3501 How to tell if a social dancer is good
Date: Thu, 9 Jun 2005 09:27:41 +0000
From: Oleh Kovalchuke <oleh_k@HOTMAIL.COM>
Subject: How to tell if a social dancer is good
A while ago someone asked how to tell if a dancer is good. Here is how I
tell if the dancer is good:
By looking at the dancers:
Follower
- Embrace - left hand on leaders left shoulder or on his spine opposite to
his solar plex (I call the later one "desperation" - it looks dramatic but
feels quite nice and in fact improves connection somewhat). Embrace predicts
connection level to some extent.
- Graceful ankles. Good dancers in BsAs have them and good dancers who
visited the city for longer than two weeks tend to acquire those. Those
followers who have them went beyond following the steps.
- Feet are always on the ground or close to the ground. I do not have to
worry about hitting furniture, other dancers or myself by flung out foot/leg
as a result I have predictable, well defined dance space to dance in.
Leader
- Quiet shoulders, gliding feet (quiet shoulders of course result from good
balancing either in buttocks or by using entire leg, I saw both in Buenos
Aires). Caveat: Nuevo dancers can also display these qualities. Since I am
not a fan of Nuevo style I also look at embrace, connection at chest level.
Also see below on rhythm. Nuevo style is not overly rhythmic.
- Dancers in Buenos Aires refine their dancing to the rhythm, the best of
them are able to dance effortlessly to one rhythm while leading follower to
a slower or quicker rhythm. For instance leader dances to a rhythm of
bandoneon while leading the follower to step to a slower playing violin or
to a singer. Or leader dancing to pizzicato of violin while the follower
dances to the main rhythm of bandoneon.
By dancing with the followers:
All good followers in Buenos Aires have different personal styles. Some are
very grounded as if they step one foot under the floor surface, others very
dynamic, yet others calm, smooth and steady. What common is universally good
uninterrupted connection at the ribcage and exceptional responsiveness
especially during turns, which tend to be rather quick. The later of course
is result of very often rotational nature of the dance at BsAs milongas.
I have just returned from almost three months of nightly dancing at BsAs
milongas. Naturally I was eager to see if and how different it would be to
dance back in the USA. Denver festival provided just the venue. My first
impressions were somewhat disappointing. Moreover I think I was
disappointing leader to some of the old friends too.
Followers in BsAs tend to have more rigid bodies (this of course leads to
their higher responsiveness). I think this could be because they have to do
so many grapevines in any direction when they dance. I got used to this good
responsiveness and so tried to lead my turns in Denver with the same gusto I
used to in BsAs. It didnt work quite well with some of the followers. I bet
they felt my lead as excessively rough. In turn I felt as if I had to drag
them through the turns. What to do? I got accustomed and like the BsAs
style. There were five or six exceptions (these included all followers who
stayed in BsAs for extended period of time). I guess Ill have to become
more selective? Or send batches of people for extended practice in BsAs? Or
move to BsAs like some of tango expatriates? In fact the later two could be
valid options I am seriously considering joining tango tourism business in
Buenos Aires.
Cheers, Oleh K.
Colorado Springs
https://TangoSpring.com
