TANGO IS AN ADDICTION
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The rules of addiction:One: you keep doing itTwo: every time you do it you feel happyThree: it turns your life upside down but you don't care.
Today I wrote of bloody feetAnd undone laundryAnd family being neglectedTo a woman who begged to knowHow do you take out your garbagehow do you dustAnd how do you washWhen you're a dancer andA member of tango list?
I don't, I answeredYou are rightWe just dance.
She asked:“Is chasing that tango momentout of desperationto fill the emptiness inour heart?
“Yes”, I said.
“Or is it a way to order our livesSo that we can do something thatInspires usMakes us each smileAnd the laundry be damned?”
“Yes”, I said.
Read what Cherie wrote in Buenos Aires:“During my stay I didn't shopor sleep or eat exceptoccasionallynaps andfood on the run, and I lived on wine.
At midnight I would wrap my feetAnd pad my toes and stuff themInto spike heeled pointy tango shoesAnd hobble to the elevator.I suffered tillBlessed numbness set inAn hour later.
Then the music began andI would float on air acrossThe hard cementUntil the morning.After two milongas I'd have breakfastAnd then go home and peel the shoesOff my bloody feetAnd soak themAnd then fall into bedSmelling of men's cologneFeelingDeliriously happy.”
So, go all you addictsYou dancers and poetsAnd milonguerasSpend your lifeForever running afterThe moment thatMakes you happyBecause most peopleDon't even do that.
Saturday, June 27, 2009
TANGO TUNES
LA CUMPRASITA
--------------------
The cafe 'La Giralda' in Montevideo, Uruguay, occupies a special place in Tango history. It was there in the year 1917 that a young Gerardo Matos Rodriguez gave (anonymously) the music score of a tango he had written to the orchestra of Roberto Firpo to play for the first time. Gerardo was then an adolescent (17 years old) who was barely making it as a student in the faculty of Architecture in Montevideo. Was it modesty? shyness? fear of ridicule? who knows why he wanted to remain anonymous? Firpo only knew that the name of the young composer was Gerardo. It was only later that the full identity of the author was known. He was young, educated, well mannered and sensible. He was also a bit naive. He sold for 20 pesos his rights of authorship to the Breyer publishing house. After some moderate success the composition was forgotten.Seven years later, in 1924, Gerardo was living in Paris and he met Francisco Canaro who had just arrived with his orchestra. That's when he found out that La Cumparsita was a major hit. The tango lyricists Enrique Maroni and Pascual Contursi had added words to the tango and renamed it 'Si Supieras'--If you knew. All of Buenos Aires was hearing, dancing, and demanding to buy the score for the tango that was seemingly everywhere in shows, recordings, and broadcasts. Shortly after, La Cumparsita arrived to Paris where, in the full grip of the roaring 20's, people danced charlestons, shimmys, one-steps, bostons, and when the crowd asked for a tango, they danced La Cumparsita. From Paris La Cumparsita spread to the four corners of the world and has since and forever after become a synonym for Tango.Gerardo Matos Rodriguez spent the next 20 years in and out of court trying to regain his rights as author of the most famous tango in the world. The first trial was between the composer and the Breyer and Ricordi publishing houses --Breyer had sold the piece to Ricordi. After a long battle, Ricordi agreed to pay royalties to the author. The second lawsuit was against Maroni and Contursi. They had added lyrics to the tune without permission. Gerardo won on the basis that he had surrendered his right to the music while being a minor. A legal loophole, but the law is the law. In 1942, a third lawsuit was established to discontinue from sale the recording made by Carlos Gardel. This of course engendered a fourth lawsuit, this time by Maroni and Contursi's widow, for damages and seeking their rights as authors of the lyrics.There are quite a few tangos that have different lyrics set to the same music. In some instances it was due to the ribald nature of the original lyrics that necessitated a change once the tango left the bordello. In the case of La Cumparsita, it was its popularity. "La cumparsa/de miserias sin fin/ desfila/en torno de aquel ser/enfermo/que pronto ha de morir/de pena/por eso es que en su lecho/solloza acongojado/recordando el pasado/que lo hace padecer" --the original lyrics written by Gerardo, have nothing to do with the "Si supieras/que aun dentro de mi alma/conservo aquel cari~no/que tuve para ti.../ Quien sabe si supieras/que nunca te he olvidado/volviendo a tu pasado/te acordaras de mi..." of Maroni and Contursi (you can hear the original lyrics in the El Bandoneon CD of Angel D'Agostino and Angel Vargas. Maroni's and Contursi's are everywhere else.) And there are French versions, American versions, and several other languages. Needless to say, to hear "Tantalizing/your mask is only/half disquising/I have no trouble recognizing/your features which I'm idolizing" --The Masked One, lyrics by Olga Paul-- is rather amusing if not down right hilarious. Given that the author of La Cumparsita (at the time) was just an amateur pianist, the technical merits of the melody have always being questioned. Gerardo had only composed the first two parts. Moreover, the first part lacks a clear beat. Firpo himself had to add a third part and the harmony to the first. Yet, the