TANGO MANUAL
Technique, Connection, Musicality
By Camilo O’Kuinghttons
LEVEL ONE.-
I.-INTRODUCTION.
Tango like any other physical discipline, demand effort and a great deal of mental concentration. It has some prior requisites that are very important to learn BEFORE you attempt to start. I will mention a few, and please be aware that these principles or requisites are common for many other disciplines or activities as well.
1.1.- Tango is an art, and consequently looking good while dancing is of paramount importance. The first requisite for dancers is to have a good POSTURE. No matter how good your technique, musicality or how many steps you can perform on the floor with your partner, if your posture is bad, you will look bad and you will make your partner look bad. Posture is not something you will improve just while dancing. It’s a function of your body which must be developed during all your daily activities. Taking care of it all the time, and not only when you are dancing, it will benefit you all your life.
QUOTE: “Taste does not come by chance. It is a long and laborous task to adquire”…. Sir Joshua Reynolds
1.2.- Physical and mental shape: tango is not a way to shape up. Yes, it is a very relaxing activity, but you have to bring that peace of mind with you, and yes, it is a physical activity too, but you should be in good shape before you start dancing.
1.3.-Your utmost concern while dancing, must be to make a pleasant experience for your partner. It’s inevitable that mistakes will occur. And when a mistake is made, try to make an instant mental evaluation of the mistake, and please blame yourself FIRST!!! This evaluation should be before you open your mouth. Only make gentle comments to make your partner feel good.
1.4.- Leaders you are on the floor to DANCE! If you need to verbally explain what you are leading to do to your partner while dancing, it simply means that you do not lead well, period! Very often those type of leaders know a lot less than the followers they are trying to “instruct”.
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1.5.- Attitude: tango is a “performing” dance. The leader must have an assertive attitude and followers, a submisive one. If you do not like this arrangement, please do something else. Leaders while dancing are NOT themselves, but a “fictitous character”. They must project confidence, control of the situation, and a respectful navigation. Your main function is to make your partner look beautiful, comfortable, and happy!
Followers you must learn to surrender to your leader, to wait for the lead and….to follow! Like anything in life, it should be one leader, and the rest follows or get out of the way. Followers that “back lead”, “anticipate” or dance with themselves using the leader as a prop, are unpleasant to dance with.
1.6.- While learning to dance tango, I assure you that there is not such a thing like “short cuts” or “accelerated learning”. It’s a slow and sometimes difficult process, especially for men, and there is no way around it. The only way to learn at a faster pace, is to work more often, and longer time on your assignments, and…..to dance!
1.7.- Following the spirit of all the considerations of this introduction, dancers should learn to adapt their skills to his/her partner of the moment, consequently dancing styles are adaptable and flexible. This will lead to a more pleasant experience while on the floor.
II.- PROTOCOLS TO REMEMBER.
2.1.- When a leader yields or “give space” to a follower, the follower must decisively take it immediately.
2.2.- When a leader softly touches one foot of the follower, the follower must keep a light pressure on that foot and follow the movements indicated by the leader.
2.3.- When the leader turns his chest to one side, it is an indication for the follower that he is leading a movement in that direction.
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III.-CLASS TITLES.-
A.- FLOOR EXERCISES.- In this class we teach several body, hip, knee and feet movements to improve coordination, balance, reaction time and flexibility of the dancers.
B.- FLOOR DISPLACEMENTS.- In this class we teach different types of walking displacements on the floor, and in all directions, to improve grounding, timing, suspension, impulsion and flexibility.
C.- BASIC ELEMENTS.- In this class we teach many basic elements and steps which becomes the future repertoire of the dancers in tango, milonga and vals. Besides, they are vital in the application of all the technique taught in all our classes.
D.- RHYTHMIC EXERCISES.- In this class we teach practical changes of tempo of all the exercises, elements and steps learned in this course, which can be applied in any dance, and/or music.
E.- CHANGES OF DIRECTION.- In this class we teach numerous turns (giros), which are very important to improve connection, timing and navigation skills.
