92  walking

Date: Tue, 17 Jul 2001 18:17:51 -0700
From: Michael Ditkoff <tangomaniac@JUNO.COM>
Subject: walking

There's been considerable traffic about walking, in particular about
walking on the outside or inside edges of shoes. I come down strongly on
walking on the outside edge -- and here's why.

When we walk, our weight shifts to the outside edge of the shoe. When we
put our weight on the right foot, our weight rolls to the right edge of
the shoe. When we put our weight on the left foot, our weight rolls to
the left edge of the shoe. If we walk with our feet pointed in (hereafter
called "pigeon toed"), we stand a good chance (no pun intended) of losing
our balance because we're not grounded. If the foot is pointed outwards,
we are better able to maintain our balance. The outside edge will absorb
our weight that rolls outwardly.

Now think of this for a moment. I know nothing about women's shoes
(except they look painful to walk in) but I know about men's shoes. When
I have to get new heels, I notice that they aren't evenly worn out. One
side is higher than the other because of uneven wear. The uneven wear
comes from weight going to the outside edge.

By walking with my feet pointed outwards, I have better balance, which is
crucial for leading giros and molinetes. I don't want to topple over,
especially if I'm the center for turns. I'll pull the woman off balance.

To correct this problem, I had to consciously change my stance, starting
with standing in the elevator with my feet pointed out. Next came walking
to work from Union Station with my feet pointed out. To be good, I had no
choice but to change. At my age, CHANGE ISN'T EASY. (Don't even think of
asking how old!!)

I hope this message gives a better understanding of why walking with feet
pointed out is superior to walking pigeon toed .

Michael Ditkoff
Living in Washington, DC with flat feet

Date: Tue, 17 Jul 2001 19:17:32 -0500
From: "Frank G. Williams" <frankw@MAIL.AHC.UMN.EDU>
Subject: Re: walking

Howdy, Michael!

I was going to send this to you privately, but decided to copy
it to the list...

> I hope this message gives a better understanding of why walking with feet
> pointed out is superior to walking pigeon toed.

Well, in terms only of tango walking, no - (bio)mechanical arguments
don't convince me. This is not to say that I disagree with you. I'm
not saying if I agree or disagree.

But to the point: isn't the first consideration
of a *practiced* dancer an artistic or aesthetic one, rather than a
mechanical one? Not that they are unrelated, but it seems to me
that the reason for a technique's existence is the aesthetic it
permits. Good tango dancers simply have few issues with balance.
Tango rarely challenges their equilibrium. Armando O., for example,
can dance almost any tango step on only the heels of his shoe, never
touching the sole. That's difficult! Armando and many others have
balance to burn. I think each of us should practice technique with
an open mind to the expressive (Stylistic, ala Tom S.?) possibilities.

The feet of a tango dancer can speak the most detailed and subtle
parts of the dance, like the hands of a hula dancer. Why else make
such a fuss about the details of foot placement - on and on? The
aesthetic comes first. If not now, then after more practice. So,
why limit ourselves to penguins or pigeons? With practice, the rules
will change and possibilities expand.

In my opinion, once you can step however you want, you should make
clean, beautiful steps *however you want*. Not simply one style or
another, but every way the music asks.

Best regards,

Frank in Minneapolis
(where the current weather feels just like D.C.!)

Frank G. Williams, Ph.D. University of Minnesota
frankw@mail.ahc.umn.edu Dept. of Neuroscience
(612) 625-6441 (office) 321 Church Street SE
(612) 624-4436 (lab) Minneapolis, MN 55455
(612) 281-3860 (cellular/home)

Date: Wed, 18 Jul 2001 09:20:16 -0500
From: Stephen Brown <Stephen.P.Brown@DAL.FRB.ORG>
Subject: Re: walking

Michael Ditkoff wrote:

>When we walk, our weight shifts to the outside edge of the shoe.

As I see it, When one walks heel first with the foot turned out, the weight
initially lands on the outside of the heel and shifts toward the inside of
the big toe as the foot is rolled forward to prepare it to lift for the
next step. If one walks toe first with the foot turned out, the weight
lands seems to land uniformly across the front of the foot, shifts back to
the heel and then rolls forward to the inside of the big toe as the foot is
prepared for lifting.

--Steve de Tejas

Date: Tue, 5 Mar 2002 16:06:05 -0300
From: SMC Administracion <adm@SMCAR.COM.AR>
Subject: keeping to the walking

Dear friends from Tango list

Yesterday I visited Cori & Omar , Tango teachers , here in Buenos Aires.
This was one of the physical encounters within members of this list ,
something that is nice to experience when is possible.

