Learning Tango

[David Bailey]

Well, seeing as no-one else is going to, I'll claim the 1,000th post on the 1st anniversary

Originally Posted by Lynn

There is another thread somewhere about Tango highs and lows because that seems to be part of it.

Yep - "Tango Highs and Lows" (funnily enough)

Other threads that may be of interest are:

• Tango Films
• Tango Links
• Tango weekends and events
• Tango music

Originally Posted by Gav

I got ready and sat sulking, thinking "bloody ceroc, I wish it was AT".

Yep, you're hooked all right - although it's taken me much longer to get to that stage.

[Lynn]

Originally Posted by DavidJames

Yep - "Tango Highs and Lows" (funnily enough)

I did start that thread myself... should have provided the Harperlink.

Happy 1 Year Anniversary to the Learning Tango thread.

Must try and fit in something Tangoy when dancing tonight - too much to hope that I'd get to dance AT - I'll just have to improvise something. (Do I have special permission on this occasion DJ? )

[Msfab]

This youtube user has some clips of various Tango patterns/moves academiadetango

[Lynn]

Originally Posted by Lynn

Must try and fit in something Tangoy when dancing tonight

Whatever Lola Wants was played, and I did some ochos.


(The dance, together with some on Sat night, raised some interesting questions for me, but they aren't specifically AT related so I'll go and think about it elsewhere.)

[Gav]

Instalment No. 3

Well I made it to my 3rd lesson. 3 lessons, 3 different venues, same teachers? Ah well, I guess I'll get used to them and get more comfortable quicker this way.

Gutted! Fran, the teacher that has looked after me so far wasn't there.

Pleased! The guy (whose name I still don't know , has a slight SA tilt to his accent) was there with his regular partner Belinda and they are awesome dancers.

I finally sussed out how the Wednesday classes work now!
It seems that you do 15 minutes walking, followed by 15 minutes making sure that you have the basics required to stay on for the improvers 30 minute class, then a 30 minute practica before the intermediate class starts.
This is all timed perfectly so I can leave at the end of the practica and arrive at the Ceroc class in time for 11/2 hours freestyle. Just what I need so I can relax and dance without my brain hurting.

Beginners Class

Well our 15 minutes walking involved practicing starting off in 3 track and 4 track. So now I have to try to trick my partner into thinking my weight is on one foot when it's actually on the other
Got the hang of it in the end, but it's much easier to "trick" another beginner than it is to trick a good dancer! No I didn't manage to trick Belinda, she just pretended I had!
OK so I've got all that.
Now we have to lead a cross! I've read all the discussions about whether it's led or just happens, and frankly if you're moving from 3 track to 2, I don't see how it can be anything but led. However, it's also not practical to try to teach a beginner how to do it in 5 minutes!
Moving on quickly, leading a Giro.
Apparently it's quite easy, you just lead a side step, backward ocho and slowly circle on the spot whilst maintaining the intention. This was the point where I had to stop the class and point out that my leading side steps is a little ropey and what the hell is a backward ocho!
After a brief explanation we were back into it.

Well, I managed to get through all that, but if there are teachers out there, please! I might have been able to cope with 2 track, 3 track, 4 track, crosses, ochos and giros in a 1/2 hour lesson, but there's no way I'll remember any of it. Too much for 1/2 hour.

Dancing with the teacher's partner, Belinda, apart from the fact that she's a tiny little pretty thing, was an absolute pleasure. Apparently I have a very strong and definite intention.

Improvers Class

Now this was the scary bit. I went to walk away and was grabbed by the teacher. No, you're doing this bit, we've given you all you need to cope with it.

OK, this is not so bad. A simple, slow rock turn. Even I can manage that! and I did! but we're stepping off in 3 track and need to get back to 2! Aaaarrrghhhh! I was right, 5 minutes was not enough to learn crosses.
Well, I blundered my way through the crosses, what's next?
The same rock turn, but this time, half-way through, I have to step forward on the right, disassociating my shoulders from my hips and continue the rock turn looking like some kind of spastic Siamese twinned ducks!
Apparently I need to work on my disassociating (not sure I'll ever get that because of an old back injury. Injury has all but gone, but left me with a limited range of twisting in my lower back! ).

I got to the end of the classes in one piece but my head was sooo full and I was soooo confused that I used it as an excuse to not practice. I know, it was just an excuse, I was feeling underconfident and not good enough. Looking back I feel a bit of an idiot because a lovely lady asked me if I wanted to practice with her and so did another friend from Ceroc, but I bottled it.

