Tango Walks

[pygmalion]

So I finally have time to start with my Argentine tango lessons.

(An aside. Maybe switching coaches isn't such a bad thing. Now I have time to branch out. :roll: 8) )

Anyway, from what I've read here, the place to start is with walks. Just plain tango walks. So that's what I'm going to practice this week.

Anybody have pointers on a basic AT walk? Is it the same or different from a ballroom tango walk? Technique, anyone?

[looyenyeo]

I don’t like to see a good post go unanswered.

You are absolutely correct in addressing the tango walk first.

What it is
Nearly any piece of tango’s move vocabulary can be interpreted as a walk with single-foot pivots. As a matter of fact, it’s important to understand tango’s dance vocabulary that way, to ensure that your execution of the dance is smooth. Hence the walk is one of two fundamental elements.

What it’s for
The walk is more than just an exercise, more than just a context in which to apply techniques or teaching points. It embodies an important tango principle: that of understanding and commanding your personal dance line.

Here I must clarify two things: “Personal dance line” should not be confused with “Line of dance”; and Principle-based teaching utilises techniques differently to the technique-based teaching prevalent in ballroom studios of the UK (I can’t speak for other countries).

Visualising the personal dance line
If you were an ideotypic (as opposed to ideal) dancer, and I coated the soles of your shoes in red paint, then danced with you, at the end of the (wonderful and intimate) dance, we would see on the dance floor:

An unbroken red line
Precisely one single foot-width across
Except for bulges where one foot would pass by (circumvent) the other, the line would be two foot-widths across
The coat of paint would be thickest at the line-side of the bulge, where you had most weight on your foot.
You’d also be a little mad at my abusive treatment of a perfectly good pair of shoes.

Principles of the personal dance line
The ideal dance line travels through your centre of gravity, and is just one foot-width thick so that you consistently take up the least space, without noise or “rattle”. This allows your (ideal) partner to position his/her personal dance line as close to yours as possible. "Spraying" your steps imprecisely onto the floor makes it more difficult for your partner to understand your line.

Tango is an intimate dance, performed in very close quarters, and the elegant execution of it lies not in the adornments, but in how a couple’s lines unify (notice I did not use the word “super-impose”).

As an ideal dancer you would need to be aware of your line, and be able to place your feet on it unerringly. Since your movements will be unsighted, you will need to develop your sense of propioception, such that your limbs go exactly where you intend for them to. I call this “perfect register” where intent and movement are perfectly aligned.

Finally, absolute command of your line instils a certain confidence in your partner and establishes a greater rapport.

Features of the walk
Feet are as straight as possible, ideally no toe-in or turn-out (for a tight dance line)

Contact is maintained with the floor with the front of the foot (aids balance, acts as blind person’s cane for detecting obstacles, prevents you from stepping on your partner’s feet, positions your legs for leg-based leads like displacements)

Foot placement is ball flat (ensures the part of the foot that controls your weight is never off the floor, and always ready)

Your centre of gravity should be maintained at the same height from the floor, throughout the dance (for stability, but more for predictability on your partner’s part)

Knees are slightly flexed (acting as additional control points, increasing step-size and drive power, absorbing the extra height gain should you need to go on your toes)

About the “bulges”
The trailing foot draws up to the foot of the weight-bearing leg, directly in-line as close as possible.
It then breaks the line, brushing past the supporting foot, maintaining light contact along the length of the leg.
The moving foot swings back into line as early as it is safe. Since the heel of that foot is off the ground, the foot can come into line with the heel over the toes of supporting foot. (Ladies in particular must be careful with this, or you could score the top of your supporting foot with your shoe if you’re wearing tango heels)

If your line, feet and knees are right, you should find the knee of your moving leg: tucking in behind the knee of your supporting leg just before the bulge begins; and tucking in, in front of the knee of your supporting leg just after the bulge. These are the ideal positions for the adornments i.e. boleos, ganchos, besos, whatever you want to call them.