Omar make me dance with Cori, and later, as it was in the beginning of
tango, he make me lead him in woman role, and the subject of walking arise
inmediately.

"Alberto " he told me ," you are walking , but remember that the tango
walking had a meaning. There is no need to run , you have to walk each step
, and also your steps need to be neat , this is part of the elegance of this
dancing . Once you have learn to walk , you will keep this walking with you
, wherever you are , whomever you are dancing. It is your little country
that you bring with you."

We keep practicing , and later on Omar told me " would you like to learn
figures or steps ?" .
And I told him" Omar, frankly speaking, I prefer to keep practicing walking
, once I have this issue achieved, everything will be easier " . We two
laugh, and he made his nice comment " Alberto, I can teach you about
walking, but you are the one that will dance in the end, and will put what
you have inside into your dancing, what you are will be what you dance ".

This comment makes me think a lot, about how we keep our steps,or our way to
dance, wherever and whenever we go. Today at the local newspaper La Nacion,
an article reproduce part of the acceptance speech from a rumanian writer in
the exile , Norman Manea, He received the Nonino Award , the maximum
literary prize of Italy. He talks about writing , but it looks also useful
for tango . This is part of his speech

" I delayed the decision to leave Romania because I was childlish enough to
cheat myself saying that I was not an inhabitant of a country but of a
language. I finally ended taking with me my language, mi home, like a snail.
It is still my child shelter , my site for survival.....
The exile is, increasingly , a sign of our time. Everywhere , people face
the contradiction between modernity - an outward whirlwind, cosmopolitan- ,
and the need ( or at least the nostalgie) -an inward whirlwind of
belonging-"



Warm regards
Alberto Gesualdi
Buenos Aires

Date: Wed, 6 Mar 2002 06:27:30 -0500
From: Michael B Ditkoff <tangomaniac@JUNO.COM>
Subject: Re: keeping to the walking

Alberto Gesualdi wrote:

"Alberto " (Omar) he told me ," you are walking , but remember that the
tango walking had a meaning. There is no need to run , you have to walk
each step , and also your steps need to be neat , this is part of the
elegance of this dancing . "
Absolutely correct Alberto. I finally realized that dancing tango is NOT
like driving in the Indianapolis 500. There is NO prize to the tanguero
who makes the most number of laps around the room. If you can't walk, it
means you're lacking one or all of the following elements: axis, frame,
balance, and posture. Without all four, a man can't lead nor can a woman
follow.

Tango is not a dance of figures! It is a dance of connection, warmth, and
passion (at least for those who dance close embrace).

Michael Ditkoff
Recovering from his dream of moving to New York
after he read the New York Times real estate section

Date: Thu, 29 Aug 2002 00:21:41 +0900
From: astrid <astrid@RUBY.PLALA.OR.JP>
Subject: Re: Step technique, compadritos walking

> Tango walk
>
> The foot is extended (toes down), it lands on its toes not on the heel as

it

> is done in ball room dancing. In Argentine Tango as you are seen coming

you

> do not show the soles of your shoes. This way of walking represents the

way

> the compadritos used to walk in the street, it has deep historical,

cultural

> and stylistical roots.

Sergio, this is interesting. It is the first I hear about it. Now, why did
the compadritos walk like that ? It would facilitate sneaking, like a Ninja
silently sneaking through the night with a black scarf wrapped around his
face, ready to juimp any time, and balancing in case someone attacks him
from behind... Please explain the historical roots. I have heard that the
salsa step originated in pickers walking along the sugar cane plants in that
step, and I have wondered why only the tango has a walk like that.

Date: Tue, 3 Sep 2002 21:27:58 -0400
From: Michael B Ditkoff <tangomaniac@JUNO.COM>
Subject: Re: Tango technique: Walking

There's been a lot of discussion on how to walk. Coming back from
vacation and catching up on my voluminous emails I might be repeating a
point already made and apologize if I am.

After you finish your step, your foot should be pointed out instead of
pointing in, called pigeon toed. It's easier to maintain balance with the
foot pointed out. If you try to pivot with the feet pointed in, there's
nothing to prevent you from tipping over (except clutching your partner,
which you shouldn't do). The outside edge will keep you grounded.

Since I mentioned pivots, I'll add that you should always bring your feet
together before pivoting. Otherwise, you won't be able to maintain your
axis because your weight will be spread over both feet instead of one
foot.

Michael
Recovering from two weeks of dancing on the QE2