Well it looks as though I can't make it on Friday , which is a shame because I think that's my favourite of the two, but I'll be back next Wednesday.

[Gav]

I couldn't resist a new avatar when I saw it on someone's website!

Just don't tell them I took it

[Feelingpink]

Originally Posted by Gav

I couldn't resist a new avatar ... [/size]

CeeCee will be pleased! Much better than the last one.

[JonD]

Originally Posted by Gav

Great report

It sounds like it's a good class Gav - they're certainly not letting you relax! Well done for staying with it. I think it's better to leave early if you are incapable of absorbing any more information than to stay on and dishearten yourself by making a pigs ear of the practice session.

Apparently I need to work on my disassociating

Don't we all! (Including the follower in your fab avatar - I think she needs to disassociate more on her forward ocho). However, your old injury shouldn't be too much of a problem; you may struggle with some movements but there aren't that many that demand huge degrees of disassociation. Evidently I have a "good range of movement" so can disassociate quite a lot - it's the remembering to do it (rather than just turning my head to the side and believing that I'm disassociating from the waist) and getting the timing right that's the problem.

I had a good class on Tuesday. In the improver level we were focussing on dancing really smoothly without "marking" any part of the step. I don't bob up and down but there is a distinct surge in my step as I project off my standing leg. I'm going to have to work on being able to eliminate that. More walking! We also did a nice little giro that I was leading Julie through at Jive last night; it was fun trying to do it to some up-tempo numbers.

[Gav]

Originally Posted by JonD

However, your old injury shouldn't be too much of a problem; you may struggle with some movements but there aren't that many that demand huge degrees of disassociation.

Apparently it's the new injuries I have to worry about. All that practice on Wednesday seems to have disassociated one of my shoulder muscles!
I don't think lesson number 4 would be wise tonight, looks like it'll have to wait until next Wednesday.

While I'm here, it seems that the Tango world suffers from the same poor communication as the rest of the world.
Just when I was accepting that Norwich is OK for Tango, having 2 lessons a week, Bylaugh hall and the occasional milonga, but London's obviously the place if you want to practice more often. Then I find a newish website www.metrotango.co.uk, which tells me that there is Tango in Norwich just about every day of the week including twice weekly lessons, weekly practicas and milongas, and monthly and occasional milongas too!
One of the lessons I've been to is meant to be a not for profit, volunteer based organisation promoting tango in Norfolk. So why the hell aren't they telling everyone who goes along about everything that's available locally?
I shall be having words!

Sigh, this is normally the point when I end up getting myself volunteered to do stuff.

[David Bailey]

Originally Posted by Gav

[So why the hell aren't they telling everyone who goes along about everything that's available locally?
I shall be having words!

Sigh, this is normally the point when I end up getting myself volunteered to do stuff.

It's a real nightmare trying to find out "what's on locally" in the tango scene - it makes you appreciate the plethora of MJ dance sites, we're actually quite lucky in that regard. All the information seems to be word-of-mouth and small local websites

Hmmm... I think Minnie has volunteered to list AT events on her site... maybe if we all send her a list she could put them up?

I can do the London ones, JonD and Philsmove can do the West Country, you can handle Anglia etc.?

[Gav]

Originally Posted by Gav

Sigh, this is normally the point when I end up getting myself volunteered to do stuff.

Originally Posted by DavidJames

I can do the London ones, JonD and Philsmove can do the West Country, you can handle Anglia etc.?

See?!

I can do that, but my point wasn't really the lack of info on the web, more that I saw the people in person and they didn't tell me.

[Lynn]

Originally Posted by Gav

One of the lessons I've been to is meant to be a not for profit, volunteer based organisation promoting tango in Norfolk. So why the hell aren't they telling everyone who goes along about everything that's available locally?

Ah, dance politics. Not just about profit. Its a simple fact of life that its not that common to find really all inclusive 'lets get everyone involved' dance organisers. From the nationwide level (Ceroc is currently turning 'keeping everything and everyone only to our venues' into an art form) to local independants, for different reasons organisers often want to 'do their own thing' and not share resources, venues, DJ slots and dancers, amongst themselves.

Certainly in the tiny Belfast AT world we've had tears and tantrums about who's going to run the scene. I don't get involved, I stay on the edges and try to stay friends with everyone and support people where I can.

