- tap the floor at the half-beat
- touch your partner's foot
- touch your partner's thigh with your thigh
- start a boleo with your right pelvis, stop it with your left.
- amague (fake) or cunita (cradle)
- boleo at the half-beat
(2) Lyrical (smooth, continuous) expressions or decorations
Rhythm deals with finite, moments of the music, i.e. beats. What
about the "infinite" space in between each beat. I think of this as
the "woman's terrain" in tango. The leader might place her footsteps
in time and space, but the woman has an infinite amount of space
in-between the footsteps to play.
- dragging out the motion instead of doing it sharply
- slow, swirling boleos instead of sharp ones
- drawing circles or pencils on the floor
- drawing circles in the air
- shining your shoes on his tuxedo pant leg (I call this the warm-puppy).
(3) Compression/pressure (& Tension/Centrifugal, sometimes?)
For me, the most interesting decorations are the invisible, internal
ones in which we express the energy of the music and the emotion with
our partner by changing the quality of our connection.
This brings us back to the music.
The SINGLE thing in the music that says THIS is tango (not foxtrot or
whatever), is the build-up of tension/drama of the music PRIOR to the
beat. Tango always has this build-up and release. The bandoneon
expresses this by initiating the note PRIOR to the beat, and then
bouncing the knee to hit a loud note ON the beat. This "pre-emphasis"
might be as far as a half-beat (or more) out.
We express this by the compression in our connection before the beat.
The sexiest step in tango is where he leads a quick cross, but she
resists, as if to say "No, not so fast, I'm going to make this feel
real chewy." The timing might not change, but the feeling is very
sexy.
--
Tom Stermitz
https://www.tango.org/
stermitz@tango.org
303-388-2560
Date: Mon, 15 May 2006 02:59:22 -1200
From: "Michael" <tangomaniac@cavtel.net>
Subject: Re: [Tango-L] Energy
To: Lucia <curvasreales@yahoo.com.ar>, Sergio Vandekier
<sergiovandekier990@hotmail.com>, tango-l@mit.edu
Cc: tangomaniac@cavtel.net
I don't have the same dictionary Sergio has that defines
energy below.
"Sergio wrote:>
"Energy is generally used in tango in the sense of "vigor"
or intensity of action.
>
> As you know tango music has different moments, some are
very calm, slow, peaceful called "adagios" and others in
contrast are very rapid, called "variaciones"
(variations)."
I think of energy from my high school physics class. There
are two types of energy; stored and released. A car sitting
at a red light has a tremendous amount of energy stored in
the engine. When the light turns green, the brake is
released and the accelerator pressed. The stored energy in
the engine is transmitted to the wheels to turn through the
the transmission.
Another way to look at energy is to look at a light bulb.
The same amount of current flow through a 60 watt, 90 watt,
or 150 watt bulbs. Yet, a 150 watt bulb glows brighter than
a 60 watt. The 60 watt bulb has higher resistance to the
electricity than the 150 bulb. The higher the resistance,
the more the energy is absorbed by the resistor in the bulb
and less energy sent to the tungsten that glows. From the
little I remember from physics, energy= I*R where R equals
resistance. I forget what the I stands for. Inductance? I'm
sure there's an engineer on the list who can remind me and
explain it better than I can. The light bulb burns out when
the tungsten just melts from the electricity flowing through
it.
How does this apply to dance. Some dance with very high
resistance to energy, which means they don't feel their
other partner very well. Some dance with low resistance, in
which they can feel their partner's warmth and passion. They
melt into each other.
At the next milonga, watch women's faces. Some will have a
look of "get me out of here" to "don't stop. Keep going."
It's also interesting to watch between the dances. Some hold
the embrace waiting...waiting for the next dance. Others
break the embrace and talk.
I reached euphoria Saturday night at NY's all night milonga.
I danced with O. Both of us dance with low resistance and
feel and give passion. The music feels more intense. It just
doesn't get any better!! What a shame we're separated by 225
miles. Now I have to wait weeks to dance with her again.
Michael Ditkoff
Washington, DC
NY Tango festival July 27-30
Date: Mon, 15 May 2006 11:26:28 -0400
From: "John Gleeson" <johngleeson@nc.rr.com>
Subject: Re: [Tango-L] Energy
To: "Michael" <tangomaniac@cavtel.net>, "Lucia"
<curvasreales@yahoo.com.ar>, "Sergio Vandekier"
<sergiovandekier990@hotmail.com>, <tango-l@mit.edu>
Cc: tangomaniac@cavtel.net
The trouble with words is not only that they convey different meanings, in spite of references to dictionary definitions, but that
people don't really listen/read.