Other teaching points
Use your ears, not your eyes:
You should not be able to hear the “clomp” of your heels. A light “swish” of your foot as it just maintains contact with the floor is acceptable.
Listen for the rustle of clothes as your legs brush past during the bulges. (I love that sound from my partner during the course of a dance, it's sensuous)

Think “magnetic knees”
Think “stalk like a cat”

Applications
A solid, confidence-inspiring dance line is a tremendous advantage in so many other dances. It helps you stay with your partner in the quickstep, it helps develop flight in the foxtrot, slot-dancing in salsa is a breeze, international Samba lines can be accentuated differently. I won’t go on.

Regards,
Loo

[pygmalion]

This is such a beautiful post, looyenyeo. Thanks so much for taking time to write it up. You're so good at createing visual images with your words.

I'm printing this out as we speak, to help with my practice. Really, and I've only printed out three other things in my entire history with DF, so this is seriously good stuff. 8)

I especially like your points about listening -- not being able to hear your feet, listening for the swish of clothing. That's fantastic. Thanks.

Jenn

[bordertangoman]

Another thing to be aware of is the beat. Normal walking the step is on the beat, but there is also "arriving" on the beat, where you are standing straight up ready for the next step - effectively a stop or a pause in the walk, so when you do this the step is a fraction earlier than the beat.

On stopping and starting: Its really useful to practice this and to arrive at a neutral position with the weight on one foot. From here, if you are a follower/woman you can be led into any step - side forward or back.

If you are a leader/man the signal that you are going to stop has to come early enough for the woman to stop in the neutral position otherwise her momentum will carry over into another step. Its like carriages in a train; you have to allow for a small delay betweent the movement of one carriage and the next. :?

[pygmalion]

I'm not sure I understand, bordertangoman.

The goal is to step slightly anticipating the beat, then arrive with a solid weight change ON the beat? Is that it?

[bordertangoman]

What you describe is pretty much it. I feel frustrated because its easier to demostrate than to describe.

I will try: Its like playing musical statues but you know in advance when you're going to stop because the music gives you the cue; so you stop dead on the beat! Bam! You are standing upright so the step has to come a little early.

Is that any clearer? I hope so. Don't worry you'll probably see someone dancing like this and it will make sense.

[pygmalion]

Okay. I'm practicing. So talk to me about maintaining one's own balance as a follower.

[MadamSamba]

Wow, looyenyeo. What a fabulous and lyrical post. I learned lots from it and, like Pygmalion, have printed out and am reading for about the tenth time. Thanks so much for taking the time and effort to post it.

As looyenyeo and bordertangoman described, the walks are pivotal to tango. It took great mind control to step, ehem, from ballroom to AT, but I found it easier by listenting to the music and, once I had a feel for AT music, simply walking around, brushing my feet together (hence the bulges as looyenyeo describes) until it worked and came naturally.

Getting AT walks entrenched into your muscle memory is vital as when you progress and get quicker and more adventurous, you don't have to worry about the core walk and can concentrate on the whiz-bang effects, because the core tango walks become normal. Be worried when you start walking like that though, Jenn! :)

[etchuck]

Well, just a ballroomer's perspective...
Abbreviatons I'm using:
AmT: American Tango
ArT: Argentine Tango
IT: International Tango

I went to an introductory 45-minute lesson in ArT last night before heading off to contra dancing. Anyway, it was just me and one other fellow who had done swing dancing before.

I suppose it's not the best thing in the world to be working on IT and go to an ArT class. But it was interesting how completely different lead/follow and character was. I am still not exactly sure about the eight-point basic and weight-shifting from parallel to cross system. But this is so different from AmT and IT. Keep weight on the balls of the feet, step forward ball-heel... oiy.