The easiest 'middle ground' to take is probably the likes of Minnie's site, aiming to be inclusive and provide a wide range of information.

[Clive Long]

Originally Posted by JonD

<< snip >>

Don't we all! (Including the follower in your fab avatar)

- I think she needs to disassociate more on her forward ocho).

Well spotted! That's what sets this dance apart for me (no doubt someone will point out plenty other examples). It is the tension the woman (and the man, a bit) creates in the twisted torso that then provides the energy to drive those athletic movements. First it's learning how to create that twist and holding it, then its about releasing it in a controlled fashion.

<< snip >>
We also did a nice little giro that I was leading Julie through at Jive last night; it was fun trying to do it to some up-tempo numbers.

Ah Giros. Another bane of my life. I just can't pivot the woman enough into the backward ocho from the side-step. However, "CeeCee's giro" where the woman moves around in a hexagonal rather than a square path helps the transition a bit.

[MartinHarper]

http://areyoudancing.info lists Tango events around Cheltenham/Gloucester, and the odd national event.

I agree that if you claim to be "promoting Tango in Norfolk", then failing to tell people about Tango in Norfolk is a bad thing. In the case of charities, these people might want to have a word:
http://www.charity-commission.gov.uk/

[Gav]

Originally Posted by MartinHarper

http://areyoudancing.info lists Tango events around Cheltenham/Gloucester, and the odd national event.

I agree that if you claim to be "promoting Tango in Norfolk", then failing to tell people about Tango in Norfolk is a bad thing. In the case of charities, these people might want to have a word:
http://www.charity-commission.gov.uk/

Let's not get too carried away.

I was just going to have a word and suggest a cheap, home-printed leaflet that lists all the websites, regular events etc and could be given to everyone who turns up.

[JonD]

Originally Posted by Clive Long

First it's learning how to create that twist and holding it, then its about releasing it in a controlled fashion.

It is a beautiful, fluid, sinuous movement when it's done well. I remember Julie raving on about beach balls after a lesson with Mila. Something to do with imagining you are holding a beach ball in your extended arms in true bathing beauty pose and moving it at the critical moment to generate that fluid energy. Ladies, you'll have to ask Julie about that one. I tend to think of the "wind, unwind" movement in terms of the torsion spring suspension system on an FV432 armoured personnel carrier - never a particularly elegant vehicle; I need help.

I just can't pivot the woman enough into the backward ocho from the side-step

Me too. There's something to do with the followers foot placement in the side step that influences it but, again, you'd need to talk to Julie about that. It's close to a 270' pivot for the lady if she's going to stay on the circumference of a giro and that's hard.

I have real problems with that lead as well, particularly if I want to make a fast, dramatic movement. That figure I was playing with last night is a case in point.

From a normal cross, lead the follower to step back on her right leg as you step forward, slightly past where her right foot lands on your right leg. Bring her onto her axis over her right foot and pivot her through 180' in a backward ocho so that she's stepping back the way she just came onto her left foot. Continue into normal giro pattern; a side step onto her right, forward ocho onto her left and then lead her out to carry on walking with her right. As you lead the pivot you take a step with your left leg behind your right so you can pivot with her by uncrossing your legs - like you would in a jazz spin. (I hope that makes some kind of sense).

I find it really difficult to lead the pivot accurately and quickly without taking the follower off her axis. Part of the problem is that I'm "breaking at the waist" slightly and so leaning into the follower but I suspect there are some issues with my foot positioning which are helping to cause that and also contributing to the follower feeling that she's being flung round into the ocho. It's such a simple figure but it's going to demand quite a lot of work before I get it smooth and fluent. On the other hand, perhaps I should remember Ernesto Balmaceda's advice: "Don't think about your legs Jon, just make the movement - just step normally". Hmmmm.

Originally Posted by DavidJames

I can do the London ones, JonD and Philsmove can do the West Country

I'll do my best but won't have much time in the next week or so.

Oh, I'm probably in London on Wednesday night - anyone going to The Dome?

[Feelingpink]

Originally Posted by DavidJames

It's a real nightmare trying to find out "what's on locally" in the tango scene ...

Quite! I've just 'found' South London Tango because of Google adwords using my 'tango' hobby on a profile I have on a business site. Perhaps this is where Gav goes? Anyway, have just emailed them about beginners lessons starting next month. The interesting thing was finding it utilising a purpose-built dance space ... and spooky because I'd just been talking to someone over coffee this morning about the very same thing.