Man's Walk: Porteños and Panthers

[caminito]

This is how to walk

Watch Ricardo Vidort

You will have to paste it into youtube because i am still a newbie on the forum

Abretango, Ricardo Vidort y Osvaldo Cartery

 

[Peaches]

Ney Melo & Jennifer Bratt Youtube
I don't think that this is a good example of how to walk in tango.
His heel goes down first and that is not correct imho !

I strongly disagree. There is nothing wrong with heels first versus toes/ball first--it's a style and comfort thing. And Ney has got a gorgeous walk. Not necessarily everyone's taste or style, but there's certainly nothing wrong with it.

 

[Peaches]

Technique in lessons! You should be so lucky. In my experience such little
technique that gets taught is often ignored. In classes it's too easy to assume
that such improvements don't apply to you. After all "you" are perfect.

Personal deficiencies definitely don't get mentioned, and rightly so of course,
so it has to be generalised. Then teacher(s) quickly move on to teaching steps.
It's much safer ground.

In theory one answer is private lessons - a too costly solution for many.
And there still are many pitfalls including the first one of how you choose.

My mistake--I should have clarified. I meant private lessons. I default to thinking of private lessons as "lessons" and group lessons as "classes" or "group classes." Agree that most group classes are unfortunately technique-light (or people are in a class over their head and aren't picking up on the technique).

 

[AndaBien]

Ney Melo & Jennifer Bratt Youtube
I don't think that this is a good example of how to walk in tango.
His heel goes down first and that is not correct imho !

There is no rule about how to walk in tango, nor any particular way that is approved or "better". As a matter of fact, heel first is the more natural way to walk.

 

[UKDancer]

nor any particular way that is approved

The two big UK teaching societies advocate opposite approaches to forward walks. The ISTD go for heels first, while the IDTA prefers ball flat (with heels optional for certain strong movements). I find my own preference alters, according to the music. I'm quite likely to prefer BF for D'Arienzo, but HF for Gotan. Perhaps that's just me?

 

[Peaches]

The two big UK teaching societies advocate opposite approaches to forward walks. The ISTD go for heels first, while the IDTA prefers ball flat (with heels optional for certain strong movements).

Neither of which, AFAIK, has ANY sort of credibility within the AT world.

ETA: And, no, it's not just who who has preferences based on the music at the time. Plenty of men switch between styles depending on what and how they're dancing.

 

[newbie]

His heel goes down first and that is not correct imho !

You're correct imho.

 

[UKDancer]

ANY sort of credibility within the AT world

Well, not a lot, certainly, but then plenty of members of both go quietly about their own dancing, without always wearing the company tie. All I meant was that it was interesting that they advocate opposites.

 

[AndaBien]

Well, not a lot, certainly, but then plenty of members of both go quietly about their own dancing, without always wearing the company tie. All I meant was that it was interesting that they advocate opposites.

I read once that when one of the major dance studios (Arthur Murry, Fred Astaire) began teaching Rumba, it was taught one way (SQQ going forward, I forgot, doesn't matter). Then, the other studio began teaching it differently as a business decision, to differentiate themselves.

 

[UKDancer]

On the whole, the rest of the world is completely indifferent to the activities of the US franchised chain dance schools. Do they include tango in their product range?

 

[AndaBien]

On the whole, the rest of the world is completely indifferent to the activities of the US franchised chain dance schools. Do they include tango in their product range?

I'm indifferent, too. I just thought it was an interesting way to decide how a dance goes. They certainly teach ballroom tango, and I think some also teach Argentine.

 

[v22TTC]

Thanks again everyone!

Jantango: Nope, I don't believe everything on Tango and Chaos, but haven't seen the walk broken down into such detail anywhere else - along with JohnEm, I would love to find such a thing on some other sites, for comparison.

We all learn differently, and I definitely do need such information to be technical and precise, in order to fully internalise it: only then can I stop thinking about it and just do it creatively... like AndaBien's signature:-

"The only reason for mastering technique is to make sure the body does not stand in the way of the soul's expression." — La Meri

JohnEm: Would you mind elaborating about the shoes, re stepping correctly? I know you said it was a secret, but I am just about to buy some new shoes.

And I would love some private lessons, but nobody does them round here (out to a 50 mile radius), unless I turn up with a partner, which I don't want to do.... Very frustrating! Never a cynically money-grabbing teacher around when you need one....

Re: Heel v Ball: Again, I like Rick McGarrey's point that if you land on the heel then put the ball down, you aren't hitting the compás exactly - there's a sixth of a second (somewhere around that fraction, anyway) between both parts of the foot arriving.

I'm liking the foot hitting flat and definitely, exactly on the beat (if I choose to step on the beat), in the walk.... Seems to be making life a bit easier for the followers too, since the step is so definite.

 

[Peaches]

Sometimes you just gotta drive. When I was taking lessons, mine were 70 miles one way (uphill, both ways--literally! ). I just took longer lessons less frequently.

 

[v22TTC]

Yup, the ol' Tango would be much more accessible if I could drive... late evening events and the UK's public transport system don't mix....

 

[dchester]

Ney Melo & Jennifer Bratt Youtube
I don't think that this is a good example of how to walk in tango.
His heel goes down first and that is not correct imho !

IMO, around 30% of the teachers say to land heal first. Another 30% say to land toe first. And the other 40% that actually are correct IMO, say it depends (and that you should learn how to do both).