composition acquired such a monumental following that those who critize it do so at their own peril. Julio De Caro played it smart. He said of it, "[It's] a flag that transcended frontiers in the whole world, going forth thru its golden door to erect itself as one of the symbols of our music-dance." Astor Piazzolla was much more candid, "Its the most frighteningly poor thing in this world --speaking of the D-C-A-F rhythm-- Nevertheless, if you add a bass note to enrich it and pour on top of it the melody, you can create a counterpoint that raises the conventional melody. It is like an ugly person that dresses nicely, it improves his looks. That's how La Cumparsita is improved. With good clothes."One last thing to note is that the most celebrated tango in history was first recorded as a "B" side song. One of the most popular orchestras from 1917 was the Alonso-Minotto orchestra which was signed up by the Victor recording house to produce a series of records. Now, the deal called for pairs of tangos. One for each side of the record. As it turns out, they were missing one, so someone suggested La Cumparsita as a "filler." And so, Alberto Alonso at the piano, Minotto Di Cicco, bandoneon, Juan Trocoli and Juan Jose Castellano, violins, recorded themselves into history. Of course, like everything else about tango, there is disagreement on this. There are other sources that contend that Roberto Firpo was the one who first recorded it. Indeed, in the CD "La Cumparsita, veinte veces inmortal" credit is given to Firpo as being the first. In any case Minotto and Firpo seem to have collaborated in the arrangement that eventually was recorded.
--------------------
The cafe 'La Giralda' in Montevideo, Uruguay, occupies a special place in Tango history. It was there in the year 1917 that a young Gerardo Matos Rodriguez gave (anonymously) the music score of a tango he had written to the orchestra of Roberto Firpo to play for the first time. Gerardo was then an adolescent (17 years old) who was barely making it as a student in the faculty of Architecture in Montevideo. Was it modesty? shyness? fear of ridicule? who knows why he wanted to remain anonymous? Firpo only knew that the name of the young composer was Gerardo. It was only later that the full identity of the author was known. He was young, educated, well mannered and sensible. He was also a bit naive. He sold for 20 pesos his rights of authorship to the Breyer publishing house. After some moderate success the composition was forgotten.Seven years later, in 1924, Gerardo was living in Paris and he met Francisco Canaro who had just arrived with his orchestra. That's when he found out that La Cumparsita was a major hit. The tango lyricists Enrique Maroni and Pascual Contursi had added words to the tango and renamed it 'Si Supieras'--If you knew. All of Buenos Aires was hearing, dancing, and demanding to buy the score for the tango that was seemingly everywhere in shows, recordings, and broadcasts. Shortly after, La Cumparsita arrived to Paris where, in the full grip of the roaring 20's, people danced charlestons, shimmys, one-steps, bostons, and when the crowd asked for a tango, they danced La Cumparsita. From Paris La Cumparsita spread to the four corners of the world and has since and forever after become a synonym for Tango.Gerardo Matos Rodriguez spent the next 20 years in and out of court trying to regain his rights as author of the most famous tango in the world. The first trial was between the composer and the Breyer and Ricordi publishing houses --Breyer had sold the piece to Ricordi. After a long battle, Ricordi agreed to pay royalties to the author. The second lawsuit was against Maroni and Contursi. They had added lyrics to the tune without permission. Gerardo won on the basis that he had surrendered his right to the music while being a minor. A legal loophole, but the law is the law. In 1942, a third lawsuit was established to discontinue from sale the recording made by Carlos Gardel. This of course engendered a fourth lawsuit, this time by Maroni and Contursi's widow, for damages and seeking their rights as authors of the lyrics.There are quite a few tangos that have different lyrics set to the same music. In some instances it was due to the ribald nature of the original lyrics that necessitated a change once the tango left the bordello. In the case of La Cumparsita, it was its popularity. "La cumparsa/de miserias sin fin/ desfila/en torno de aquel ser/enfermo/que pronto ha de morir/de pena/por eso es que en su lecho/solloza acongojado/recordando el pasado/que lo hace padecer" --the original lyrics written by Gerardo, have nothing to do with the "Si supieras/que aun dentro de mi alma/conservo aquel cari~no/que tuve para ti.../ Quien sabe si supieras/que nunca te he olvidado/volviendo a tu pasado/te acordaras de mi..." of Maroni and Contursi (you can hear the original lyrics in the El Bandoneon CD of Angel D'Agostino and Angel Vargas. Maroni's and Contursi's are everywhere else.) And there are French versions, American versions, and several other languages. Needless to say, to hear "Tantalizing/your mask is only/half disquising/I have no trouble recognizing/your features which I'm idolizing" --The Masked One, lyrics by Olga Paul-- is rather amusing if not down right hilarious. Given that the author of La Cumparsita (at the time) was just an amateur pianist, the technical merits of the melody have always being questioned. Gerardo had only composed the first