1700  Your center

Date: Thu, 14 Aug 2003 15:51:05 -0500
From: Lois Donnay <donnay@DONNAY.NET>
Subject: Your center

> Carlene also subtly makes the point that the body's "center"
> is not the chest.... a very important statement - the center
> is right around the belly button, or at least in that region.

This is so important. I hear so many teachers say "lead with the chest",
when that's not how they dance themselves-they dance from their center.
They're just repeating what they heard when they were taught. These are
the same teachers who say "Use your hand to guide her" or "lift her"
when I never feel them use their hands or arms or a lift on me.

That's why I love this new group of tango teachers, who are
reinterpreting the standard way of teaching tango, making it much more
accessible and easier to learn. Perhaps the cultural or language
differences make us Americans interpret what some teachers say
differently, but I know how I learned tango and how I dance it are in
many ways quite different. Many times, you just have to figure it out
for yourself.

Lois, Minneapolis

Date: Thu, 14 Aug 2003 15:21:32 -0600
From: Tom Stermitz <Stermitz@RAGTIME.ORG>
Subject: Re: Your center

> > Carlene also subtly makes the point that the body's "center"
>> is not the chest.... a very important statement - the center
>> is right around the belly button, or at least in that region.
>
>This is so important. I hear so many teachers say "lead with the chest",
>when that's not how they dance themselves-they dance from their center.
>They're just repeating what they heard when they were taught. These are
>the same teachers who say "Use your hand to guide her" or "lift her"
>when I never feel them use their hands or arms or a lift on me.
>
>That's why I love this new group of tango teachers, who are
>reinterpreting the standard way of teaching tango, making it much more
>accessible and easier to learn. Perhaps the cultural or language
>differences make us Americans interpret what some teachers say
>differently, but I know how I learned tango and how I dance it are in
>many ways quite different. Many times, you just have to figure it out
>for yourself.
>
>Lois, Minneapolis

My favorite one is "Don't move your hips."

I think virtually ALL argentine teachers use this admonition, yet if
you watch them on the dance floor every single one of them is moving
her (and his) hips. If your hips are stiff and rigid, there is no way
to feel grounded and smooth.

Before anybody jumps on me, I'm NOT saying "salsa hips".

--

Tom Stermitz
https://www.tango.org/
stermitz@tango.org
303-388-2560

Date: Sat, 16 Aug 2003 13:44:40 EDT
From: Charles Roques <Crrtango@AOL.COM>
Subject: Your center

Tom Stermitz wrote:

<<<"Don't move your hips." I think virtually ALL argentine teachers use this
admonition, yet if you watch them on the dance floor every single one of them
is moving
her (and his) hips. If your hips are stiff and rigid, there is no way
to feel grounded and smooth.">>>>

I respectively disagree. 'Stiff and rigid' .... is a relative assessment. I
always teach not to move one's hips and I dance without moving mine and I feel
grounded and smooth and not stiff at all. It is quite possible to do it but it
is not so easy to learn and it, like many other aspects of the dance, is
mastered only by practicing. It doesn't come natural.

Cheers,
Charles