2271  Vocabulary....

Date: Sat, 21 Feb 2004 14:53:55 -0800
From: David Hodgson <DHodgson@TANGO777.COM>
Subject: Vocabulary....

All righty:
It is not often I ask a question.
I hear so often people in A. Tango on and off the list talk and through
around the term "Vocabulary".
Could anyone explain what is meant by this or even give a definition.
Thank you.
David Hodgson

Date: Sat, 21 Feb 2004 19:03:42 -0500
From: tangomaniac@JUNO.COM
Subject: Re: Vocabulary....

David:
Vocabulary means the figures you know how to execute. Generally, a
teacher will say something "I'm going to teach you a figure to add to
your vocabulary." Think of it in terms of English. Your vocabulary
consists of words you know to express yourself in conversation. A dance
vocabulary are figures you know to express yourself in dance.

Michael
Washington, DC


On Sat, 21 Feb 2004 14:53:55 -0800 David Hodgson <DHodgson@TANGO777.COM>
writes:

> All righty:
> It is not often I ask a question.
> I hear so often people in A. Tango on and off the list talk and >

through> around the term "Vocabulary".

> Could anyone explain what is meant by this or even give a > definition.
> Thank you.
> David Hodgson
>

Date: Sat, 21 Feb 2004 16:27:42 -0800
From: Rick FromPortland <pruneshrub04@YAHOO.COM>
Subject: Re: Vocabulary

Hi David,
I remember Clay Nelson, teaching a class at the Crystal Ballroom downtown, the one with the floating/springy floot. I believe it was a tango-fest dance on a Sunday? Anyway, he related learning Tango to sentences, complete with punctuation, grammar (I think?), syntax (??), words/phrases & more. Someone else on this list probably has a better memory about this than I. I thought it was a great way to help beginners relate to dancing.

Date: Sat, 21 Feb 2004 20:44:10 -0800
From: Farkyu Uptabut <farkyu_uptabut@HOTMAIL.COM>
Subject: Re: Vocabulary....

Michael and David,

Well, I guess that you know more about English language than I
do, but I always thought that vocabulary was words, and that words
corresponded to little parts of figures, being like ochos, sacadas,
boleos, and many other things that I don't know how to do.

Whereas figures to me seems to say at least a few steps put
together, which would be like phrases, aphorisms, or short
quotations. (Maybe I am confused about the meaning
of "figures" ???)

At any way, we are in agreement that vocabulary is the little things
that you know about, and that you can put together to express
yourself (in tango to make a complete dance).

Respectfully,

Farkyu

>From: tangomaniac@JUNO.COM
>Reply-To: tangomaniac@JUNO.COM
>To: TANGO-L@MITVMA.MIT.EDU
>Subject: Re: [TANGO-L] Vocabulary....
>Date: Sat, 21 Feb 2004 19:03:42 -0500
>
>David:
>Vocabulary means the figures you know how to execute. Generally, a
>teacher will say something "I'm going to teach you a figure to add to
>your vocabulary." Think of it in terms of English. Your vocabulary
>consists of words you know to express yourself in conversation. A dance
>vocabulary are figures you know to express yourself in dance.
>
>Michael
>Washington, DC
>
>
>On Sat, 21 Feb 2004 14:53:55 -0800 David Hodgson <DHodgson@TANGO777.COM>
>writes:
> > All righty:
> > It is not often I ask a question.
> > I hear so often people in A. Tango on and off the list talk and >
>through> around the term "Vocabulary".
> > Could anyone explain what is meant by this or even give a > definition.
> > Thank you.
> > David Hodgson
> >
>

Take off on a romantic weekend or a family adventure to these great U.S.

Date: Mon, 23 Feb 2004 14:17:58 -0800
From: Carlos Lima <amilsolrac@YAHOO.COM>
Subject: Re: Vocabulary

One way (my way anyway) to deal with these kinds of quandaries, a way to
begin, at least, is to pick up the Am Heritage Dictionary, or consult it on
the WWW, and look up the word. This time it looks like the folks at the AH
Dict had us in mind, for here's what they have to say about VOCABULARY, the

NOUN: Inflected forms: pl. vo7cab7u7lar7ies
1. All the words of a language. 2. The sum of words used by, understood by,
or at the command of a particular person or group. 3. A list of words and
often phrases, usually arranged alphabetically and defined or translated; a
lexicon or glossary. 4. A supply of expressive means; a repertoire of
communication: a dancer's vocabulary of movement.

Letters are not in common use in dance, but I guess wiggling one's toe would
be too detailed for any lexical category. So I believe vocabulary items would
most often be made up of several elementary movements, such as single steps
(weight changes) and the like. I do think an Ocho (of any kind) qualifies,
and so does somebody's favorite Lapiz, or a simple traspie' pattern. The
dance sequence of an entire tango does not qualify, just as an entire book or
chapter would not (in the literal context).

We often see and hear "idiom" applied to all manner of dancing genres. I
think it is a very useful concept, and use it. The use of both terms
(vocabulary and idiom) in connexion with tango, by me and by others, has
drawn (a couple of times quite strong) objections. According to the HA Dict
we are OK. But the L standards may be higher ...

Cheers,