I'll probably go back when I have time to take a sustained class. I'll just say, it is interesting to me, though I suppose I'll have to figure out how I can morph this into the other tango styles I know. Of course, if I had a willing partner... and a ton of money for more lessons... and adding 4 more hours to the day...

(I actually tried dancing AmT and IT with one of the ArT instructors who was interested in the differences. She was quite intrigued.)

[bordertangoman]

I am still not exactly sure about the eight-point basic and weight-shifting from parallel to cross system.

Re the Eight count basic you should check out the Tango-L mails on this. Some (like me for one, I was taught basic steps and skills of leading and following) people don't believe its the best way to teach tango because: 1. it creates a pattern in the mind of the beginner in a dance of improvisation. 2. It introduces the woman's cross step, usually without a clear instuction of how it should be led. The result is that dancers(female put in the cross because they are expecting it not because it is lead. And it is an advanced step, and logically it has four variations two going back and two going forward plus a variety of leads.

Weight shifting from parallel to cross system is usually a matter of practice and needs to be done smoothly so the follower doesn't follow your change. So you have to do it between beats - hence it is a contra step and can be done in a side step, forward cross step, or forward step.

[etchuck]

Hmm... interesting thoughts there. If I do decide to dive into ArT, I'll keep that in mind.

[DancePoet]

Wow! And I have only just begun to explore American Tango! Can't wait to explore more, try out Argentine, and be able to better undrestand the language being used here. It sounds so very cool!

[MacMoto]

I am still not exactly sure about the eight-point basic and weight-shifting from parallel to cross system.

Re the Eight count basic you should check out the Tango-L mails on this. Some (like me for one, I was taught basic steps and skills of leading and following) people don't believe its the best way to teach tango because: 1. it creates a pattern in the mind of the beginner in a dance of improvisation. 2. It introduces the woman's cross step, usually without a clear instuction of how it should be led. The result is that dancers(female put in the cross because they are expecting it not because it is lead. And it is an advanced step, and logically it has four variations two going back and two going forward plus a variety of leads.

Ah, the eight count basic -- somebody sprang this on me the other day, on my second ever Argentine Tango outing. I was totally confused as I hadn't been taught this. I was armed only with the walk, the cross step and pivots (sort of -- I need to work on my pivots) and was relying on the leader to give a clear lead for every step. With this guy, I had a particular problem with the forward step -- couldn't feel any lead at all. It felt really unnatural. At the end of the three songs, I was stepping forward where it was expected, not in response to the lead. Is this a common problem with the eight count basic? Next time I go to a lesson, I think I will ask the teacher to show me what it should feel like.

[MacMoto]

Think “magnetic knees”
Think “stalk like a cat”
Looyenyeo, this has been really useful, thanks.
It is now my AT mantra: "magnetic knees... stalk like a cat... magnetic knees... stalk like a cat..." :lol:

Use your ears, not your eyes:
I can't keep my eyes open when dancing tango -- the temptation to look down is too much otherwise, and I find it easier to focus on the lead with my eyes closed.

[bordertangoman]

I had a particular problem with the forward step -- couldn't feel any lead at all. It felt really unnatural. At the end of the three songs, I was stepping forward where it was expected, not in response to the lead. Is this a common problem with the eight count basic? Next time I go to a lesson, I think I will ask the teacher to show me what it should feel like.

MM, I take it you mean the leader is stepping back and you are stepping forward?

To follow you need to maintain a constant distance from the leader's chest so if it moves away from you you move forward and if it moves forward you move back. You feel the leader's movement through your arms so closing your eyes is not a problem. If the leader is good he will make a small movement forward as a signal that he's about to step, at this point you send your leg out but no wieght change until he steps. A leader can tilt his weight forward or back maybe an inch to signal the move before it happens. So it creates a lead-follow-follow sequence; he signals, you moves, he moves. Just takes practice and playing around and the signals get smaller and smaller as you get used to them, until their not perceptible to someone watching but you can still feel them.

I hope this helps. :) :)