I do not profess to be an expert; and I certainly have very little knowledge of many parts of the vast Tango community and its history. I am however, a keen observer of human behavior; and I have danced enough to have experienced both heaven and hell within the ropes of a Tango ring. I can only offer to you dear reader my humble insights be they near-sighted, far-sighted, or somewhat dim-sighted. Please spend a moment to indulge me in this Tango prose; and I will promise a bit of food for thought to beginner and pro alike.
For the start, there may not be any planned sequence of subjects because I will be taking clips from various bits of my own correspondence with friends. I hope to eventually edit and arrange everything in a comprehensive order. Meanwhile please feel free to send comments.
It is a curious human trait that fosters a cult-like attitude amongst members of any special-interest group. As soon as some beginners graduate to certain levels of confidence in an edeavor they become experts and (quite often) categorical snobs. Suddenly they seem to know everything known to mankind about CB radios; email; politics; the stock market; or ...Tango. Perhaps I'm guilty of that trait myself by undertaking this writing. I therefore caution you to hear only my personal point-of-view; and you can accept or reject anything I may say.
I will equally warn you that there are others who will promote ideas about Argentine Tango as though it were gospel. Im not a psychologist, but I do have a strong feeling that the many people who espouse the myth that Argentine Tango is a terribly difficult dance is simply a method for them (the self-appointed experts) to bask in the glory of their own accomplishments. We are all more or less ego driven, but presenting Tango as something akin to learning brain surgery is just a bit extreme. Tango can be as simple, or as complicated, as you may desire.
I would also like you to understand that I am American and a New Jersey resident who uses New York City as a playground. Although I have danced in other locations such as upstate New York and a few places on the Florida Goldcoast, my viewpoint is biased mainly from the Big Apple. I'm confident that my local observations will reflect much of what is going on accross the nation.
I read and hear about what Tango was and what it is. I would like to explore where Tango seems to be going and what it has the potential to become.
WHERE DO YOU LOOK? - I have been asked by beginners, "Where do I look when I'm face to face with my dance partner? ....Do I stare into their eyes, or do I look over their shoulder?" In Argentine tango, it's a personal choice. What do you do when you're making love? It depends on who you are and your connection with your partner. There are no rules.
Of course, if you are in close embrace there cannot be eye contact. However, the idea of eyes closed in close embrace is really not too good. Most of the followers who I have danced with closed eyes do not seem to be able to control their balance very well. If we are dancing the dynamic style of changing the embrace as we dance (as the music may dictate!), then the sudden opening of eyes would be a bit startling. If close embrace is the theme, closed eyes are okay.
If you are in an open position, my observation of the best followers is that they are often taking lead cues from my eyes. My best partners know exactly where I'm about to go because they see my eyes looking in the intended direction ....and that seems to be the case for all of the social partner dances. They may not even be aware that they are doing it, but it's definitely happening. I see it. I can even lead my partners without touching them; and most of the cues are with the eyes.
If you consider the sensuous aspects of Argentine tango, then some brief, romantic glances go a long way in setting the mood.
Somtimes the follower can help with navigation. If the leader is a decent dancer, it's his job (and responsibility!) to prevent collisions. You can help in those moments when something is coming up behind him. The extra set of eyes can be useful.
I personally don't understand not looking at your partner, at least momentarily, when you're social dancing. If you don't want to look at your partner, why are you dancing with them in the first place? .....and!!! ....if you are in the performance dance category, that's more of a reason to look at your partner ....It's part of the show!
If direct eye contact with a stranger is uncomfortable for the follower, many teachers suggest that you look at the leader's chest. That will help you to follow; and it will connect you to the leader more readily than if your attention was on something else in the room. For the leader, it may not be a good idea to stare at your partner's chest. Therfore, her lips and shoulders serve as good focal points.
