53  Tango technique teaching

Date: Mon, 2 Jul 2001 23:37:52 -0700
From: Sergio <sergio@NCINTER.NET>
Subject: Tango technique teaching

Figures and technique.
The following are some common techniques taught to dance Argentine Tango.

Pure technique lessons concentrate in teaching and performing repetitive
exercises to acquire the necessary skills to dance tango.
Those exercises are geared to teach and improve the execution of all the
elements of Argentine Tango.
They can be taught as pure technique lessons or in combination with figures
that require those techniques.

Weight shift, balance, necessary frame and mutual resistance.
Close and open embrace.
Pivots. Leg position after a pivot.
Tango walk, forward and backward, different ways to walk, caminadas (walks)
y corridas (runs).
Leading and following.
Changing the axis of the follower from one leg to the other, maintaining the
axis of the follower in one leg and rotating.
Trabada or locking of the follower (left in front of the right).
Musicality, analysis of the music. Rhythm. Analysis of tango structure,
beginning, middle, preparation for the ending and ending.
Analysis of different orchestras.
Exercises to achieve walking synchronically. Every step of both partners
done exactly at the same time.
Front and back ochos. Ocho cortado (ocho milonguero)
Contrapaso and syncopations walking forward and backward.
Grape vine of the follower around the leader.
Cuartas or tango endings.
Boleos, low, half way, high. How to lead them.
Amagues. Combination of amagues and boleos. Changes of weight to originate
these motions in the follower.
Sacadas, front, lateral and back (heel) sacadas. Executed in different
circumstances, during giros, walks, etc.
Sacadas done by the follower.
Adornos (embellishments). Lapiz (pencil), small or big circles under
different circumstances, static or turning. Rulos (curls), Dibujos
(drawings).
Paradas (stops). Follower embellishments after paradas.
Pushing of the leg of the folower to induce locking in front.
Exercises of dissociation of the upper and the lower body. Counter body
motion.
Enrosques, with feet together, with back trabada or locking in front.
Movement of the upper body to originate and keep momentum for the enrosque.
Giros to the right. Starting with left foot. Starting with right foot.
Combination of both varieties.
Giros to the left. Arroje, (throwing technique) to place the front cross of
the woman right in the line of dance.
Combination of right and left turns.
Arrastres o barridas (drag or sweep) of leader and follower.
Ganchos, leader and follower. Under different circumstances. Different
types.In combination with amagues, barridas, etc.
Planeos (gliding) to both sides. Planeos of the follower.
Sentadas, (sittings).
Calesita, (Carrousel) to both sides.
Cunita ( cradle).
Cadenas (chains) different types.
Giros with boleos, amagues, enrosques, ganchos, planeos, etc.
El puente (bridge) also apilado.
Saltos (jumps).
Reevaluation of musicality and improvisation.
Different tango styles, milonguero, salon and its variations including "new
tango".

Milonga musicality, syncopation, turns, and free turns. Leading
syncopations. Leading locking of the right leg behind the right one.
Vals musicality.

This list describes only the most common techniques there others that are
mostly taught in stage tango.

Date: Mon, 2 Jul 2001 21:40:39 -0700
From: Mark Sussex <doktordogg@YAHOO.COM>
Subject: Re: Tango technique teaching

--- Sergio <sergio@NCINTER.NET> wrote:

> Figures and technique.
> The following are some common techniques taught to
> dance Argentine Tango.

This is a VERY cool list. I can easily turn this into
a shopping list of stuff I want to learn. Some of it
I understand and can do. Some of it I've been
introduced to, but I really need a lot of work. A lot
of it I haven't encountered yet at all. I want to
print it out and talk to my teacher about what stuff
we can cover.

Is anyone aware of anything in print which talks in
more detail about this kind of thing, either in book
form or on the internet?

I tried to whittle down the list below to the things
I'm most immediately curious about, but it's still
huge. Well... time to untie the tourniquet on my
checking account...

Mark

> Pivots. Leg position after a pivot.
> corridas (runs).
> Changing the axis of the follower from one leg to
> the other, maintaining the
> axis of the follower in one leg and rotating.
> Trabada or locking of the follower (left in front of
> the right).
> Cuartas or tango endings.
> Boleos, low, half way, high. How to lead them.
> Amagues. Combination of amagues and boleos. Changes
> of weight to originate
> these motions in the follower.
> Sacadas, front, lateral and back (heel) sacadas.
> Executed in different
> circumstances, during giros, walks, etc.
> Rulos
> (curls), Dibujos
> (drawings).
> Pushing of the leg of the folower to induce locking
> in front.
> Exercises of dissociation of the upper and the lower
> body. Counter body
> motion.
> Enrosques, with feet together, with back trabada or
> locking in front.
> Movement of the upper body to originate and keep
> momentum for the enrosque.
> Giros to the right. Starting with left foot.
> Starting with right foot.
> Combination of both varieties.
> Giros to the left. Arroje, (throwing technique) to
> place the front cross of
> the woman right in the line of dance.
> Planeos (gliding) to both sides. Planeos of the
> follower.
> Sentadas, (sittings).
> Calesita, (Carrousel) to both sides.
> Cadenas (chains) different types.
> Giros with boleos, amagues, enrosques, ganchos,
> planeos, etc.
> El puente (bridge) also apilado.

Date: Tue, 3 Jul 2001 18:46:44 -0700
From: Deborah Holm <deborah.holm@PRODIGY.NET>
Subject: Tango technique teaching

Hi,
My name is Deborah Holm and I am a woman.
I have been taking some salsa lessons recently
as a break in the four years of intensive tango
that I underwent.
I figure that this thread of tango technique
leading is going to be extremely extensive with
regard to each and every little part of technique.
And maybe a woman will go to a milonga and
dance with a man who knows wonderful technique.
But I guess it is impossible to bring new men into
tango with this huge laundry list. Because there
are many men who don't even dance, period, but
are interested in the local tango community. They
might be sort of interested in taking a lesson, but,
WOW, forget it. Too much.
When I have visitors from other parts of the world,
the husbands ask me to show them the basic step
in my carpeted tiny downstairs apartment. I do.
And they get it. And they like it.
I guess we all got bored with the whole thing, and
needed more. That is only human.
Unfortunately, also insular. Because, apparently,
we don't need more tango dancers, especially men!
Right, guys?
Deborah
San Francisco, California, USA

Date: Thu, 29 Aug 2002 14:25:37 EDT
From: Charles Roques <Crrtango@AOL.COM>
Subject: Tango technique

Georgia said <<They aren't actually passing their weight directly onto the
balls of their feet. If you were to do that, you would actually be rising, >>

Sorry but I have to disagree on this. It is entirely possible to walk on the
ball of the foot and not rise up. I do it all the time and I teach it. Both
women and men dance with the knees slightly bent and when you step on to the
ball, you compensate slightly by bending the knee a little further. It is
hardly a matter of about an inch or so at the most, so you can't even see it
in the knees that much. In fact it is a very good discipline for teaching
yourself to walk on a level and not bounce, which would be awkward heels
first. So yes, step on the ball of the foot first then touch down with the
heel.

Also putting your own walk into tango does not mean you dance tango like you
walk but that you adapt your own cadence and natural gait and rhythm to an
otherwise polished and refined series of steps. I think Bruno was making
another point. People become frustrated with the difficulty of tango so they
just start moving their own way because it is easier. That does not mean they
are putting their walk into tango. It means they are taking the easy way out.
And it is understandable but even if you do have your own walk you still have
to learn proper technique.

Charles Roques