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As
tango dancers we need to consciously change the way we walk. Walking is
an act of unconscious awareness, that is we do not need to engage with
the process. As dancers, however, we need to control the way in which
we move from axis to axis and make the act of dancing the walk a
conscious process.
When we learned to walk as a very young
child, we would put both feet on the floor and hold on to something to
keep our balance. As our confidence and skill improved, we could stand
on both feet without holding on to anything. Even now, as we walk, we
unconsciously seek the next opportunity to stand on both feet.
The
'unconscious' or autonomic control
of walking and balance is governed by the cerebellum and in the same
way that it was 'programmed' with the process of walking through
intense
repetition or conditioning via a traumatic event (like pain caused by
falling over), the only way to 'unlearn' or change the programming is
to apply (a) intense repetition in the long term or (b) supreme effect
with the 'conscious' mind or (c) conditioning with trauma. Before my
hip operation, my brain was conditioned by the trauma of pain from
certain dancing actions and I learned anew how to move to avoid pain.
Standing on both feet is a defensive
position we adopt when challenged, and instinctively, the brain can
unconsciously cause this to happen when we are challenged by the
process of learning to dance.
Standing in balance on one leg to create
an axis is the foundation of tango. From a confidant and balanced axis
a dancer obtains her and her elegance and power to communicate the
process of invitation and response to form the next move.At all times a
dancer should be aware of having one standing leg and one free leg. The
free leg is able to decorate and embellish the dance until it becomes
the next standing leg.
A novice
dancer therefore needs to evolve his/her walk and learn how to step
onto and balance confidently in axis
on one leg, keeping most of their weight over the front of the
standing foot to enable pivoting on the ball of the foot.
Balance Exercise 1:
Stand with your weight
100% on one
leg. If you are doing this correctly you should be able to lift your
other leg. Keep your weight slightly forward so your heel
carries no weight but remains in contact with the floor. Lets call
this your standing leg. The other leg, your free (or dancing
leg), is
free
to move across the floor to establish a new axis.
Whilst standing still
(and during a pivot on the standing leg), the dancing leg borrows some
of the
stability of your standing leg by contacting the inside of the heel
and knee with the heel and knee of the standing leg. Lift
the outer edge (little toe side) of your 'dancing' foot and touch the
floor only with the joint just
behind
the big toe.
The dancing foot
remains very close to the floor which is the source of the dancers
power, axis and balance. Use
this contact with the floor to aid the standing leg. This is the
collected or neutral position
(i.e not
involved with moving axis across the floor) that forms the start and
end on every step.
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Tango movement is always
completely improvised and spontaneous, with both dancers reacting to
the dynamics of each other, the music and the dance floor. In order to
invite a partner to dance into the next safe empty space, one, or both
dancers may need to change direction quickly and elegantly. This is
only possible if we are standing on one leg, in balance over the ball
of the foot with the dancing leg
collected in the neutral position (see above). Engaging the whole body
to stay balanced, and poised ready to move to the next step.
At Tango UK, we teach tango movement using the
Naveira/Salas concept of the dance as a choice 5 movements.
Using the free leg:
A linear step sideways;
A linear step forwards;
A linear step backwards;
Using the standing leg:
A rotation or pivot preceding a forward step;
A rotation or pivot preceding a backward step.
To these fundamental movements, we add the skills
of contra-posture, embrace, in- and out-of-axis movement, musical
significance, free leg development, and the non-verbal language of
invitation and response that enables the five basic movements to become
an elegant and connected improvisational dance.
Walking Exercise
2:
Walk like a big cat stalking its prey. As
you walk, soften
your knees to actively engage all the muscles in your legs as you move.
With each step, place your weight immediately onto the ball of your
foot. Try not to place your weight on the heel first. If you are
working in a group, choose someone to stalk and follow their every
move, walking from single axis (balancing on one foot in the neutral
position) to the next single axis. When you need to change direction,
try pivoting on one foot in a smooth and balanced way. Make every step
a precise move into axis and balance on one leg.
Tango dancing is all about moving to the
music. As a musician, I teach the basics of Argentine tango within a
musical context. Tango music takes a while to understand. It is not the
music of our 'lifetime' as it is for an Argentine dancer. It is also a
very rich genre of music which can quickly pall on the musical palate
of the dancer who is still unfamiliar with it.
But to be a good tango dancer, both
dancers need to really know the music. The woman is not a 'follower' in
tango. She is a dancer who responds to an invitation, or indication by
the man but at the same time takes her cue of how and when to move by
listening to the music.
Our musicality courses demystify this
process. We guide dancers through a progressive development of tango
music, from the uncomplicated Canaro, through D'Arienzo and Rodriguez
to the rhythmically and structural challenging orchestras like Biagi
and Pugliese.
If you are a beginner, take a look at
the Apple iTunes
site where I suggest you search for these tango orchestras from
Argentina:
Francisco Canaro, Carlos di Sarli and Juan D'Arienzo. There is a
particularly good album for novice dancers called Tango - the
Original(s), Vol. 1.
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