AT Lessons: What are you working on?

[JonD]

Interesting posts Peaches - thank you. It sounds like it was an excellent lesson and you covered a lot of ground. The "up, up, up" thing is familiar as is the "energy in the embrace" concept. Sadly, so is "your pivots are no good" (though it's mainly me saying it to myself).

Boleos and ganchos are not figures to do in a milonga... At least the "show" ones, cause you can kick hardly to another couple dancing near.
So, I dont like them. Preffer the smaller steps and close embrace figures.

I'm in complete agreement with this! I've been kicked and had partners kicked too many times by people who were either completely thoughtless or thought they had enough space.

 

[Steve Pastor]

Installment #2: Being heavy v. giving energy back to the lead.

Giving energy back to the lead is something that I wish would happen a lot more often than it does. Being "on your own axis" seems to be the more prevelant thought.
Just in case anyone has any doubts, I much prefer a partner who feels like she is dancing with me over one who is "on her own axis" and is moving based on "an impulse" from my body. The weight sharing (3 lbs or as high as 6 (I love that, and I know other guys who love it too)), or giving energy back to the leader is what does it.
Not giving energy back to the leader, poor posture, and indefinite weight changes all make it much more difficult for the man to know where the woman's feet are, and where he can go next, and where she can go next.
This keeping your energy toward your partner is quite unique to tango in my experience. Yes, "the moves" in tango are cool. But I dance it for the unique feeling of partnership. When I don't get it.... Sigh, what's the point?
Of course there are the guys who will inevitably tell their partners that they are being too heavy. Too bad. Eventually the women sort it out, either through competent instruction, or trial and error. Some don't ever figure it out. They seem happy, too.

 

[Ampster]

Had to chime in about the being heavy vs giving energy back...

Being heavy:

I have danced with a few follows before, who (albeit, know how to follow well) but do not readily respond to subtle "Impulse" type leads for one reason or another. Rather, My leads have to be significantly firmer and deliberate without "Manhandling" her. The dance is still just as beautiful, except that it just takes more effort

Giving energy:

I also have dance with follows who give energy back. It's like using opposing poles in magnetism to your advantage. You both maintain consistent contact. As a lead, once I give the "Impulse" to do someting, my force repels her, and causes her into action. The combination of close/open embrace, and the application of impluse=opposing energy method leads to electricity and one beautiful dance.

 

[Peaches]

Installment #2: Being heavy v. giving energy back to the lead.

Giving energy back to the lead is something that I wish would happen a lot more often than it does. Being "on your own axis" seems to be the more prevelant thought.
Just in case anyone has any doubts, I much prefer a partner who feels like she is dancing with me over one who is "on her own axis" and is moving based on "an impulse" from my body. The weight sharing (3 lbs or as high as 6 (I love that, and I know other guys who love it too)), or giving energy back to the leader is what does it.
Not giving energy back to the leader, poor posture, and indefinite weight changes all make it much more difficult for the man to know where the woman's feet are, and where he can go next, and where she can go next.
This keeping your energy toward your partner is quite unique to tango in my experience. Yes, "the moves" in tango are cool. But I dance it for the unique feeling of partnership. When I don't get it.... Sigh, what's the point?
Of course there are the guys who will inevitably tell their partners that they are being too heavy. Too bad. Eventually the women sort it out, either through competent instruction, or trial and error. Some don't ever figure it out. They seem happy, too.

To clarify, I was still on my own axis the entire time. Giving energy back, sure, and maintaining connection/light pressure, definitely...but still on my own axis. There were several times when he would stop dead, I'd be told to freeze and maintain whatever position I was in, he'd wriggle out of the embrace, and I'd have to demonstrate that I was balanced by myself. The exercise wasn't done to demonstrate that I was on my own axis, but it does illustrate the point.

With the exception of things like volcadas and colgadas (and the occasional loss of balance), I've always danced completely on my own axis--never apilado.

 

[bordertangoman]

I am still not clear what "giving energy" means. I have danced with followers who accelerate into a step ( taking a musical cue) usually in a giro, so my pivoting movement gets some impetus from the woman. Is that it?

 

[Peaches]

Like resistance, but not quite. Not so much any sort of pushing back, but just keeping (what my ballroom teacher would probably call) positive pressure. Dancing into the connection.

Something like that. Like I said at the beginning...much easier to feel in person than to explain in writing.

 

[bordertangoman]

Like resistance, but not quite. Not so much any sort of pushing back, but just keeping (what my ballroom teacher would probably call) positive pressure. Dancing into the connection.

Something like that. Like I said at the beginning...much easier to feel in person than to explain in writing.

That's what I call resistance but I wouldn't describe that as giving energy back. To me that implies a postive response to something the leader has indicated.

 

[Adam1976]

Planeo

What's a planeo?....

Planeo — Pivot; glide: Occurs when the man steps forward onto a foot, usually his left, and pivots with the other leg trailing (gliding behind) as the lady dances an additional step or two around him. May also occur when the man stops the lady in mid stride with a slight downward lead and dances around her while pivoting her on the supporting leg as her extended leg either trails or leads. Can be done by either the man or the lady.

You can find more on tejastango website

Best regards!

 

[Peaches]

Ochos. Dear god I hate ochos. Dear god I suck at them. Practice has not seemed to help--I still lose my balance.

Circular grapevines/giros/molinetes...whatever you want to call them. We worked on extending the leg and "taking the step" without transferring weight. He added ganchos to them--what a pain in the butt. However, it is very good, instant feedback as to what I'm doing wrong. What? My leg is being taken out from under me? Obviously, I transferred my weight too soon. Oh, and kicking between my feet throughout them...also a very good, instant method of feedback for my timing throughout them.

