How to improve musicality

[pianistamediano]

Speaking of respecting the music... Timestamp at 3:43.


(Not sure if shared here already!)

 

[opendoor]

..You've misunderstood entirely.. saying that it is better to wait another beat than to rush..

..won't always agree.. but that doesn't make their choices terrible..

Turned around it becomes a shoe. The author regards music as a limbo bar, hurdle or skilfulness test. His starting point remains dancing, not music. He thinks in terms of feasibility and compatibility. I liked Pianista's metaphor of the gatekeepers (in Kafka's sense) much better: Some get in, others don't. And the author of this article stays out! I'm not interested in dancing, I'm certainly not interested in tango in any form. I'm concerned with the author's attitude towards music. Please excuse my emotional reaction, but I just don't like technocrats. Think of me as elitist or aloof. With my comment, I would like to express that bad and awkward dancing, and even dancing that disturbs the ronda is more valuable than pure adaptation.

​

 

[TTanguero]

His starting point remains dancing, not music.

No. His starting point is his partner. There is no dance without music.

 

[JournalInTime]

No. His starting point is his partner. There is no dance without music.

I agree, by the way. I define dance as "movement in synchrony with music" and partner dance as "movement in synchrony with a partner, to music." I'm open to what "movement" counts, and what part of the music is used for synchrony, but not to ignoring the music.

All of which said, if some person who pays their entrance fee to a milonga wants to move around almost at random to the music, showing off their moves or just working out, and they want to call that "dancing," my definition ends where theirs begins as long as they don't run into me or cut me off.

 

[TTanguero]

I define dance as "movement in synchrony with music" and partner dance as "movement in synchrony with a partner, to music."

Exactly that.

All of which said, if some person who pays their entrance fee to a milonga wants to move around almost at random to the music, showing off their moves or just working out, and they want to call that "dancing," my definition ends where theirs begins as long as they don't run into me or cut me off.

Yeah, though I find the correlation between 'not dancing to the music' and 'being a hazard to everyone on the dance floor' is rather high.

 

[JournalInTime]

Yeah, though I find the correlation between 'not dancing to the music' and 'being a hazard to everyone on the dance floor' is rather high.

It sure is! But to play devil's advocate:

I find the correlation between "dancing fast, dramatic, and emotional passages in the music – and musical surprises – with abandon" and "being a hazard to everyone on the dance floor" to be rather high.

I find the correlation between "dancing for my partner, to the point where I'm paying more attention to them than to the environment, and possibly muscling other people aside to 'protect' them" and "being a hazard to everyone on the dance floor" to be rather high.

You can be on or off the music, and with your partner or not, and still be a hazard. That's because other dancers are ultimately almost as important as the music and your partner. This seems to be commonly overlooked as a fundamental.

My vision of tango is a square-based pyramid with "music," "partner," "ronda," and "self" at its corners. You don't have to give equal attention to each corner – maybe one is on bedrock and one is on sand – but you have to give some attention to all four or it'll crumble and you'll never reach the apex, both in that moment while dancing and in skill as a dancer. Balance in all things.

 

[Tango Distance]

You can be on or off the music, and with your partner or not, and still be a hazard. That's because other dancers are ultimately almost as important as the music and your partner. This seems to be commonly overlooked as a fundamental.

My vision of tango is a square-based pyramid with "music," "partner," "ronda," and "self" at its corners. You don't have to give equal attention to each corner – maybe one is on bedrock and one is on sand – but you have to give some attention to all four or it'll crumble and you'll never reach the apex, both in that moment while dancing and in skill as a dancer. Balance in all things.

... and the eye at the top of the pyramid means "Watch where you're going!"

I say it only half in jest. I have fended off several collisions (literally had to physically stick out an arm and push) because the leader had his eyes closed! This has only happened to me in my little area; you get away with more on our uncrowded floors. At least these sleep walkers move slowly!

 

[LadyLeader]

some person who pays their entrance fee to a milonga wants to move around almost at random to the music,

We had quite a number of them here for some time ago. They were called Cavitoider because of the long pauses followed by sudden explosions to unexpected direction, preferably to Pugliese music!

 

[ArbeeNYC]

but that the teacher may convey bad habits, inefficient ways of doing things, or even a dismissive attitude towards traditional tango music (horror!), and that the students should ideally expose themselves to more than just their teachers and form some idea of what might be good for them.

Oh, yes, definitely. And as we evolve, as we improve (hopefully, we will), our needs will change and we will need to seek out new/different sources of learning. The problem is finding the right person at the right time.

 

[ArbeeNYC]

Speaking of respecting the music... Timestamp at 3:43.


(Not sure if shared here already!)

"Respect the music!" That's all you need to know.

 

[Rabbit]

On the professional/performance level yes, but at the local level it could probably use more pedagogy and technique.

Well, if people are constantly falling in and out of their steps, the dance won't feel or look good. There are diminishing returns on technique past a certain point though.

 

[itwillhappen]

(Some of you are quite opinionated and there were comments that made me want blow up - good thing I didn’t register till I had read more and forgot what I was going to strongly disagree with. Not this thread, though.)

Do you mean to say that you are also quite opinionated, if not explosive?
Welcome to the club.

 

[itwillhappen]

I think that child prodigies, in my own mind, are similar to dancers I have seen who look flashy, are technically proficient and can dance a wide variety of steps, but then the followers who have danced with them tell me that it was more about the steps and athleticism than the music or the connection (which includes sharing or conveying feelings and emotions) with them, even though he might have stepped and led perfectly to the melody or the rhythm.

Nothing against constant learning from an early age if you enjoy it.
But given the relatively high age at which to start tango, most of us far from being a genius, the danger seems to me more that you could never get the feeling that you are good enough to do what you do. Or that you actually want to dance with other people than the ones you are dancing with.

 

[pianistamediano]

Or that you actually want to dance with other people than the ones you are dancing with.

I'd consider myself to have started at an earlier age than average, but this is a perennial concern I think we all share and have felt constantly at some time.

For a few years, I was very much hung up over milongas, so much so that I actively avoided the tandas whenever they came up. I had a crippling [?] fear that I wasn't able/good enough to dance con traspie, with all those half steps and stepping out of line and whatnot, and that I'd be laughed at or, well, thought of as incompetent by my partners.

And then I decided to throw that all away and just have fun with my follower, so today I am always eager to dance a good milonga tanda!

 

[Miradamiranda]

Do you mean to say that you are also quite opinionated, if not explosive?
Welcome to the club.

Absolutely! That’s why it’s good the registration process took time before I could post.