Abrazo - The Embrace

[LoveTango]

so how would you make a weight change that was one that the follower didnt follow?

Normally when a leader does weight change, the whole body responds to the shifting of weight, which is accompanied by a slight sway of your body toward the side of the new working foot. However, if you don't want the follower to change with you, you have to limit the weight change effect to below your torso. (i.e. dissociation - added during editing)

Try this: bend the knee of the former working foot (without position change of other part of your body), so to make the other foot to support your body. This way the weight get shifted to the other foot.

--
haha
Just realized that your question is a rhetorical one. I was feeling a bit embarassed trying to answer a question from a pro. Well, consider my reply as my answer to a quiz.

 

[bordertangoman]

Normally when a leader does weight change, the whole body responds to the shifting of weight, which is accompanied by a slight sway of your body toward the side of the new working foot. However, if you don't want the follower to change with you, you have to limit the weight change effect to below your torso. (i.e. dissociation - added during editing)

Try this: bend the knee of the former working foot (without position change of other part of your body), so to make the other foot to support your body. This way the weight get shifted to the other foot.

--
haha
Just realized that your question is a rhetorical one. I was feeling a bit embarassed trying to answer a question from a pro. Well, consider my reply as my answer to a quiz.

no it wasnt rhetorical; i was asking how you would do this. But i do know how i do it and involves isolating/dissociation what happens below my waist so that any torso movement is impercetible.

(If this fails distraction works quite well; say "Look there's Sebastian Arce" and when she turns to look you change your weight. )

I dont have a problem with the use of the word. I was taught how to isolate my hips by a belly dancer so you can movement in several different planes. I just think calling scratching my nose with my hand dissocation is a bit grand. If you want the woman to rotate her hips without moving her chest or vice versa, just ask her to do that.

 

[bordertangoman]

its like the old saying men sweat, women glisten

men dissociate, women twist..:lol:

 

[bordertangoman]

it is an essential part of cross-system; the only terminology I've found to describe it is :-

Contrapaso :Weight change used to switch between parallel and cross system of walking.

we need to turn this into a verb.....

Contrapassorate?
Contrapasserize?

I expect the Germans have a word for it:

ÄnderungsgewichtohnebewegendeBrustimdoppeltenLohn

 

[ant]

so how would you make a weight change that was one that the follower didnt follow?

Generally during the followers step when I wanted to do the weight change.

 

[AndaBien]

no it wasnt rhetorical; i was asking how you would do this. But i do know how i do it and involves isolating/dissociation what happens below my waist so that any torso movement is imperceptible...

This is an interesting concept - making weight changes imperceptible. I only do this with complete beginners, who try to mirror my every step. With experienced dancers I don't mind at all that they know I've changed weight, sometimes it's part of the dance. I just make sure they don't feel a lead to change their weight.

 

[AndaBien]

...ÄnderungsgewichtohnebewegendeBrustimdoppeltenLohn

Wow, it must be a great step, the way they do it in Germany.

 

[Zoopsia59]

Dissociation to describe a leader's weight changing that goes unfelt by the follower...never heard that definition before. Yay. More confusion.

Yeah, me neither..

Maybe it's a Brit thing.

 

[Zoopsia59]

I don't think it's actually necessary to dance apilado to do milonguero ochos. But it's certainly easier.

Agree with both parts.

 

[bordertangoman]

Yeah, me neither..

Maybe it's a Brit thing.

it maybe coming from Holland too... its now called Torsion (I just consulted The Oracle)

 

[dchester]

we need to turn this into a verb.....

Contrapassorate?
Contrapasserize?

I expect the Germans have a word for it:

ÄnderungsgewichtohnebewegendeBrustimdoppeltenLohn

At last, I understand what the German teacher meant by that.

 

[Steve Pastor]

But you can easily try placing some scales near the wall and weigh yourself
upright or even leaning forward a little but not touching the wall. Now reset
and weigh yourself again but this time with you leaning and connecting with
the wall at your chest. Your weight will be no different as all your weight
is still loaded onto the scales.

I actually tried this last night, and I "lost" 1.6 pounds.
The only thing that surprised me was that the "lean" required was quite servere.

This "weight loss" corresponds to the "horizontal force" produced when ny wieght goes "into" the wall.

There is evidence that this force is real, and it can be demonstrated by wearing very slippery socks on a very slippery type of flooring.
DON'T TRY THIS AT HOME!

Since this "horizontal force" is a result of gravity (it would not be there if there were no gravity, and I can't think of any OTHER thing that would account for it) I personally have no problem with thinking of it as "weight".

 

[JohnEm]

I actually tried this last night, and I "lost" 1.6 pounds.
The only thing that surprised me was that the "lean" required was quite servere.

Sorry Steve, No.
If you lean too much all bets are off.
If you lean enough that you are putting a horizontal component
into your feet then you are beyond the limits of your axis
and you become a totally different kind of stressed beam
with friction at the feet keeping you in place and you are indeed
imposing a load with a vertical component on the wall.

That is not what is happening in Tango.

This "weight loss" corresponds to the "horizontal force" produced when ny wieght goes "into" the wall.

Again no. Weight caused by gravity cannot disappear into the wall horizontally.
You have friction changing all the rules. If you impose that sort of horizontal
force at the scales mine freak and won't read out all. Sprung scales
loaded like that are likely to just give freak readings.

There is evidence that this force is real, and it can be demonstrated by wearing very slippery socks on a very slippery type of flooring.
DON'T TRY THIS AT HOME!

That force is real because you've created something that is not
a tango force. You've created the equivalent of being off axis.
Wish I hadn't started this now.

Since this "horizontal force" is a result of gravity (it would not be there if there were no gravity, and I can't think of any OTHER thing that would account for it) I personally have no problem with thinking of it as "weight".

Back to school for you!

 

[Steve Pastor]

You've created the equivalent of being off axis.

Yes. We call it apilado.

 

[Peaches]

If you lean enough that you are putting a horizontal component into your feet then you are beyond the limits of your axis

That is not what is happening in Tango.

That force is real because you've created something that is not
a tango force. You've created the equivalent of being off axis.

No. It IS what is happening in tango. It's what is happening when I and others refer to being "off their axis", often what is called (as Steve pointed out) apilado. Both partners are leaning enough, from the ankle, that they are beyond the point of their own balance. They are leaning on, and propping up, each other. If one were to move away suddenly or disappear (not that it can, obviously, but for the purpose of explanation) the other would fall flat on their face...or have to take another step forward.