two parts. Moreover, the first part lacks a clear beat. Firpo himself had to add a third part and the harmony to the first. Yet, the composition acquired such a monumental following that those who critize it do so at their own peril. Julio De Caro played it smart. He said of it, "[It's] a flag that transcended frontiers in the whole world, going forth thru its golden door to erect itself as one of the symbols of our music-dance." Astor Piazzolla was much more candid, "Its the most frighteningly poor thing in this world --speaking of the D-C-A-F rhythm-- Nevertheless, if you add a bass note to enrich it and pour on top of it the melody, you can create a counterpoint that raises the conventional melody. It is like an ugly person that dresses nicely, it improves his looks. That's how La Cumparsita is improved. With good clothes."One last thing to note is that the most celebrated tango in history was first recorded as a "B" side song. One of the most popular orchestras from 1917 was the Alonso-Minotto orchestra which was signed up by the Victor recording house to produce a series of records. Now, the deal called for pairs of tangos. One for each side of the record. As it turns out, they were missing one, so someone suggested La Cumparsita as a "filler." And so, Alberto Alonso at the piano, Minotto Di Cicco, bandoneon, Juan Trocoli and Juan Jose Castellano, violins, recorded themselves into history. Of course, like everything else about tango, there is disagreement on this. There are other sources that contend that Roberto Firpo was the one who first recorded it. Indeed, in the CD "La Cumparsita, veinte veces inmortal" credit is given to Firpo as being the first. In any case Minotto and Firpo seem to have collaborated in the arrangement that eventually was recorded.
WORLD TANGO CHAMPIONSHIP IN JAPAN
TOKYO TANGO WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP 2009
[ Upcoming Tango Events in Asia ]
[ The 6th Tango Dance World Championship in Asia ]Date: July 4th - 5thPlace: Tokyo, Japan.Schedule:July 4th (Sat) Elimination Rounds Hamamatsucho Seavance HallJuly 5th (Sun) Semi Finals Finals Awarding Ceremony Milong Otakumin Hall ApricoWebsite: http://www.latina.co.jp/html/campeonato/enindex.html
[ Upcoming Tango Events in Asia ]
[ The 6th Tango Dance World Championship in Asia ]Date: July 4th - 5thPlace: Tokyo, Japan.Schedule:July 4th (Sat) Elimination Rounds Hamamatsucho Seavance HallJuly 5th (Sun) Semi Finals Finals Awarding Ceremony Milong Otakumin Hall ApricoWebsite: http://www.latina.co.jp/html/campeonato/enindex.html
Thursday, June 25, 2009
NEW TANGO STYLES
DIRECT FROM ARGENTINA
******************************
ALTERNATIVE TANGO STYLES
In Buenos Aires they say that if you watch ten couples dancing Tango you will see ten different styles. While it’s true that many people develop their own particular style of dancing, in reality it comes down to a choice of two specific and very different styles; these are often called Tango Milonguero Style [or Buenos Aires Style] and Tango Salon Style.
Each style has its own types of music, embrace and steps as well as different techniques of dancing. Also important is that the psychology or mind-set of the dancers appears to be different according to which style is being danced.
TANGO MILONGUERO
Although Tango Milonguero evolved from the Salon style to suit the crowded ballrooms of Buenos Aires in the 1940s and 50s, much of the music suitable for this style is older than that for Salon style. This because it is typically danced to a syncopated rhythm [2 x 4] that was popular in the pre-salon days. This is often slow and sombre in nature which perfectly suits the Milonguero style, particularly as danced by today's older generation in Buenos Aires. Among the many younger people who enjoy this style, the more up-beat music of Juan D'Arienzo and Rodolfo Biagi are popular.
The most striking quality of Milonguero style is the very close embrace that is a requirement of the dance. The couples lean forward to make contact from the waist to chest and the hold does not change throughout the dance. The lady drapes herself around the man with her left arm around his neck, her eyes are often closed; she surrenders.
The dance has an intimate quality which, at first glance, one would assume could only be danced by lovers. However, this is not true and friends and strangers alike dance Tango Milonguero. Because of the close embrace the steps are generally small and relatively simple; exciting, characteristic Tango moves such as Ganchos, Sacadas and Voleos are rarely danced.
One frequent complaint of many ladies is that, because of the close embrace, they have little freedom of movement and little or no means of self-expression. This is generally true and the great Juan Carlos Copes teaches that the man must learn to dominate the woman through his arms and feet. However, he then goes on to say that the man must always remember that he is dancing with a lady.
One advantage of this style of dance is that it requires very little space and can be danced on crowded dance floors and in small spaces. In Buenos Aires it is mostly danced by the older generation of Tango dancers, although it is also surprisingly popular among many younger people. However, it must be said that those of the younger generation who can be seen dancing the Milonguero Style are usually equally comfortable in the Tango Salon Style; that is, they are able to dance either style to suit the particular occasion or situation.
