Mickey Mousing?

[Zoopsia59]

I tire of people bashing other peoples styles of dancing

and in the very next post:

I think Tango zombies are those that shuffle around the floor usually stepping one step to every beat and have no expression on their face at all as if they completely lack emotion. I also call them tango sleepwalkers.

Hmm.. Irony anyone?

 

[Zoopsia59]

they think Cadenzia is a type of coffee.

I thought a Cadenzia was the long porch under an overhang edged by columns.

 

[Mr 4 styles]

thats candenza what a difference and eye err i makes...

 

[Peaches]

Hmm.. Irony anyone?

I don't see it that way. One is criticism of valid preferences (different styles), the other is criticism of lack of technique and/or musicality (shuffling).

 

[dchester]

and in the very next post:

Hmm.. Irony anyone?

Trouble maker.

 

[Zoopsia59]

I don't see it that way. One is criticism of valid preferences (different styles), the other is criticism of lack of technique and/or musicality (shuffling).

I disagree (a 1st! Peaches and I disagree!)

Stepping to every beat is just as much a style as "mickey mousing". It doesn't imply bad technique more than mickey mousing does. "Shuffling around the floor" by "stepping on every beat" means... well, I don't know... does it mean every step is shuffled? (which seems rather contradictory to me... it takes no energy to shuffle and takes a lot of energy to step on every beat) Or that he is equating stepping on every beat to shuffling just because shuffling makes a good derogatory term?

And we all know that facial expressions can be deceiving. Just because one appears to have no emotion showing in their face does not mean that they are feeling no emotion.

To me, it definitely had a "Hello Pot?.. Meet Kettle!" vibe that maybe I wouldn't have noticed if it hadn't been the VERY NEXT post!

 

[Zoopsia59]

Trouble maker.

Well, somebody has to pick up the slack when you're not online!

 

[Mad Tango Scientist]

I don't mean that everyone who dances stepping once per beat is a zombie, but there is a certain type of stiff legged, shuffling, sleepwalking, low energy dancer that I refer to as zombies. Leaders tend to dance with almost all small, slow, forward walking steps with a few ochos, crosses, and ocho cortadas thrown in and don't do many of the more dynamic moves that Milongueros in BA do (they tend to do a lot more change of directions, alterations, turns, molinetes, etc).

 

[Steve Pastor]

Milongueros in BA ... (... tend to do a lot more change of directions, alterations, turns, molinetes, etc)

I get what you mean by zombie dancers, I think. For me it means they aren't really connected to the music. Steps, etc have the same dynamic and occur without regard to changes and/or phrasing in the music.

Now, regarding those milongueros in BA...
It is out of necessity in some milongas that you be able to "dance on the spot," or "on a tile," because the ronda is usually moving very slowly and with many pauses. So, you need lots of movement in place, or with little movement.
Depending on what sort of instruction you've had, this is either "way beyond basic," or part of your early training.

 

[bordertangoman]

I get what you mean by zombie dancers, I think. For me it means they aren't really connected to the music.

I don't think its quite that. We had a guest teacher yesterday and she showed the difference between making a step and a STEP!. its pure dynamics, the energy, va-va-voom that you put into it. Its the hardest thing to teach IMO and its why if the music is just-another-plodding-GA-tango then I too turn into a zombie but the feedback I get if its a song that I like (most valses and milongas) say like Ventarron, then the woman feels my energy level lift and they enjoy dancing with me.