I just started, and currently take one class a week, the occasional one on one session with an instructor, and am going to start going to at least one additional practica a week, two if i can manage. Maybe a milonga once or twice a month once I am more comfortable. But are there any exercises that partners can do at home? And any that I can do on my own? We really just end up going home and doing the same movements we learned in class, however it is still difficult due to the lack of room (compared to classes at least). Are there any special exercises that can be done at home when practicas are not available, both with a person and without?
At home exercises?
- Thread starter gregolam
- Start date
Lilly_of_the_valley
Well-Known Member
Listen to tango music. A lot. Try to identify different instruments and see what they do. Clap or tap the rhythm. See how many different rhythmic structures you can detect in one song. Try to sing along. See if you can distinguish one tango orchestra, one singer from another. Studying music requires no space, you can do it virtually any place.
Already on top of it, I have been listening to it almost nonstop since I started, at work, in the car and at home trying to recognize beats. I even had the chance to attend a workshop by Otros Aires where they went into great detail teaching us about the beats that are used in Tango. I have bought/downloaded music from all of the originators (Di Sarli, D'Arienzo, Troilo, and Pugliese) as well as from newer sources (Love Astor Piazzola, but also Gotan Project, Otros Aires, and many others). The music is gorgeous to me and I love it just as much as the dance itself.
I guess there really aren't any magic bullets here, just time and hard work. For the present I am trying to build up a very solid foundation for my caminadas. Perfecting my form for all the basic walks and simple turns before trying to jump into the fun stuff like ganchos, sacadas, and volcadas.
I guess there really aren't any magic bullets here, just time and hard work. For the present I am trying to build up a very solid foundation for my caminadas. Perfecting my form for all the basic walks and simple turns before trying to jump into the fun stuff like ganchos, sacadas, and volcadas.
jantango
Well-Known Member
Lilly of the Valley has given you excellent advice. Listen as much as possible to the recordings of the tango orchestras.
You can practice anywhere in your house or apartment. Space limitations will only prepare you for a crowded dance floor when you must use small steps and continue in the ronda without bumping into others.
If you dedicate yourself to listening and practicing daily, you will see the results. One practice a week is not enough. You will only get out of it what you put into it.
You can practice anywhere in your house or apartment. Space limitations will only prepare you for a crowded dance floor when you must use small steps and continue in the ronda without bumping into others.
If you dedicate yourself to listening and practicing daily, you will see the results. One practice a week is not enough. You will only get out of it what you put into it.
Well I am more limited by circumstance than by what I want to do. I would practice every day if I could (which is why i listen to the music constantly). However I work 8-about 6 or 7 mon-friday, and live in NJ. The only practicas I can find within 45 minutes of me are monday and wednesday, everywhere else is too far for me to get there on time. And the only person I know interested enough to do this with me lives in Philadelphia. So I take a class once a week in philly, go to every practica I can make depending on when I get out of work, which is only up to twice. Occasionally I would like to go into NY for events too but its too expensive to make it a several times a week thing.
Honestly I wish I had a local partner or closer Practicas/Milongas because I would practice every single day if I could. And it is extremely limiting to only be able to practice at home by myself most days. Thats why I was hoping someone had something a bit more substantive that I could do on my own, since I am already listening to the music constantly and going through the movements I have so far.
Honestly I wish I had a local partner or closer Practicas/Milongas because I would practice every single day if I could. And it is extremely limiting to only be able to practice at home by myself most days. Thats why I was hoping someone had something a bit more substantive that I could do on my own, since I am already listening to the music constantly and going through the movements I have so far.
Its great that you are motivated to work at hom on your own and its also great that you recognize that you need a solid foundation before diving into the "fun stuff"
You are right.. there are no magic bullets. Consider AT a long term investment. Also consider that once you have that foundation, your idea of Fun Stuff will include all the things that you have learned and not just those fancy moves that right now you see as the things to work towards. Remember that none of it is fun stuff if your fundamentals are bad, and all of it is fun when your fundamentals are good.
