1055 Skating + Tango in D.C.
Date: Mon, 24 Feb 2003 14:14:40 -0800
From: Michael Kass <kass@PIXAR.COM>
Subject: Skating + Tango in D.C.
Am I the only ice dancer on the list? My skating partner and I were
thinking about doing an Argentine Tango on ice, so we started
learning it on the floor. I suppose I have to admit that I've
gotten hooked. You can see some pictures of us at:
https://www.bayareaicedancers.org/~kass/kass.html
We'll be in D.C. in late March to watch the world figure skating
championships, and I was wondering if there are any great
opportunities to dance, or study tango within a couple of hours
drive of D.C. Many thanks!
By the way, a background in ice dance helps an awful lot in learning
tango . . . .
--Michael
--
Date: Mon, 24 Feb 2003 17:40:36 -0500
From: Vicky Ellinson
Subject: Re: Skating + Tango in D.C.
Hi Michael,
there will be a tango marathon in dc, last weekend of march (28-29-30)
More information very soon on https://www.le-tango.com
Vicky
On Mon, 24 Feb 2003, Michael Kass wrote:
> Am I the only ice dancer on the list? My skating partner and I were
> thinking about doing an Argentine Tango on ice, so we started
> learning it on the floor. I suppose I have to admit that I've
> gotten hooked. You can see some pictures of us at:
>
> https://www.bayareaicedancers.org/~kass/kass.html
>
> We'll be in D.C. in late March to watch the world figure skating
> championships, and I was wondering if there are any great
> opportunities to dance, or study tango within a couple of hours
> drive of D.C. Many thanks!
>
> By the way, a background in ice dance helps an awful lot in learning
> tango . . . .
>
> --Michael
>
> --
>
Date: Tue, 25 Feb 2003 12:30:35 -0500
From: "Irwin L. Singer" <singer@NRL.NAVY.MIL>
Subject: Re: Skating + Tango in D.C.
Michael,
Funny you should mention ice skating and tango. My wife's tango
group, QuinTango, just played a concert on Sunday in Alexandria (VA). In
attendance was a young man, Ben Cohen, who won the US Junior National
skating championship last year. He had heard QuinTango's first two albums
and wanted to hear them in person. He was looking for something from
QuinTango's repertoire to choreograph for a future competition. Irwin Singer
At 02:14 PM 2/24/2003 -0800, you wrote:
>Am I the only ice dancer on the list? My skating partner and I were
>thinking about doing an Argentine Tango on ice, so we started
>learning it on the floor. I suppose I have to admit that I've
>gotten hooked. You can see some pictures of us at:
>
>https://www.bayareaicedancers.org/~kass/kass.html
>
>We'll be in D.C. in late March to watch the world figure skating
>championships, and I was wondering if there are any great
>opportunities to dance, or study tango within a couple of hours
>drive of D.C. Many thanks!
>
>By the way, a background in ice dance helps an awful lot in learning
>tango . . . .
>
>--Michael
>
>--
Dr. Irwin L. Singer office hours: 10am - 7pm
Tribology Section, Code 6176
Naval Research Lab
Washington, DC 20375-5342
tele: 202-767-2327; fax: 202-767-3321.
email: singer@nrl.navy.mil
https://stm2.nrl.navy.mil/~wahl/6176.htm "is wear it's @"
https://home.flash.net/~cooljazz/fotosite/myfamily/corsica.html (family
photo, for those interested).
Date: Tue, 25 Feb 2003 18:24:05 -0500
From: "Irwin L. Singer" <singer@NRL.NAVY.MIL>
Subject: Re: Skating + Tango in D.C. - WEEKLY EVENTS
Michael,
I forgot to give you a web site that lists weekly Argentine Tango
events in the DC
get a weekly update of events emailed to you, you can subscribe to the
group at: Capital_Tangueros-subscribe@yahoogroups.com .
Irwin Singer
At 02:14 PM 2/24/2003 -0800, you wrote:
>Am I the only ice dancer on the list? My skating partner and I were
>thinking about doing an Argentine Tango on ice, so we started
>learning it on the floor. I suppose I have to admit that I've
>gotten hooked. You can see some pictures of us at:
>
>https://www.bayareaicedancers.org/~kass/kass.html
>
>We'll be in D.C. in late March to watch the world figure skating
>championships, and I was wondering if there are any great
>opportunities to dance, or study tango within a couple of hours
>drive of D.C. Many thanks!
>
>By the way, a background in ice dance helps an awful lot in learning
>tango . . . .
>
>--Michael
>
>--
Dr. Irwin L. Singer office hours: 10am - 7pm
Tribology Section, Code 6176
Naval Research Lab
Washington, DC 20375-5342
tele: 202-767-2327; fax: 202-767-3321.
email: singer@nrl.navy.mil
https://stm2.nrl.navy.mil/~wahl/6176.htm "is wear it's @"
https://home.flash.net/~cooljazz/fotosite/myfamily/corsica.html (family
photo, for those interested).