More "de-sensitization" to being taken off my axis, trying to find ways for me to be comfortable with it. Volcadas with my right foot free (which I suck at), going straight into a volcada with my left foot. That's WAAAY to much for me to like right now. Mini-colgadas. Ick.

 

[Ampster]

Currently working on my close embrace technique.

I'm trying to vary and extend what I can do in close embrace. I find it quite boring (and hot) after a while.

[I'd like to think that...] My open embrace is good and highly developed. But I find that some of my partners can only dance in close embrace, because they're only studied, or have been taught, or prefer to dance AT that way (going open gets them lost). I would like it to be a very good experience for my partners. I need to take up that slack.

I like to be highly expressive. Which a lot of it can be done practically only in a combination of open and close embrace.

So, I deem the close embrace to be an area for me to improve.

 

[Peaches]

Calecitas and colgadas. This, apparently, is the down-side to having a nuevo-centered teacher. *lol*

Actually, it was good. He likes to lead them and play with them, and I'm always saying I feel like I'm losing my balance and falling. At which point he reminded me that I *will* feel like I'm off balance, because I am. (Well, at least for colgadas.) So, we worked on foot/leg placement, and body angles, and how I can maintain my balance. Very useful.

I was told that my AT is "really starting to look like Tango." Great...only took a damn year for my AT to look like AT. I mentioned this...he just kind of shrugged, and said, "Well...?" As in, well, what do you want me to say? It took a year. I'm not sure if I'm encouraged or discouraged. I've resolved not to think too closely on it.

I also got a raised eyebrow. He accused me of rushing a step. I told him, truthfully, that I didn't consider it rushing. I knew the song, it was a neat place, and I wanted to step a bit faster b/c of what was going on in the music. He just gave me the raised eyebrow and didn't say anything. Meh.

 

[desinel]

Calesita — Carousel; the merry-go-round: A figure in which the man places the lady on one foot with a lifting action of his frame and then dances around her while keeping her centered over, and pivoting on, her supporting leg.

Colgada — A spinning move executed by a couple at the end of an inside barrida in which both dancers lean out away from each other and spin rapidly until the man leads out with a back step.


I think i understood what a Colgada is and i think i saw it in clips, but i don't get the Calesita... at all... sounds a bit like planeo, but still different... Could you recommend a clip of some type with a Calesita? Sounds very interesting...

thank you!!!

alyona

 

[Steve Pastor]

I know it wasn't offered as bait, but I haven't written for a while (partly because I was away and I fear I am beginning to repeat myself), and so I'd like to react to encourage Ampster to see learning about close embrace as a quest. Some of you may have read similar comments from me before. I guess I think it is worth repeating.
I'll start my making a statement bordering on heresy.
Open embrace tango, when compared to apilado close embrace, is just another partner dance. Open embrace is very nice to see done well, but for me, I get no more satisfaction from it than doing one of my country partner dances with variations I made up myself.
When you dance close embrace apilado, and the woman has consistently good posture, and transfers her weight completely with each step, and keeps her weight towards you, it you literally feels like you are taking her steps. It is as if your bodies have merged into one.
This merging of two bodies is what to me distinguishes "close embrace" without the sharing of weight, and close embrace with weight sharing or apilado.
I DO wonder if I would like this style so much if I was married, or was in a serious relationship with someone. The sharing of your body is, of course not sexual in any way, but it is a sharing nonetheless.
As far as "close embrace" being boring... I'd say I don't enjoy close embrace at all when there is no apilado. That's because, at least for me, all the things I really enjoy, all the subtle movement of my body that elicits a response in my partner, the feeling of each of my partner's steps as if they are my own, is not possible.
Add the "forward energy" of an apilado embrace, and a whole lot of other things become possible. Many of the things that fascinate people in open embrace, many of the things which are written about in the postings here, are unnecessary to have a very rich, definitely not plain vanilla dance in apilado close embrace.
Many people teach "close embrace", but do not teach the apilado part. I would say, make sure you know the difference. And definitely check out the apilado part until you feel the intensity of the connection.

 

[Ampster]

Calecitas and colgadas. This, apparently, is the down-side to having a nuevo-centered teacher. *lol*

Snippett...
I was told that my AT is "really starting to look like Tango." Great...only took a damn year for my AT to look like AT. I mentioned this...he just kind of shrugged, and said, "Well...?" As in, well, what do you want me to say? It took a year. I'm not sure if I'm encouraged or discouraged. I've resolved not to think too closely on it.

Peaches,

In MY view, I would be encouraged. I know a few pros who do shows, blah, blah, blah... but it took them years of practice to look good. I know a lot of people who have been dancing AT, literally for years... and they are still not good to watch. I myself, took at least a year to gel and considered to be halfway decent.

 

[Ampster]

I know it wasn't offered as bait, but I haven't written for a while (partly because I was away and I fear I am beginning to repeat myself), and so I'd like to react to encourage Ampster to see learning about close embrace as a quest.

My friend Steve, my quest HAS begun in earnest. it was all borned from that post that I started (i.e. "Epiphany"). It was exactly as you spoke. It is a sharing of one's movements closely with another to produce poetry. Before I made the journey, I was obsessed with being "Showy." And, I did find that I couldn't half of what I knew in close embrace. Thaus, finding it "boring." I do have to recant and say that. It now has a totally different appeal, and am on my way to doing both well... or at least, trying to.