Ampster
Active Member
I treat the embrace as more etherial, rather than mechanical---> (Click here for my take on the embrace)
Abrazo - The Embrace
- Thread starter bordertangoman
- Start date
A beautiful poem!
Doesn't this show how limited the teachers' knowledge about tango is?
LadyLeader
Forum Master
Nowadays I mostly dance in close tango salong hold; occasionally in turns, volgadas we have stronger apilado or open the abrazo. Positioning is a follower choice but I like best the slightly V form. One thing I care about is my right arm down to the elbow - that must be stright forward, anyhow as much as possibly forward. After learning this traditional right arm postion the abrazo turned out to be more supportive without locking the followers back. My arm from elbow downwards is relaxed just placed there.
Another thing I mind is to take my steps so the upper body is quiet and contact with follower is unchanged.
I will open up the abrazo again and a lot of relearning is needed. I tested some tandas on Sunday and nearly everything needs to be reworked.
I suppose this is the way : to do in one way for a while and then change. When it is time to change again you have learned something and when you come back you know more and can do the original thing better!
Another thing I mind is to take my steps so the upper body is quiet and contact with follower is unchanged.
I will open up the abrazo again and a lot of relearning is needed. I tested some tandas on Sunday and nearly everything needs to be reworked.
I suppose this is the way : to do in one way for a while and then change. When it is time to change again you have learned something and when you come back you know more and can do the original thing better!
I think at some point a person has to become their own self as a dancer, and stop letting other people tell them who or how that should be. I think dancing tango well requires a certain amount certainty and confidence on the floor.
LadyLeader
Forum Master
I agree! in the beginning you need to collect some information before you can judge what you appreciate and think - that is a turbulent time.
To reach sound confidence has been one of my hardest work so far!
OMG. Trust. Embrace is trust.
Okay. So here's a (naive but well-meaning) question. How much of it is illusion and how much is really being dependent on your partner to take part of your weight? And does it vary by type of embrace?
Does that make sense? Like, for example, when I'm doing dips, much of the time, I'm supporting all of my own weight, even though, from the outside, it looks like I'm not. There's a point of connection between me and a partner and we counter-balance each other around that point. But I'm not holding him up and he's not holding me.
Hmm... pondering.
Subliminal
Well-Known Member
It's a good question Pygmalion. 
Try this exercise:
Walk up to a wall with your arms outstretched, palms forward, until you touch the wall. Now, take your dancing posture and press forward and up into the wall. Now, take a tiny step back away from the wall, a couple inches. Now once again lean forward until you are pressing your palms up and against the wall. But since you took a step back, your balance point is farther forward on your feet, or past it. The wall is very slightly supporting you. This is kind of the break point for "apilado". If your partner (the wall) wasn't there, you would start to fall forward. But you are still in your dancing posture, keeping a strong core, so you aren't pushing down on the wall.
Does that make sense?
That's just one technique though, the closest of the close embraces.
Try this exercise:
Walk up to a wall with your arms outstretched, palms forward, until you touch the wall. Now, take your dancing posture and press forward and up into the wall. Now, take a tiny step back away from the wall, a couple inches. Now once again lean forward until you are pressing your palms up and against the wall. But since you took a step back, your balance point is farther forward on your feet, or past it. The wall is very slightly supporting you. This is kind of the break point for "apilado". If your partner (the wall) wasn't there, you would start to fall forward. But you are still in your dancing posture, keeping a strong core, so you aren't pushing down on the wall.
Does that make sense?
That's just one technique though, the closest of the close embraces.
You won't get a consensus on that... we've been arguing about that here for as long as I've posted here.
It was an innocent question. Honest. I will go off and try the exercise sub suggested though. Sounds like it'll be useful.
So how about the "how does the amount of weight sharing change in various types of embrace" part of the question? Is that fair to ask without inciting riot?
Subliminal
Well-Known Member
I think that's kind of a question partly of body type and of style. There's kind of a negotiation that happens when you put your arms around the other person. Both partners can ask for more "weight" by pushing forward and giving more themselves. And both have the option of pulling away if it's too much or they don't want that kind of embrace.
The exercise I suggested is mostly to get you used to the idea of how forward you really have to be just to start that kind of embrace.
Since some people insist there is NEVER any weight sharing and that it's always an illusion, then no, you're still not safe with that question... sorry
Subliminal
Well-Known Member
Since some people insist there is NEVER any weight sharing and that it's always an illusion, then no, you're still not safe with that question... sorry
Yeah, those people are wrong.
Now that we've got that settled, we can move on.