F.- FLOW AND MUSICALITY.- In this class we teach seamless transitions between two or more consecutive elements and/or steps while dancing, and at the same time interpreting on the floor the music played.
NOTE ONE: In the description of exercises and elements through this syllabus, there is a capital letter (s) in parenthesis at the beginning of the sentence, which indicates in which class this subject will be taught or practiced.
NOTE TWO: In the list of elements, when the title is written in capital letters and bold, it means that it is a fundamental step, which is the base for many others later steps.
IV.-LIST OF SUBJECTS AND/OR ELEMENTS.
4.1.- (A to F) Posture Requirements for men and women.
4.2.- (A, B) Proper way to walk for men and women.- Use of hips, grounding technique, stretching upper diagonal, collection of feet and legs, contra-body action, and suspension at the walk.
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4.3.- (C to E) Different types of embrace: practice position holding arms, open embrace, closed embrace.
4.4.-(C to E) Changes of weight in place. Introduction of concepts of “beat”, “pauses” and “syncopation”.
4.5.- (B) “Depart to the walk”, announcing with the man’s chest the first step, and variation of the CG (center of gravity).
4.6.- (B) Walk two or four steps: application of the concept of “depart to the walk”, and concept of stopping changing CG (center of gravity) and collecting slowly the trailing leg.
4.7.- (B, C) Side step to both sides, partners squared and collecting slowly.
4.8.- (A to E) Concept of Contra-Body while walking.
4.9.- (B to E) Concept of walking “inside the woman” in parallel system. Man’s foot always touching woman’s inside trailing foot on a R to R or L to L. Emphasis on not over reaching the woman’s feet.
4.10.-(B to E) Walking on both side of the woman in Parallel System: Emphasis on starting with contra-body first and then, sending the man’s foot. The sequence should be as follows:
-Man’s RF on woman’s right side, one step,
-Man steps twice, LF and then RF inside the woman,
-Man steps with LF on the left side of the woman,
-Man steps twice RF and then LF inside the woman.
4.11.- (C to E) Concept of Parallel and Cross System. To teach walking in Parallel System ( mirror image), in 2 and 4 tracks. To teach in Cross System to walk in 3 and 4 tracks. How to get in Cross System from standing position, and from the walk.
4.12.- (A) Concepts of Traspie and/or Syncopation; Rebotes (Bouncing); Zapateo (Tap Dancing); Cadencias (Check Steps); Pasos Laterales (Grapevine Milonguera).
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4.13.- (C,D,F ) OPEN and CLOSED SIDE INSIDE TURN. It starts from the walk or standing, with a sequence of L, R, L, R, being the first three steps quick and the last slow.
4.14.- (C, D, F )OPEN and CLOSED SIDE OUTSIDE TURN: The same applies as # 4.13, although the start is slow and with an step to the side and there is the introduction of a “hook” or “enrosque” for the man.
4.15.- (C,D,F) OPEN and CLOSED SIDE BASIC EIGHT COUNT: This VERY important exercise it’s the basis for most of the tango movements that come afterwards. It is like the foundation in a house. You never see the foundation again, after the house is built, but you know it’s there. In tango the basic eight very seldom is used completely, but parts of it are incorporated in the dance all the time.
It consist in three parts: “SALIDA” (Depart), “CAMINADA” (Walk) and “CIERRE o CONCLUSION” ( Conclusion).
4.16.- (C,D,E,F) Variations of the Basic Eight: Baldosa (Tile or Six Counts); Baldosa Reducida ( Four Counts); Cuadrado (The Open Side Box).
4.17.- (A) CRUCES FORWARD AND BACKWARDS: Basic diagonal walk which are the base of “Ochos”.
4.18- (C,D,E,F) OCHOS FORWARD AND BACKWARDS: How to execute for the followers, and how to lead them and finishing them for the leaders.
4.19.- (C,D,E,F) MOLINETES: Serie of four steps around an axis. Both partners should know how to do them, but it is more common with followers.
