Learning Tango

[JonD]

Originally Posted by DJ

I was distracted by Valeria's outfit...

Do we have photos?

One interesting tip on walking is to keep the weight-bearing leg flexed, and the non-weight-bearing leg's heel down

Sounds about right. Have you discovered the delights of the "free leg" yet? The idea that the unweighted leg simply hangs from it's hip socket and that movement is generated from the centre rather than from the muscles of the leg itself. I haven't got my head round that concept yet and I certainly can't keep my free leg loose and relaxed in that way. (My personal opinion that the free leg is a follower thing and we leaders should be permitted to ignore it).

[David Bailey]

Originally Posted by JonD

Do we have photos?

I'm not sure that photos would be appropriate - just think "flashdance" crossed with "maternity outfit"

Originally Posted by JonD

(My personal opinion that the free leg is a follower thing and we leaders should be permitted to ignore it).

That's true, isn't it

[robd]

Cambridge Dancers Club - Beginner's AT 9/11 and 16/11

No time to post last week before leaving for Camber so a double review.

On 9/11 we spent most of our time on the basic 8 and in particular the cross. I know the cross has been much talked about here and elsewhere. I found it a mixed bag. Sometimes I could lead it, sometimes I couldn't and sometimes ladies would cross on 5 regardless of whether a lead was there for it or not (and ignoring the fact that the teachers had specifically pointed out that this is what they must not do). One of the ladies there does some other partner dancing and her experience showed as she waited for leads and would not cross unless led to do so. This is really helpful to a beginner lead if sometimes frustrating when you feel a lead has been good but not had the desired result. It also highlighted for me how subtle the difference can be between getting it right and not getting it right.

16/11 saw us do some different entry routes into back ochoes as well as providing social dancing tips (they are hosting a social dance night on Tues and encouraged us to attend). Quite a few things started to click for me on this night as we put together combinations of the patterns we had been shown in previous weeks. I found making seamless manual weight changes myself much easier and more natural. I also found that I could discern which foot the follower's weight was on much more easily than I had previously been able to do so. This meant we could actually flow reasonably well around the floor and it was perhaps the most enjoyable of the four nights that I have attended so far (even if my balance and poise in the introductory walk-pivot-walk exercises is still appalling!)

Robert

[JonD]

Sounds good Rob. Getting to that point where you insinctively know where your partern's weight is, and can change your own weight without changing hers, is a huge breakthrough. It took me months and months!

It sounds like you've got really good teachers. Go along on Tuesday and have a bash at dancing in the milonga. Even if you don't dance much it'll be fun and give you more of a context for the classes.

I must get up to Cambridge at some stage - I used to live round there in a former life!

[CeeCee]

originally posted by DavidJames

That's true, isn't it

Yes boys, I totally agree. The free leg is a follower thing and sadly half of the time we don't know what to do with it anyway. When we are experimenting, how about you continue to admire it and compliment it and leave us to play with it?

I had a lesson with the wonderful Ivan of The Negracha Tango Club in Holborn. (I'm saying nothing about his club taking over London's Tango scene.) He talked about my spare leg, saying it should hang freely from the hip just as Jon says. It's pretty tricky though. How do we know when it's right? Does it go numb or change colour? Anyway, Ivan said that the totally relaxed leg is the secret to successful boleos and I think they do look and feel nice when they work.

I have a problem though. If we are told to keep our hips level, then I still don't understand how the spare leg can hang freely but remain off the floor if the supporting leg is bent.
Anyone care to explain?

originally posted by robd
This is really helpful to a beginner lead if sometimes frustrating when you feel a lead has been good but not had the desired result. It also highlighted for me how subtle the difference can be between getting it right and not getting it right.

Frustration is part of the journey. Leading the cross is a tricky business as numerous discussions on this thread alone will testify. Don't be discouraged.

One frustration is that we followers are getting a bum deal in the learning arena. We almost always out number the leaders and are left hanging around, waiting, waiting, waiting. It can be demoralising, frustrating and degrading. I know women who have given up for this reason. It takes time, effort, organisation and determination to attend classes and sometimes we wonder, "what's the point?"

Mind you, Philsmove has had problems with too many men in his Tango classes in Bristol so perhaps we can't win.

originally posted by JonD
I must get up to Cambridge at some stage - I used to live round there in a former life!

Ah, the subject of another thread perhaps.

[robd]

Originally Posted by CeeCee

One frustration is that we followers are getting a bum deal in the learning arena. We almost always out number the leaders and are left hanging around, waiting, waiting, waiting. It can be demoralising, frustrating and degrading. I know women who have given up for this reason. It takes time, effort, organisation and determination to attend classes and sometimes we wonder, "what's the point?"

Our class fluctuates - we have had men over, women over and even numbers. I didn't enjoy the week that we had men over, I have to admit. The teachers do encourage rotation but because we move around the floor and they advocate a 'man stand still, lady move on one' approach you can often end up getting partners that you have had before a number of times during the 1.5 hrs and missing out on others altogether.