Date: Thu, 27 Feb 2003 16:04:22 +0000
From: Jay Rabe <jayrabe@HOTMAIL.COM>
Subject: Re: Skating + Tango
Michael,
Thanks so much for the reply. But I'm sure this is a good discussion for the
whole list, so I've copied to it. When I sent my first question to you I had
intended to send it to the list but sent it personally instead.
In any case, your description makes perfect sense. But since I too struggle
with balance, and yes, especially on enrosques, please elaborate on your
comment about "dropping the free hip below the standing hip." I can only see
this possible by bending the free knee. Am I picturing the mechanics
correctly?
J
----Original Message Follows----
From: "Michael Kass" <kass@pixar.com>
Reply-To: kass@pixar.com
To: "Jay Rabe" <jayrabe@hotmail.com>
Subject: Re: [TANGO-L] Skating + Tango in D.C.
Date: Thu, 27 Feb 2003 12:32:38 -0800
From: Michael Kass <kass@PIXAR.COM>
Subject: Re: Skating + Tango
On Feb 27, 4:04pm, Jay Rabe wrote:
> Subject: Re: [TANGO-L] Skating + Tango
> Michael,
> Thanks so much for the reply. But I'm sure this is a good discussion for the
> whole list, so I've copied to it. When I sent my first question to you I had
> intended to send it to the list but sent it personally instead.
>
> In any case, your description makes perfect sense. But since I too struggle
> with balance, and yes, especially on enrosques, please elaborate on your
> comment about "dropping the free hip below the standing hip." I can only see
> this possible by bending the free knee. Am I picturing the mechanics
> correctly?
Yes, I think you're picturing the error correctly. Here's how I think of
it in skating. Suppose you're standing normally with your feet together.
If you lift your right foot, you'll fall over to the right. In order
to avoid this, you have to do something to move some weight over to the
left. The incorrect, yet most natural way to do this is to displace
your hip slightly to the left while bending your upper body to the right.
The result is that you end up balanced over your foot, but
your body has a kink. It's not very attractive, you are not free to
move equally well in any directions afterwards, and if you try to turn
from this position, you'll wobble. In skating, the proper way to move
your balance over your left foot is to lift your right hip. In ballet,
you'll be taught to keep your hips level, but in skating, since you're
on just a thin metal blade, you have to lift the free hip significantly
above the standing (or skating) hip. Here's how to get the feel of what
we do on ice. Stand straight on two feet with your feet together.
Now, point your right foot (leaving the right toes on the ground)
while keeping your right leg straight and not moving your left side,
or your upper body at all. When you lift your right hip to allow this,
you should find yourself perfectly balanced over your left foot.
Lifting the free hip is definitely learned, not natural.
I don't know whether or not it's appropriate in tango to keep the free
hip as lifted as is necessary in skating, but it's critical to avoid
letting the free hip drop below the standing hip. Otherwise, there's
not way you can be properly balanced, and there's no way that you can
turn without wobbling.
Hope that helps . . . .
--Michael
> ----Original Message Follows----
> From: "Michael Kass" <kass@pixar.com>
> Reply-To: kass@pixar.com
> To: "Jay Rabe" <jayrabe@hotmail.com>
> Subject: Re: [TANGO-L] Skating + Tango in D.C.
> Date: Wed, 26 Feb 2003 20:19:36 -0800
>
> On Feb 25, 1:23am, Jay Rabe wrote:
> > Subject: Re: [TANGO-L] Skating + Tango in D.C.
> > Michael,
> >
> > Could you elaborate? How has your skating background helped you learning
> > tango?
>
> Mostly balance, posture and ability to turn. After ice dancing for years,
> enrosques aren't very intimidating. Most tango beginners can't stand
> properly on one foot. They drop the free hip below the standing hip. It's a
> very natural thing to do, but it's bad news in tango and absolute death for
> ice dance. If you're able to stay precisely balanced on a thin metal blade,
> staying balanced over a whole shoe seems easy.
>
> --Michael
>
>
>
>-- End of excerpt from Jay Rabe
--
Date: Thu, 27 Feb 2003 15:56:58 -0800
From: Rick FromPdx <bugs1959bunny@YAHOO.COM>
Subject: Re: Skating + Tango
I tried dancing on roller skates & the hardest part of it was the floor, youch... I'm not sure if the mechanics of ice skating would be better, probably. Another couple had the biggest black eyes I've ever seen in my life from taking a swing at this activity. I'm sticking to my walking shoes with leather glued to the bottoms. ouch...
R