PROCEED WITH CAUTION!!! because another reason that Argentine tango is different from other social dances is that its design pushes on the physically acceptable limits of stress and strain of the human body ...especially the bodies of the women. We could assume that the rigorous activities of hot club-style salsa or some of the high energy swing dances may be most physically taxing, but the slow and gentle-looking tango has them beat for wreaking havoc on bones, joints, and muscles. Many of the women in my dance circle of friends are suffering periods of pain in their legs on a daily basis and some may have irreversibly damaged their bodies.
There are primarily two areas of destruction. One is the balls of the feet and the other is at the knee joint. There are also assorted muscles and tendons that get aggravated as well.
Most of the follower's footwork is accomplished on the balls of the feet, either simultaneously or individually. Although most women (and especially tango dancers) are accustomed to high-heeled shoes, the demands of proper tango movements bring the majority of the weight of the body more forward on the foot.
Some of the best dancers are very rarely touching their heels to the floor. If the high-heeled shoe is testing the limit of the human foot in the first place, then it's not too hard to imagine the increased unnatural aspects of balancing the entire body on only the front-most portion of the ball while crunching the toes backward ...then imagine handing that entire weight-load to only one foot ...and now add a twisting and grinding motion to the exercise. Bingo! You've hit the kill-a-foot jackpot ...get thee to a podiatrist!
Then we have those most beautiful and graceful ocho and boleo steps. Do those movements in front of an orthopedic surgeon and his eyeballs may light up in dollar signs. If ochos are executed exactly by the book they can be a reasonably safe maneuver. However, many tango dancers don't always do a complete turning of the torso before they step forward or backward. The resulting step is more of a curvy figure eight involving a rotation at the knee for which the knee was simply not designed to do very often and certainly not while carrying the total weight of the body. It seems that careful execution can prevent problems caused by careless ochoing. There is a very nice looking version of ocho that is called an "overturning" style. The twisting of the weight-bearing leg is harder to avoid in that specific step.
The boleo represents a more serious challenge. The boleo can be performed in many sizes, shapes, and speeds, but all boleo movements put the knee joint to the Twist test. Whether the free foot is lightly placed behind the heel of the weight bearing foot, or if is violently swift-kicked back at a higher level, both movements will definitely aggravate the kneecap and joint of the stationary leg. Of course the swift swipes will absolutely win the Let's-Damage-a-Leg contest. A low sweeping boleo can do even more damage because, in that instance, the knee is additionally bent at ninety degrees or less. However, if most of the low motion is rearward as opposed to turning, then trouble can probably be avoided. I personally like the low stuff anyhow. The upright, toe tapping is a bit too robotic looking for my taste.
Since I'm not a doctor I really can't bore you with a discussion of many other parts of our musculoskeletal framework that can be damaged, but I am an engineer and can easily visualize some of the pertinent mechanical problems. I think we can safely assume that the ankles, hip joints, and backs can be seriously damaged for the same reasons as previously discussed. I'm not advocating a Surgeon General's warning on every dance video and dance lesson brochure, but I do suggest that dance leaders and followers alike should be aware of health hazards that can be successfully managed with proper care and diligence. I suggest that tango dancers should monitor the execution of specific hazardous steps and limit their frequency in choreography. There are many safe toys in the tango bag for us to play with.
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Carlos Duarte de Chey hosts La Milonga de Gardel at Sandra Cameron Studio - last two Saturdays of the month - Great host, free lessons, and door prize drawing. Wine and snacks included. TWO rooms: one for traditional tango, and one for nuevo tango. I'm happy to report that the nuevo tango population is rapidly increasing. ...."One can never consent to creep when one feels an impulse to soar." -- Helen Keller
Lucille Krasne hosts Esmeralda's at Session 73 - every Sunday - Great host, free lessons, relaxing, casual atmosphere, booze and tapas bar optional
Rebecca Schulman hosts Luna at Dance Manhattan - every Monday - Great host, great music (very creative), large space, performances, and casual atmosphere.
PS - You may have noticed that I think the host is an important factor in enjoying a milonga. Yes, they set the mood.
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