Robert

[Msfab]

Originally Posted by CeeCee

One frustration is that we followers are getting a bum deal in the learning arena. We almost always out number the leaders and are left hanging around, waiting, waiting, waiting. It can be demoralising, frustrating and degrading. I know women who have given up for this reason. It takes time, effort, organisation and determination to attend classes and sometimes we wonder, "what's the point?"

I was finding this problem (not just with Tango). My solution is to learn to lead. You are still learning important things in lead and follow. And if anything will help you understand your following better. You dont have to do it every week if you dont want too - but you might enjoy the control/lead once in a while!

[philsmove]

Originally Posted by Msfab

My solution is to learn to lead. You are still learning important things in lead

Traditionally, In Tango there was a shortage of women

So the men (in order to impress the few women who were available) had to learn to dance with each other

Ok being led by a big hairy guy is not much fun

But by learning the other role, you do get to understand the dance

And being led by a woman is very very nice

[jivecat]

Does anyone know if there is website listing all tango events in the UK, similar to the UK jive site? I'm looking for somewhere to go to tonight.

[littlewiggle]

Originally Posted by jivecat

Does anyone know if there is website listing all tango events in the UK, similar to the UK jive site? I'm looking for somewhere to go to tonight.

Sorry - finding n*ff all whether it be tango or modern jive within a reasonable distance for tonight

[David Bailey]

Originally Posted by jivecat

Does anyone know if there is website listing all tango events in the UK, similar to the UK jive site? I'm looking for somewhere to go to tonight.

No - I suspect there isn't one.

But if you find one, can you add it to the "Tango links" thread?

Like all these things, it looks like we'll have to do the hard work ourselves

[jivecat]

Originally Posted by littlewiggle

Sorry - finding n*ff all whether it be tango or modern jive within a reasonable distance for tonight

Well......there's Ceroc Solihull........best not to even think about it.

[jivecat]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kxs_jRRnOl0

This video might be helpful to us all in developing our individual style. I epecially like the incorporation of elements of the "Ceroc bounce".

[philsmove]

these might help

but I cant find anything in your arial



http://www.tangoexpress.co.uk/tango/

http://www.danceweb.co.uk/

[Msfab]

Originally Posted by jivecat

Does anyone know if there is website listing all tango events in the UK, similar to the UK jive site? I'm looking for somewhere to go to tonight.

This is one I used before.
http://www.users.dircon.co.uk/~elonc..._listings.html

[Whitebeard]

For those who aren't taking their Tango seriously enough:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kxs_jRRnOl0

and

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SQ9fzdtpLH4

[David Bailey]

Originally Posted by jivecat

Does anyone know if there is website listing all tango events in the UK, similar to the UK jive site? I'm looking for somewhere to go to tonight.

Did you find anywhere?

I found out there was a Tango in Scarborough that night, but even my shaky sense of geography beyond Watford told me that was a bit far for you to get to...

[Lynn]

Just found out that the teacher who ran the beginners course I did earlier this year is planning on starting an intermediate class next year. So though I will have a 3 month gap in AT classes, I will be able to make some progress next year.

[jivecat]

Originally Posted by DavidJames

Did you find anywhere?

I found out there was a Tango in Scarborough that night, but even my shaky sense of geography beyond Watford told me that was a bit far for you to get to...

Thanks for everyone's suggestions & interest. Scarborough is probably 4 hours away, though at one time I would have considered an 8 hour drive in exchange for a few bouncy dances with a bunch of random strangers a perfectly reasonable proposition. Alas, no more.

I stayed in on Saturday night, watched SCD and a very interesting programme about the history and structure of melody. This is first in a series of 3? on the development of music and well worth videoing, if not actually staying in for.

I would love to be able to go to more milongas but experience has shown that even if I make the effort to drive the miles in order to turn up, it may well be in vain as I would spend most of the evening just sitting there watching. At least with Ceroc, having made the effort, you are pretty much guaranteed plenty of dancing. I really, really want to dance tango as much as I can in order to improve but it's proving hard to find the opportunities to do it.

[Lynn]

Originally Posted by jivecat

I would love to be able to go to more milongas but experience has shown that even if I make the effort to drive the miles in order to turn up, it may well be in vain as I would spend most of the evening just sitting there watching. At least with Ceroc, having made the effort, you are pretty much guaranteed plenty of dancing. I really, really want to dance tango as much as I can in order to improve but it's proving hard to find the opportunities to do it.

I know how you feel! At our little practicas we had over the summer (little because there tended to be only about 8 of us) there was a big shortage of men - they did their best to dance with all us ladies but it still often only meant about 3 or 4 dances all evening.

If I go to a milonga (in Dublin), I spend most of my time watching, so I try to go with a male - at least then I know I will have a few dances guaranteed. (Alas the only man I can go with keeps contacting me at very short notice when I already have plans made.)