TANGO SALON STYLE
Although this may be a personal preference, the most beautiful Tango dance music is invariably in the Tango Salon Style and often has a more accented ‘tango-beat’ [in 4 x 4 rhythm]. Pugliese, Calo and Di Sarli are typical of the smoother and more elegant Salon style.
The embrace for Tango Salon is close but often with little or no contact at the chest. It has a more elegant and upright style than Milonguero and, with both partners having their weights forward, i.e. forming an inverted ‘V’ shape, the first contact is often made at the head. In Buenos Aires it is not uncommon to see couples dancing with their foreheads touching.
Unlike in Tango Milonguero, the embrace in Tango Salon can change from a close embrace to a more open one. It is this characteristic that gives the dancers the greater freedom necessary to dance a much wider variety of steps and figures than is possible in the Milonguero Style. The woman in particular has much more opportunity to express and impose her style and personality on the dance, rather than merely being a passive follower.
My earlier comment about the psychology, or mind-set, of the dancers can be illustrated by a quotation from a modern Tango dancer and teacher – the great Ozvaldo Zotto who is the epitome of elegance and teaches in the Tango Salon Style. He describes his leading as an invitation to the lady, which may be compared with the comment of Juan Carlos Copes who seeks to dominate the lady. However, Ozvaldo Zotto then goes on to say that 'the lady can either accept the invitation, or decline - in which case the game of Tango comes to an end.' The result, in either Tango Milonguero or Tango Salon, is the same – the lady must follow, however, in Tango Salon there is more a feeling of the dance being a collaborative adventure rather than the man dictating the entire sequence of events.
THE CHOICE OF STYLES
In Buenos Aires there are many teachers who will teach either Tango Milonguero or Tango Salon and a few will teach both. As stated earlier, many of the new generation of Tango dancers are able to dance comfortably in both styles.
Milongas [or social dance occasions] in Buenos Aires will generally play music that is suitable for either the Milonguero Style or the Salon Style and they are rarely mixed. Most people know what to expect before they arrive and the convention is that you dance the style to suit the music, which is normally determined by the teacher, school or other Tango-organization that has arranged the milonga.
It has to be said that the Tango Milonguero Style, because of the close embrace, while being easier to learn is more difficult to dance than the Tango Salon Style. It is common that Salon Style is learned first and, as the dancers become more experienced, the embrace naturally becomes closer thereby making it easier to learn the Milonguero Style.
some idea of the Milonguero Style can be gained from the way we teach figures such as 'La Calesita' and 'La Hamaca' in which the man embraces the lady and brings her to his chest.
SHOW-TANGO OR ‘FANTASIA’
Apart from Tango Milonguero and Tango Salon, the third Tango style which must be mentioned is Show-Tango or, as it is known in Buenos Aires – ‘Fantasia’.
As the name makes clear, Show-Tango is the choreographed Tango seen in professional Tango stage-shows and movies such as The Tango Lesson. It is frequently the first style of Tango seen by people outside Argentina and can give a completely wrong first impression of Tango.
When you learn Show-Tango figures, the first thing the instructor will tell you is that these figures are for the stage only; they are not to be danced in the milonga.
Because it is choreographed, many social dancers look down on Show-Tango, describing it as ‘artificial’, ‘gymnastics’ or 'not real tango'. The truth is that the best Tango dancers – those who are good enough to go on to professional careers, become Show-Tango dancers and all the great names in Tango, such as Miguel and Ozvaldo Zotto, are Show-Tango dancers. The technique, balance, speed and agility required for Show-Tango far exceeds that required for social dancing and by learning, and practicing, some Show-Tango style, the average dancer can greatly improve the quality of his/her social dancing.
- END -
Home
******************************
ALTERNATIVE TANGO STYLES
In Buenos Aires they say that if you watch ten couples dancing Tango you will see ten different styles. While it’s true that many people develop their own particular style of dancing, in reality it comes down to a choice of two specific and very different styles; these are often called Tango Milonguero Style [or Buenos Aires Style] and Tango Salon Style.
Each style has its own types of music, embrace and steps as well as different techniques of dancing. Also important is that the psychology or mind-set of the dancers appears to be different according to which style is being danced.
TANGO MILONGUERO
Although Tango Milonguero evolved from the Salon style to suit the crowded ballrooms of Buenos Aires in the 1940s and 50s, much of the music suitable for this style is older than that for Salon style. This because it is typically danced to a syncopated rhythm [2 x 4] that was popular in the pre-salon days. This is often slow and sombre in nature which perfectly suits the Milonguero style, particularly as danced by today's older generation in Buenos Aires. Among the many younger people who enjoy this style, the more up-beat music of Juan D'Arienzo and Rodolfo Biagi are popular.