Sergio DID NOT say that his dictionary defines "energy" as . . . . He said that:
"Energy is generally used in Tango in the sense of vigor or intensity . . . "
and in that he is absolutely right. He was pointing out a usage not a definition.
John G.
----- Original Message -----
Sent: Monday, May 15, 2006 10:59 AM
Subject: Re: [Tango-L] Energy
>I don't have the same dictionary Sergio has that defines
> energy below.
>
> "Sergio wrote:>
> "Energy is generally used in tango in the sense of "vigor"
> or intensity of action.
>>
>> As you know tango music has different moments, some are
> very calm, slow, peaceful called "adagios" and others in
> contrast are very rapid, called "variaciones"
> (variations)."
>
> I think of energy from my high school physics class. There
> are two types of energy; stored and released. A car sitting
> at a red light has a tremendous amount of energy stored in
> the engine. When the light turns green, the brake is
> released and the accelerator pressed. The stored energy in
> the engine is transmitted to the wheels to turn through the
> the transmission.
>
> Another way to look at energy is to look at a light bulb.
> The same amount of current flow through a 60 watt, 90 watt,
> or 150 watt bulbs. Yet, a 150 watt bulb glows brighter than
> a 60 watt. The 60 watt bulb has higher resistance to the
> electricity than the 150 bulb. The higher the resistance,
> the more the energy is absorbed by the resistor in the bulb
> and less energy sent to the tungsten that glows. From the
> little I remember from physics, energy= I*R where R equals
> resistance. I forget what the I stands for. Inductance? I'm
> sure there's an engineer on the list who can remind me and
> explain it better than I can. The light bulb burns out when
> the tungsten just melts from the electricity flowing through
> it.
>
> How does this apply to dance. Some dance with very high
> resistance to energy, which means they don't feel their
> other partner very well. Some dance with low resistance, in
> which they can feel their partner's warmth and passion. They
> melt into each other.
>
> At the next milonga, watch women's faces. Some will have a
> look of "get me out of here" to "don't stop. Keep going."
> It's also interesting to watch between the dances. Some hold
> the embrace waiting...waiting for the next dance. Others
> break the embrace and talk.
>
> I reached euphoria Saturday night at NY's all night milonga.
> I danced with O. Both of us dance with low resistance and
> feel and give passion. The music feels more intense. It just
> doesn't get any better!! What a shame we're separated by 225
> miles. Now I have to wait weeks to dance with her again.
>
> Michael Ditkoff
> Washington, DC
> NY Tango festival July 27-30
>
Date: Mon, 15 May 2006 15:51:13 +0000 (GMT)
From: Lucia <curvasreales@yahoo.com.ar>
Subject: Re: [Tango-L] Energy
To: John Gleeson <johngleeson@nc.rr.com>, tango-l@mit.edu
John Gleeson <johngleeson@nc.rr.com> escribi?: The trouble with words is not only that they convey different meanings, in spite of references to dictionary definitions, but that
people don't really listen/read.
Especially on Monday mornings...
Lucia ;->
Abr? tu cuenta aqu?
Date: Mon, 15 May 2006 12:00:22 EDT
From: Mallpasso@aol.com
Subject: Re: [Tango-L] Energy
To: tangomaniac@cavtel.net, curvasreales@yahoo.com.ar,
sergiovandekier990@hotmail.com, tango-l@mit.edu
Not to be nitpicking, but the stored energy is in the gasoline, not the
engine.
El Bandido de Tango
In a message dated 5/15/2006 08:00:31 Pacific Daylight Time,
tangomaniac@cavtel.net writes:
I don't have the same dictionary Sergio has that defines
energy below.
"Sergio wrote:>
"Energy is generally used in tango in the sense of "vigor"
or intensity of action.
>
> As you know tango music has different moments, some are
very calm, slow, peaceful called "adagios" and others in
contrast are very rapid, called "variaciones"
(variations)."
I think of energy from my high school physics class. There
are two types of energy; stored and released. A car sitting
at a red light has a tremendous amount of energy stored in
the engine. When the light turns green, the brake is
released and the accelerator pressed. The stored energy in
the engine is transmitted to the wheels to turn through the
the transmission.
Another way to look at energy is to look at a light bulb.
The same amount of current flow through a 60 watt, 90 watt,
or 150 watt bulbs. Yet, a 150 watt bulb glows brighter than
a 60 watt. The 60 watt bulb has higher resistance to the
electricity than the 150 bulb. The higher the resistance,
the more the energy is absorbed by the resistor in the bulb
and less energy sent to the tungsten that glows. From the
little I remember from physics, energy= I*R where R equals
resistance. I forget what the I stands for. Inductance? I'm
sure there's an engineer on the list who can remind me and
explain it better than I can. The light bulb burns out when
the tungsten just melts from the electricity flowing through
it.