Many of us have posted lists of "exercises", or things you can practice alone. All we have to to is reconstruct them, or find those posts (which can take a fair amount of time!)
Angel HI
Well-Known Member
Good post, Zoops.
Grego, one of the most elusive elements of AT is dancing in the middle; this is, being balanced 'between the feet' on every step. This is quite difficult b/c most dances are balanced from foot to foot (from one foot to the other). The argentines will say to not do this, but they do... they just say it differently. They say, take the body w/ you when you dance... that is, always be balanced in the middle. The abilty to do this, and remain fluid, is paramount to good AT, and something that one may practice on one's own. Bonne chance.
you can always practice dissociation of upper and lower body, and walking.
it takes years to walk beautifully.
you may practice balance, timing (double time, on 1, 2 ,3 beat).
feeling centers of close and open embrace, change centers while walking.
dissociating while walking (contra position)
shadow dancing (without partner).
practice weight changing, and how it would relate to your partner.
visualize you and your partner dancing.
What happens if i move from there to here, and where I could go?
Could you describe close embrace you dance?
Posture, embrace, walk (yours and hers), dissociation, cross system walk.
it takes years to walk beautifully.
you may practice balance, timing (double time, on 1, 2 ,3 beat).
feeling centers of close and open embrace, change centers while walking.
dissociating while walking (contra position)
shadow dancing (without partner).
practice weight changing, and how it would relate to your partner.
visualize you and your partner dancing.
What happens if i move from there to here, and where I could go?
Could you describe close embrace you dance?
Posture, embrace, walk (yours and hers), dissociation, cross system walk.
To Steve: You don't have to do that! It's a big board but I will take the time to go through as much as I can. I should anyway because I am sure there is a wealth of information not specific to what I am asking and I should try to take it all in. The weight changing thing is going to be something I should focus on, I pretty much dance around the apartment and in the elevators at work when nobody else is there, but it would help if I put a little thought behind the meaning of the movements rather than just going through them. Also thinking about what those movements mean for my partner. I still have a ton of replies to study, I did not expect such an overwhelmingly helpful response from so many people. This is the only forum I have ever been on that was this helpful.
To everyone else: I am going to print most of this stuff out, I have enough advice to go over to last me awhile. I have to do a little more practicing though, I will try to pay closer attention to what I am doing so I can describe it a little better.
To everyone else: I am going to print most of this stuff out, I have enough advice to go over to last me awhile. I have to do a little more practicing though, I will try to pay closer attention to what I am doing so I can describe it a little better.
The dance itself has always looked so beautiful and elegant to me, and once I really started listening to the music I fell in love. Once I tried it too I found that it was such an amazingly expressive dance that I was just hooked and I have been trying to absorb as much as possible since.
Alot of the pleasure though for me is from being a good leader, so I want to learn the nuevo style and some of the flashier moves to be able to accommodate the followers that enjoy this style. Also of course it looks good to me. However I seem to gravitate on a personal level more to the old fashioned salon type of dancing: slower, close embrace, with the emphasis being on performing smooth, elegant movements.
Alot of the pleasure though for me is from being a good leader, so I want to learn the nuevo style and some of the flashier moves to be able to accommodate the followers that enjoy this style. Also of course it looks good to me. However I seem to gravitate on a personal level more to the old fashioned salon type of dancing: slower, close embrace, with the emphasis being on performing smooth, elegant movements.
All workshops i noticed about tango nuevo is are advanced level of tango.
Tango salon (open and close) embrace should be learned before tango nuevo.
Balance, dissociation, close open embrace transition and more (I am not there yet).
Also musicality can be quite an issue - dancing to Piazzolla and such style.
You should be really explore your body movement cause Tango nuevo (electronic tango and alternative tango) has a kind of different structure of songs.
Tango salon (open and close) embrace should be learned before tango nuevo.
Balance, dissociation, close open embrace transition and more (I am not there yet).
Also musicality can be quite an issue - dancing to Piazzolla and such style.
You should be really explore your body movement cause Tango nuevo (electronic tango and alternative tango) has a kind of different structure of songs.