The most striking quality of Milonguero style is the very close embrace that is a requirement of the dance. The couples lean forward to make contact from the waist to chest and the hold does not change throughout the dance. The lady drapes herself around the man with her left arm around his neck, her eyes are often closed; she surrenders.
The dance has an intimate quality which, at first glance, one would assume could only be danced by lovers. However, this is not true and friends and strangers alike dance Tango Milonguero. Because of the close embrace the steps are generally small and relatively simple; exciting, characteristic Tango moves such as Ganchos, Sacadas and Voleos are rarely danced.
One frequent complaint of many ladies is that, because of the close embrace, they have little freedom of movement and little or no means of self-expression. This is generally true and the great Juan Carlos Copes teaches that the man must learn to dominate the woman through his arms and feet. However, he then goes on to say that the man must always remember that he is dancing with a lady.
One advantage of this style of dance is that it requires very little space and can be danced on crowded dance floors and in small spaces. In Buenos Aires it is mostly danced by the older generation of Tango dancers, although it is also surprisingly popular among many younger people. However, it must be said that those of the younger generation who can be seen dancing the Milonguero Style are usually equally comfortable in the Tango Salon Style; that is, they are able to dance either style to suit the particular occasion or situation.
TANGO SALON STYLE
Although this may be a personal preference, the most beautiful Tango dance music is invariably in the Tango Salon Style and often has a more accented ‘tango-beat’ [in 4 x 4 rhythm]. Pugliese, Calo and Di Sarli are typical of the smoother and more elegant Salon style.
The embrace for Tango Salon is close but often with little or no contact at the chest. It has a more elegant and upright style than Milonguero and, with both partners having their weights forward, i.e. forming an inverted ‘V’ shape, the first contact is often made at the head. In Buenos Aires it is not uncommon to see couples dancing with their foreheads touching.
Unlike in Tango Milonguero, the embrace in Tango Salon can change from a close embrace to a more open one. It is this characteristic that gives the dancers the greater freedom necessary to dance a much wider variety of steps and figures than is possible in the Milonguero Style. The woman in particular has much more opportunity to express and impose her style and personality on the dance, rather than merely being a passive follower.
My earlier comment about the psychology, or mind-set, of the dancers can be illustrated by a quotation from a modern Tango dancer and teacher – the great Ozvaldo Zotto who is the epitome of elegance and teaches in the Tango Salon Style. He describes his leading as an invitation to the lady, which may be compared with the comment of Juan Carlos Copes who seeks to dominate the lady. However, Ozvaldo Zotto then goes on to say that 'the lady can either accept the invitation, or decline - in which case the game of Tango comes to an end.' The result, in either Tango Milonguero or Tango Salon, is the same – the lady must follow, however, in Tango Salon there is more a feeling of the dance being a collaborative adventure rather than the man dictating the entire sequence of events.
THE CHOICE OF STYLES
In Buenos Aires there are many teachers who will teach either Tango Milonguero or Tango Salon and a few will teach both. As stated earlier, many of the new generation of Tango dancers are able to dance comfortably in both styles.
Milongas [or social dance occasions] in Buenos Aires will generally play music that is suitable for either the Milonguero Style or the Salon Style and they are rarely mixed. Most people know what to expect before they arrive and the convention is that you dance the style to suit the music, which is normally determined by the teacher, school or other Tango-organization that has arranged the milonga.
It has to be said that the Tango Milonguero Style, because of the close embrace, while being easier to learn is more difficult to dance than the Tango Salon Style. It is common that Salon Style is learned first and, as the dancers become more experienced, the embrace naturally becomes closer thereby making it easier to learn the Milonguero Style.
some idea of the Milonguero Style can be gained from the way we teach figures such as 'La Calesita' and 'La Hamaca' in which the man embraces the lady and brings her to his chest.
SHOW-TANGO OR ‘FANTASIA’
Apart from Tango Milonguero and Tango Salon, the third Tango style which must be mentioned is Show-Tango or, as it is known in Buenos Aires – ‘Fantasia’.
As the name makes clear, Show-Tango is the choreographed Tango seen in professional Tango stage-shows and movies such as The Tango Lesson. It is frequently the first style of Tango seen by people outside Argentina and can give a completely wrong first impression of Tango.
When you learn Show-Tango figures, the first thing the instructor will tell you is that these figures are for the stage only; they are not to be danced in the milonga.
Because it is choreographed, many social dancers look down on Show-Tango, describing it as ‘artificial’, ‘gymnastics’ or 'not real tango'. The truth is that the best Tango dancers – those who are good enough to go on to professional careers, become Show-Tango dancers and all the great names in Tango, such as Miguel and Ozvaldo Zotto, are Show-Tango dancers. The technique, balance, speed and agility required for Show-Tango far exceeds that required for social dancing and by learning, and practicing, some Show-Tango style, the average dancer can greatly improve the quality of his/her social dancing.
