Let me refine that answer. If you are judging a dance by it's footwork, these don't look like very good dances. But, all we can see is footwork, so we have to imagine (if you want to) what the rest of the dance looks like. If you could see their upper bodies, they might appear like much better dances. Or maybe not. These are dances that have minimal visual aspect to them. If you could look at the dancer's faces, you might see some exquisite dances.
Tango Vals
- Thread starter bordertangoman
- Start date
LadyLeader
Forum Master
I am sorry to have a Facebook address here but this is the only link I have with her. I do not know her name or anything but the footwork is fantastic. It looks like she is not used to give this kind of performances.
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=1414529721374&set=vb.1176491942&type=2&theater
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=1414529721374&set=vb.1176491942&type=2&theater
Lilly_of_the_valley
Well-Known Member
The faces on the video are a little blurry, so I am not 100% sure, but they look like Pedro Salias and Adela Galeazzi.
Lilly_of_the_valley
Well-Known Member
Yep, that's her.
It's a bit "busy" for my taste, especially for a waltz. But to each his (or her) own.
opendoor
Forum Master
And much better than his.
LadyLeader
Forum Master
Yes, he is a gentleman - it was her evening!
LadyLeader
Forum Master
Lilly_of_the_valley thanks for the name! I have seen her performances on video but I did not recognize her here.
I must say that the Finnish and Argentine body language differs. She is actually an experienced performer!
I must say that the Finnish and Argentine body language differs. She is actually an experienced performer!
LadyLeader
Forum Master
I like fast steps, that's true, but I just would like to know if you looked my vals link or Lilly's video?
Lilly's was a milonga. I remember that you watch videos soundless sometimes.This is the vals link
I like fast steps, that's true, but I just would like to know if you looked my vals link or Lilly's video?
This is the vals link
I watched them both. By "busy" I was specifically referring to her adornos, not to the dance as a whole created by the lead and follow. And I felt her dance in both videos was over-embellished (I did have sound this time)
It's a personal preference, not a comment on her ability. I salute her for being able to do so much embellishing with speed, precision, and stability. But even so, I thought there was too much.
The fact that so much was filmed only on the legs and feet may have made the embellishing seem more intrusive and distracting that it really was to the leader or the audience.
She has very good footwork, as mentioned. You must keep in mind that this was a performance, where entertainment is expected. Clearly she would not dance that way at a milonga.
As a leader, I would anticipate a great dance with her, feeling and knowing what she was doing with the music. No problem.
And since it is a performance, I can react to it as a spectator based on how it looks... and I think it looks busy and a little frenetic.
How she would dance at a milonga isn't really the issue. Nor is how she might feel to a leader when social dancing. I AM keeping in mind that it is a performance. I'm not saying "Oh that is so inapropriate for a social dance floor" or "They would never do that at a milonga in Argentina". I did comment that her ability to do the adornos as well as she does speaks volumes about her skill.
I'm saying it looks too busy and that the footwork, while for the most part is well executed, musical, and precise, it is distracting from the feeling of unity between the two of them, making it a performance for her alone rather than for a couple. As such, it LOST some of the potential entertainment value for me because I could have enjoyed watching it more if she'd toned it down a little.
However, I also pointed out that often the frame only contains legs and feet making it harder to judge the overall performance aspects.
It's a little like watching a skating routine with too many difficult jumps or moves... While it can be exciting, sometimes you are distracted from the overall quality and flow of the routine by worrying if the skater will fall. A little can go a long way, in both skating tricks and fancy footwork. In fact, it has more impact if it isn't constant.
Peaches
Well-Known Member
Agreed wholeheartedly. To me, the adornos (while good) distracted from the sweeping, smoothness that I like to see and feel in a vals. That said, there were elements of the leading that struck me the same way. Perhaps had the filming shown more of their bodies it would have looked very different, and I'd have ended up with a different impression. But as it was, i had their feet to focus on, and I found the adornos distracting.
I suspect that I liked the performance less than you did. It's hard to say how much was due to the poor camera work, inconsistent job by the leader (at times) in keeping her axis in a good position, or the embellishments done to an extreme.
Sometimes I feel silly critiquing dancers who are better than I am, but I guess not enough to keep me from doing it anyways.
Peaches
Well-Known Member
Shrug. Just because I struggle to draw a decent stick figure doesn't mean I can't have an opinion about whether I prefer Mondrian or Michaelangelo; just because someone dances better than I do doesn't mean I'm not entitled to an opinion about whether their dancing (style, interpretation, whatever) pleases me.Sometimes I feel silly critiquing dancers who are better than I am, but I guess not enough to keep me from doing it anyways.