How does this apply to dance. Some dance with very high
resistance to energy, which means they don't feel their
other partner very well. Some dance with low resistance, in
which they can feel their partner's warmth and passion. They
melt into each other.
At the next milonga, watch women's faces. Some will have a
look of "get me out of here" to "don't stop. Keep going."
It's also interesting to watch between the dances. Some hold
the embrace waiting...waiting for the next dance. Others
break the embrace and talk.
I reached euphoria Saturday night at NY's all night milonga.
I danced with O. Both of us dance with low resistance and
feel and give passion. The music feels more intense. It just
doesn't get any better!! What a shame we're separated by 225
miles. Now I have to wait weeks to dance with her again.
Michael Ditkoff
Washington, DC
NY Tango festival July 27-30
Date: Mon, 15 May 2006 12:22:31 -0400
From: "John Gleeson" <johngleeson@nc.rr.com>
Subject: Re: [Tango-L] Energy
To: <Mallpasso@aol.com>, <tangomaniac@cavtel.net>,
<curvasreales@yahoo.com.ar>, <sergiovandekier990@hotmail.com>,
<tango-l@mit.edu>
Michael Ditkof states:
> Another way to look at energy is to look at a light bulb.
> The same amount of currents flow through a 60 watt, 90 watt,
> or 150 watt bulbs.
NOT TRUE.
In simple terms Watts = Voltage x Current.
For the same Voltage Level - say 110V for a USA source - the
higher the wattage the more current is used.
Then goes on to say:
> The 60 watt bulb has higher resistance to the
> electricity than the 150 bulb
EXACTLY.
Higher resistance = less current for the same voltage level.
John G.
Date: Mon, 15 May 2006 12:14:21 -0700 (PDT)
From: Goo <bailartangos@yahoo.com>
Subject: Re: [Tango-L] Energy
To: tango-l@mit.edu
Technically, if the light bults were wired in series, the current would be the
same & the voltage different. If the light bults were wired in parallel, the
voltage would be the same & current different...
.
*************************
.
Reasons why the English language is so hard to learn:
1) The bandage was wound around the wound.
2) The farm was used to produce produce.
3) The dump was so full that it had to refuse more refuse.
4) We must polish the Polish furniture.
5) He could lead if he would get the lead out.
6) The soldier decided to desert his dessert in the desert.
7) Since there is no time like the present, he thought it was time to present the present.
8) A bass was painted on the head of the bass drum
9) When shot at, the dove dove into the bushes.
10) I did not object to the object.
11) The insurance was invalid for the invalid.
12) There was a row among the oarsmen about how to row.
13) They were too close to the door to close it.
14) The buck does funny things when the does are present.
15) A seamstress and a sewer fell down into a sewer line.
16) To help with planting, the farmer taught his sow to sow.
17) The wind was too strong to wind the sail
18) After a number of injections my jaw got number.
19) Upon seeing the tear in the painting I shed a tear.
20) I had to subject the subject to a series of tests
21) How can I intimate this to my most intimate friend?
.
There is no egg in eggplant nor ham in hamburger; neither apple nor pine in
pineapple.
English muffins weren't invented in England or French fries inFrance .
Sweetmeats are candies while sweetbreads, which aren't sweet, are meat.
Quicksand works slowly, boxing rings are square and a guinea pig is neither
from Guinea nor is it a pig.
And why is it that writers write but fingersdon't fing, grocers don't groce and hammers don't ham?
If the plural of tooth is teeth, why isn't the plural of booth beeth?
One goose, 2 geese. So one moose, 2 meese?
If you have a bunch of odds and ends and get rid of all but one of them, what do you call it? Is it an odd, or an end?
If teachers taught, why didn't preachers praught?
If a vegetarian eats vegetables, what does a humanitarian eat?
In what language do people recite at a play and play at a recital?
Ship by truck and send cargo by ship?
Have noses that run and feet that smell?
How can a slim chance and a fat chance be the same, while a wise man
and a wise guy are opposites?
You have to marvel at the unique lunacy of a language in which your house
can burn up as it burns down, in which you fill in a form by filling it out, and
in which, an alarm goes off by going on.
English was invented by people, not computers, and it reflects the
creativity of the human race, which, of course, is not a race at all.
That is why, when the stars are out, they are visible, but when the lights
are out, they are invisible.
Oh! and one more thing -
Why doesn't "Buick" rhyme with "quick"?
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