- END -
Home
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
LET US LEARN TANGO
BASIC STEPS OF TANGO
*************************
1. TANGO BASIC
Man - FIRST ACTION(LEADER) RF= RIGHT FOOT, LF = LEFT FOOT
Lady -FOLLOWER
1.
RF back MAN
1.
LF fwd
2.
LF pass RF & to side (long step) MAN
2.
RF pass LF & to side
3.
RF pass LF & fwd, O/P MAN
3
LF pass RF & back
4.
LF fwd MAN
4.
RF back
5.
RF close to LF MAN
5.
LF cross in front of RF
6.
LF fwd MAN
6.
RF back
7.
RF pass LF & to side, with pivot to left on LF. MAN
7.
LF pass RF & to side, with pivot to left on RF.
8.
LF close to RF MAN
8.
RF close to LF
Note:-
The description of the Tango Basic may be separated into components.
*************************
1. TANGO BASIC
Man - FIRST ACTION(LEADER) RF= RIGHT FOOT, LF = LEFT FOOT
Lady -FOLLOWER
1.
RF back MAN
1.
LF fwd
2.
LF pass RF & to side (long step) MAN
2.
RF pass LF & to side
3.
RF pass LF & fwd, O/P MAN
3
LF pass RF & back
4.
LF fwd MAN
4.
RF back
5.
RF close to LF MAN
5.
LF cross in front of RF
6.
LF fwd MAN
6.
RF back
7.
RF pass LF & to side, with pivot to left on LF. MAN
7.
LF pass RF & to side, with pivot to left on RF.
8.
LF close to RF MAN
8.
RF close to LF
Note:-
The description of the Tango Basic may be separated into components.
Monday, June 22, 2009
ALWAYS ON TUESDAY MILONGA
Location
Polish Centre4015 Fraser st. at 24 Ave.Vancouver, BCMap (via Google Maps)
Time
8:00 pm to 11:00 pm
Admission
$5
Web site
http://claudehazel.allexit.com
LEARN TANGO STEP BY STEP
IMPORTANT POINTS FOR BEGINNERS
**************************************
1.
Listen to the music and try to follow the beat and the rhythm. The Tango is generally a slow dance and movements should be smooth and unhurried. Try to finish each step at the end of the beat so that the next step can commence immediately, thereby giving the dance the smooth characteristic required.
2.
Make each step clear and precise. Complete each step and transfer weight before commencing the next step. A normal stride length should be used; avoid steps which are too long or too short. Steps should be made with the balls of the feet touching the floor first. The moving leg should be straighter than with a normal walking action; avoid excessive flexing of the knees.
3.
Do not wear boots or heavy shoes; you need to feel and ‘grip’ the floor. Non-slip trainers are also unsuitable as you need to be able to pivot on the balls of the feet. Leather-soled shoes are best.
4.
Both partners should keep their weights forward over the balls of the feet and, when facing, should make an inverted V shape. Tension should be maintained in the arms and upper body. All the action takes place below the waist and the upper body should be relatively still; do not move the arms independently of the body. Ladies, support your own right arm; do not hang on the man.
5.
Dance close. This is the way the Tango should be danced. Because of the inverted V shape made by the dancers, the first bodily contact will often be at the head. Men should look slightly to the left and ladies slightly to the right. When slightly separated to dance open figures, such as Giros, look at your partner’s face. Do not look at the floor or at the other dancers.
6.
Men, do not hold your partner too tightly; good dancing requires freedom of movement for both partners. And, in the words of the great Juan Carlos Copes, ‘always remember that you are dancing with a lady’.
7.
Do not dance in one place, move counter-clockwise around the floor. Figures may be characterized as progressive (linear) or stationary (rotary). If you dance a stationary figure follow it with a progressive figure. Remember how to change direction so that you are always moving in the correct alignment. Do not meander around the dance floor.
8.
Ladies, do not anticipate moves. Follow and add your own style; there are many embellishments that you can add to the dance which do not require a lead from the man. Men, provide clear leads and signals; always remember, your most important job is to lead the lady.
9.
Both partners should maintain good body posture at all times. The Tango is an upright dance; keep the body straight, the head up, the shoulders and elbows down and the man’s left arm back. Maintain tension throughout the body, do not be too relaxed.
10.
Do not just execute the steps. Dance with energy and style. Try to add some emotion; men, be bold; ladies, be playful, suggestive or seductive. Use some imagination; remember, the Tango is more than just a dance.
Home
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1.
Listen to the music and try to follow the beat and the rhythm. The Tango is generally a slow dance and movements should be smooth and unhurried. Try to finish each step at the end of the beat so that the next step can commence immediately, thereby giving the dance the smooth characteristic required.
2.
