Really bad with contrabody/dissociation

[outdoorman1234]

This might be my biggest weakness, I have a hard time doing doing this very well, if at all. Even though I do try and stretch/practice, I think my inherent body type/flexibility is going to limit me over time to being just passable at best. Is there any way to compensate, or am I stuck avoiding moves that need lots of this type of movement.

Larry

 

[Ampster]

This might be my biggest weakness, I have a hard time doing doing this very well, if at all. Even though I do try and stretch/practice, I think my inherent body type/flexibility is going to limit me over time to being just passable at best. Is there any way to compensate, or am I stuck avoiding moves that need lots of this type of movement.

Larry

My inherent body type is round, stocky. Flexibility takes a lot of practice over time. Don't be in a hurry.

An exercise I do is stand in front of a mirror and try to do Cuban motion (a.k.a. "hip action") without the shoulders moving and your upper body staying level. Its something similar to what belly dancers do (I forgot what it was called). Then, focus on a distant point. try to move your lower body by walking in different directions, with your upper body staying level and pointing straight forward towards your focus point.

 

[jennyisdancing]

This might be my biggest weakness, I have a hard time doing doing this very well, if at all. Even though I do try and stretch/practice, I think my inherent body type/flexibility is going to limit me over time to being just passable at best. Is there any way to compensate, or am I stuck avoiding moves that need lots of this type of movement.

Larry

Although body type and flexibility could play a role here (and you can certainly work on flexibility), a greater key, I think, is core strength and control. To move the upper and lower body separately requires a strong, stable core, so I would suggest working on that. Pilates would be good, or other abs and back exercises.

 

[bafonso]

Lead in close without arms.

 

[bastet]

My inherent body type is round, stocky. Flexibility takes a lot of practice over time. Don't be in a hurry.

An exercise I do is stand in front of a mirror and try to do Cuban motion (a.k.a. "hip action") without the shoulders moving and your upper body staying level. Its something similar to what belly dancers do (I forgot what it was called). Then, focus on a distant point. try to move your lower body by walking in different directions, with your upper body staying level and pointing straight forward towards your focus point.

they are vertical and horizontal figure 8's...cuban motion (I think) is actually a combination of vertical 8's and horizontal 8's because of the settling in to the hips. In the little bit of belly dancing i have done,I found them hard to separate after so many years of cuban motion.

OTOH...with regard to the original post...you also might try getting a large beach ball or excercise ball and use it to help understand dissociation by holding it and attempting to turn it and your upper body in one piece, while leaving the lower body in place.

 

[Lui]

outdoorman1234,
this is most likely not what you will like to hear: Go to an experienced tango teacher!

Seeking advice in the web can be misleading. Maybe your problem does not arise from your inherent body type, but from your posture, timing, embrace or focus on the wrong things. I can’t tell, because I can’t see or dance with you. A good teacher will spot your problem and give you a strategy to tackle it. Maybe the solution is an exercise. Maybe it is just a more gentle way in and out of the figure or a different preparation in the pattern.

A good teacher will also ask you about your immediate goals. If you want to do some fancy acrobatic stuff, flexibility might have priority number one. If it is your goal to have fun on a social dance floor, there might be other things far more important (musicality, separation of step an weight, navigation ...).

I don’t know for how long or how intensive you have been dancing tango, but many skills simple take time and practice to grow. The best practice in my opinion is to dance Tango. If you just practice anything, you will get good at that anything.

A friend of mine, for example, has to do his current shows with a Russian ballerina, because his partner is pregnant at this time. This has been a huge amount of work and trouble. The Russian lady has incredible skills, but they only helped so far. The ballet upward attitude is a real killer for tango. All her flexibility is no help for her because she isn’t used to be lead all the time tango-like.

 

[Angel HI]

Welcome to the DF

OTOH...with regard to the original post...you also might try getting a large beach ball or excercise ball and use it to help understand dissociation by holding it and attempting to turn it and your upper body in one piece, while leaving the lower body in place.

Welcome to the DF, ODM. This and Lui's post is the best advice. The "Ball and Ruler" (bastet's post) is a well known training exercise, but requires a teacher or other body knowledgable person to show you how to do it.

Your body type, as Lui says, might or might not be the issue. PM coming.

 

[bastet]

Welcome to the DF, ODM. This and Lui's post is the best advice. The "Ball and Ruler" (bastet's post) is a well known training exercise, but requires a teacher or other body knowledgable person to show you how to do it.

Your body type, as Lui says, might or might not be the issue. PM coming.

yes- I'd agree..the ball exercise is pretty well known...but having a teacher show you how is the best way and I totally agree with Lui's post. You need to assess your goals and take it to a teacher. Depending on what you are after, there may be other things that are more important. If you just need enough ability to dissociate for social dancing so you aren't moving someone around with your arms, that's one thing, as opposed to being able to twist like a pretzel if you are going for acrobatics.

 

[gicshtba]

I accept: A good teacher will also ask you about your immediate goals. If you want to do some fancy acrobatic stuff, flexibility might have priority number one.
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[Angel HI]

Welcome, gic, to the DF.

 

[Mladenac]

This might be my biggest weakness, I have a hard time doing doing this very well, if at all. Even though I do try and stretch/practice, I think my inherent body type/flexibility is going to limit me over time to being just passable at best. Is there any way to compensate, or am I stuck avoiding moves that need lots of this type of movement.

Larry

It seems that you are beginner.
for learning tango you need patience, a lot of it.

flexibility can be trained.
every day practice, with a warm up.

1. while standing move your torso to the left and right. (you are the center)
2. go step left and right around imaginary center
3. walk slowly with exaggerated disassociation

Everything you do try to make as slow as possible, so you have completely body awareness.
Later you will be able to control your disassociation easily.

At the very beginning I tried to disassociated as much as i could.
Now i do it as little as necessary.

Cheers.