Make each step clear and precise. Complete each step and transfer weight before commencing the next step. A normal stride length should be used; avoid steps which are too long or too short. Steps should be made with the balls of the feet touching the floor first. The moving leg should be straighter than with a normal walking action; avoid excessive flexing of the knees.
3.
Do not wear boots or heavy shoes; you need to feel and ‘grip’ the floor. Non-slip trainers are also unsuitable as you need to be able to pivot on the balls of the feet. Leather-soled shoes are best.
4.
Both partners should keep their weights forward over the balls of the feet and, when facing, should make an inverted V shape. Tension should be maintained in the arms and upper body. All the action takes place below the waist and the upper body should be relatively still; do not move the arms independently of the body. Ladies, support your own right arm; do not hang on the man.
5.
Dance close. This is the way the Tango should be danced. Because of the inverted V shape made by the dancers, the first bodily contact will often be at the head. Men should look slightly to the left and ladies slightly to the right. When slightly separated to dance open figures, such as Giros, look at your partner’s face. Do not look at the floor or at the other dancers.
6.
Men, do not hold your partner too tightly; good dancing requires freedom of movement for both partners. And, in the words of the great Juan Carlos Copes, ‘always remember that you are dancing with a lady’.
7.
Do not dance in one place, move counter-clockwise around the floor. Figures may be characterized as progressive (linear) or stationary (rotary). If you dance a stationary figure follow it with a progressive figure. Remember how to change direction so that you are always moving in the correct alignment. Do not meander around the dance floor.
8.
Ladies, do not anticipate moves. Follow and add your own style; there are many embellishments that you can add to the dance which do not require a lead from the man. Men, provide clear leads and signals; always remember, your most important job is to lead the lady.
9.
Both partners should maintain good body posture at all times. The Tango is an upright dance; keep the body straight, the head up, the shoulders and elbows down and the man’s left arm back. Maintain tension throughout the body, do not be too relaxed.
10.
Do not just execute the steps. Dance with energy and style. Try to add some emotion; men, be bold; ladies, be playful, suggestive or seductive. Use some imagination; remember, the Tango is more than just a dance.
Home
Sunday, June 21, 2009
MONDAY EVENING PRACTICA
MONDAY ONLY PRACTICA IN VANCOUVER
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Come practice, experiment, and develop your dance. This practica promotes a diversity of styles and an exchange of ideas in an informal, accessible and creative environment. A place to move, think and be inspired.
Monday Nights 8 - 10pm$5
2474 Prince Edward St, Vancouver map
> Práctica Tips
> New Reversed Roles Práctica Fridays 5:30 - 7:30
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Come practice, experiment, and develop your dance. This practica promotes a diversity of styles and an exchange of ideas in an informal, accessible and creative environment. A place to move, think and be inspired.
Monday Nights 8 - 10pm$5
2474 Prince Edward St, Vancouver map
> Práctica Tips
> New Reversed Roles Práctica Fridays 5:30 - 7:30
HISTORY OF TANGO IN ARGENTINA
EVOLUTION OF TANGO DANCE
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The antique Argentine Tango was influenced by the Tango Habanera, which bears no resemblance to the Argentine Tango we know today. The Tango Habanera came about from two types of Tango: the Milonga with its influence in the guajira flamenca and the Tango andaluz or Tango flamenco. The Milonga was danced and played by country side people of Argentina. The Tango Habanera was an amalgamation of the Habanera and the Tango Andaluz or Tango Flamenco.
The rhythm of the guitars playing the Tango flamenco or andaluz could not be reproduced in orchestra instruments and with the piano, so the Tango andaluz or flamenco was modified with the habanera rhythm. The Tango Habanera was heard in 1883 but died towards the end of the century. The Tango Habanera has been entirely associated with the first forms of Argentine Tango. The flexing of the knees is associated to a dance called Candombe which was danced by the black people from Africa living in Buenos Aires. The male Candombe dancers danced with their knees flexed, to show their dance skills using walking steps (corridas) and turns.
A character who lived in the very early 1900's known as the "compadrito" created the straightened out forms of the antique Argentine Tango and invented the traditional figures of this dance. His dance style and stance supported his macho view of his world at those times. The "compadrito" ironically imitated the Candombe Dancers along with their flexing of the knees, walking steps, and turns. Old Tango people agree that the true forms of Argentine Tango Dance that we see today originated in 1938 - 1940 with the short-lived Tango singer Carlos Gardel. The Golden Age of Tango took place in in the late 1940's and early 1950's. World recording companies set up offices in Buenos Aires, which resulted in mass recordings of Tango orchestras and singers.
The antique Argentine Tango was never danced with castanets or with a flower.
Today in Buenos Aires or Río de la Plata, there are three forms of Argentine Tango: Salón, Fantasía, and one for scenario (stage). This has been the norm. With the internationalization of Tango, other forces have been shaping the Tango dance. The form known for stage, sometimes is referred as "for export", was aimed at English speaking people. Outside Argentina, people from North America had their first exposure with Stage Tango brought by the show and dance companies from Buenos Aires. At the end of the shows, the people asked for classes on what they had seen on stage. They wanted to learn what they saw on stage. Some of the dancers were available to teach, but knew only show routines. Other times seasoned dancers from Buenos Aires were asked to teach. They found it very difficult to explain that the correct form was to learn Argentine Tango from Buenos Aires rather than what they had seen at the show or on stage.
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The antique Argentine Tango was influenced by the Tango Habanera, which bears no resemblance to the Argentine Tango we know today. The Tango Habanera came about from two types of Tango: the Milonga with its influence in the guajira flamenca and the Tango andaluz or Tango flamenco. The Milonga was danced and played by country side people of Argentina. The Tango Habanera was an amalgamation of the Habanera and the Tango Andaluz or Tango Flamenco.
The rhythm of the guitars playing the Tango flamenco or andaluz could not be reproduced in orchestra instruments and with the piano, so the Tango andaluz or flamenco was modified with the habanera rhythm. The Tango Habanera was heard in 1883 but died towards the end of the century. The Tango Habanera has been entirely associated with the first forms of Argentine Tango. The flexing of the knees is associated to a dance called Candombe which was danced by the black people from Africa living in Buenos Aires. The male Candombe dancers danced with their knees flexed, to show their dance skills using walking steps (corridas) and turns.
A character who lived in the very early 1900's known as the "compadrito" created the straightened out forms of the antique Argentine Tango and invented the traditional figures of this dance. His dance style and stance supported his macho view of his world at those times. The "compadrito" ironically imitated the Candombe Dancers along with their flexing of the knees, walking steps, and turns. Old Tango people agree that the true forms of Argentine Tango Dance that we see today originated in 1938 - 1940 with the short-lived Tango singer Carlos Gardel. The Golden Age of Tango took place in in the late 1940's and early 1950's. World recording companies set up offices in Buenos Aires, which resulted in mass recordings of Tango orchestras and singers.
The antique Argentine Tango was never danced with castanets or with a flower.
Today in Buenos Aires or Río de la Plata, there are three forms of Argentine Tango: Salón, Fantasía, and one for scenario (stage). This has been the norm. With the internationalization of Tango, other forces have been shaping the Tango dance. The form known for stage, sometimes is referred as "for export", was aimed at English speaking people. Outside Argentina, people from North America had their first exposure with Stage Tango brought by the show and dance companies from Buenos Aires. At the end of the shows, the people asked for classes on what they had seen on stage. They wanted to learn what they saw on stage. Some of the dancers were available to teach, but knew only show routines. Other times seasoned dancers from Buenos Aires were asked to teach. They found it very difficult to explain that the correct form was to learn Argentine Tango from Buenos Aires rather than what they had seen at the show or on stage.
Thursday, June 18, 2009
BEST PRACTICA IN VANCOUVER BC
GOOD NEWS FOR TANGO LOVER********************************
Sunday Practica at EL CENTROEvery SUNDAY, 7:30 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. at Academie Duello, 422 Richards Street, 2nd Floor (at W. Hastings St., Downtown). Yerba mate and snacks always served. $8 drop-in, $50 for 10 visits (no expiry, non-transferable), $5 students.
Sunday Practica at EL CENTROEvery SUNDAY, 7:30 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. at Academie Duello, 422 Richards Street, 2nd Floor (at W. Hastings St., Downtown). Yerba mate and snacks always served. $8 drop-in, $50 for 10 visits (no expiry, non-transferable), $5 students.
Monday, June 15, 2009
PRACTICA ON MONDAY
HELLO TANGO LOVERS, PRACTICA ON MONDAY IN VANCOUVER BC
MONDAY PRACTICA IN VANCOUVER
Come practice, experiment, and develop your dance. This practica promotes a diversity of styles and an exchange of ideas in an informal, accessible and creative environment. A place to move, think and be inspired.Monday Nights 8 - 10pm$52474 Prince Edward St, Vancouver map> Práctica Tips> New Reversed Roles Práctica Fridays 5:30 - 7:30> See photos from the Monday Práctica> Origin of the Tango Prácticas
Labels: DEBORAH-SANTIAGO TANGO INSTRUCTORS
MONDAY PRACTICA IN VANCOUVER
Come practice, experiment, and develop your dance. This practica promotes a diversity of styles and an exchange of ideas in an informal, accessible and creative environment. A place to move, think and be inspired.Monday Nights 8 - 10pm$52474 Prince Edward St, Vancouver map> Práctica Tips> New Reversed Roles Práctica Fridays 5:30 - 7:30> See photos from the Monday Práctica> Origin of the Tango Prácticas
Labels: DEBORAH-SANTIAGO TANGO INSTRUCTORS
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Milonga was attended by the Tango fans from across the Metro Vancouver on Sunday. Music was very emotional and inspiring. Francis was the or...
