View
310
Download
22
Category
Tags:
Preview:
DESCRIPTION
A beginner's guide to Argentine Tango danncing
Citation preview
LEARNING ARGENTINE TANGO | KEN SPENCER BROWN
Takes Two To Tango
Publication and copyright information
Takes Two To Tango: Learning Argentine Tango
© 2008 by Ken Spencer Brown (ken.brown@gmail.com)
Printed June 25, 2008
Illustrations © 2008 by Andrea Maschietto, except where noted
Cover photo by Fabrizio
Page 5 photo by unknown photographer (in public domain)
Page 13 photo © 2007 by Tim Haley
Document produced in Microsoft Word 2007
Illustrations produced in Macromedia (now Adobe) Freehand 10
Table of Contents
Ken Spencer Brown 3
CONTENTS
GETTING STARTED .................................................................................................. 5
History ............................................................................................................... 5
What You Need .................................................................................................. 7
Music ................................................................................................................. 7
SETTING A FOUNDATION ........................................................................................ 9
Posture ................................................................................................................... 9
Isolation .................................................................................................................. 9
The Collect Posision .............................................................................................. 11
The Classic Pose .................................................................................................... 11
WORKING WITH A PARTNER ..................................................................................13
The Embrace ......................................................................................................... 13
The Leader’s Role ................................................................................................. 14
The Follower’s Role .............................................................................................. 15
The Line of Dance ................................................................................................. 17
TAKING YOUR FIRST STEPS .....................................................................................19
Parallel System ..................................................................................................... 19
Outside Parallel System ........................................................................................ 20
Cross System to Open Side of Embrace ................................................................ 20
Cross System to Closed Side of Embrace .............................................................. 21
Learning Argentine Tango
Ken Spencer Brown 4
CHANGING SYSTEMS ..............................................................................................23
Outside Parallel to Parallel ................................................................................... 23
Parallel to Cross on Closed Side of Embrace ........................................................ 24
Cross on Closed Side of Embrace to Parallel ........................................................ 24
ADDING TO THE REPERTOIRE .................................................................................25
Step and Collect .................................................................................................... 25
Basic Side Step ...................................................................................................... 25
Backward Ocho ................................................................................................... 255
Two Check Steps ................................................................................................... 27
PUTTING THE PIECES TOGETHER ............................................................................29
Entries and Exits ................................................................................................... 29
Backward Ocho: Different Exits ............................................................................ 29
Backward Ocho: Different Entries ........................................................................ 30
TROUBLESHOOTING ...............................................................................................31
GLOSSARY OF TERMS .............................................................................................33
INDEX .....................................................................................................................35
Getting Started
Ken Spencer Brown 5
GETTING STARTED Learning Argentine-style Tango can be a fun and romantic way to stay
active, socialize and expand your cultural horizons. Though rich with history
and complex enough to offer a lifetime of learning, getting started doesn’t
take long. With Tango, just about anyone can have fun on the dance floor!
Here’s an overview of the Argentine Tango’s development and what you’ll
need to prepare yourself to participate in his culturally rewarding activity.
History By learning Argentine Tango, you are carrying
on a rich tradition of dance and culture.
Argentine Tango is the earliest and purest
form of Tango. It sprang from the urban
centers of late 19th-century Argentina, where
working-class residents blended the formal
steps of ballroom dancing with the stop-and-go
rhythms of the country’s African slaves.
Argentine Tango’s most distinctive feature is
the close embrace of each partner. Tango’s
constantly shifting rhythms and spontaneous
movement required partners to stand very
close so that the follower could sense the
leader’s movement and react quickly. Unbound
by the rigid social mores of the upper class,
working-class Argentines were happy to oblige.
As Buenos Aires blossomed in the early 20th
century, trendsetting Parisian tourists
“discovered” the dance and made it popular
throughout Europe. Only then did Argentina’s
upper class finally grow to accept Tango.
Later iterations, which became known as simply “the Tango,” represent a
more standardized, tamer version of the original.
Today, Argentine Tango remains a popular dance style, thanks in large part
to its improvisational nature and romantic embrace. By learning a few
fundamental concepts, getting in sync with a partner and memorizing a few
steps, you will join millions of other Argentine Tango fans around the globe.
Take Two To Tango
Photo 1: Argentine Tango’s first international celebrities: Ovidio José Bianquet, also known as “El Cachafaz,” and his longtime dance partner Carmencita Calderón.
Learning Argentine Tango
Ken Spencer Brown 6
Getting Started
Ken Spencer Brown 7
What You Need Argentine Tango requires no special equipment, but wearing comfortable
clothes and flat-bottomed shoes that allow easy movement across the floor
are key to your comfort and safety. For men, leather and suede make good
footwear choices, as long as the shoes do not slip off easily. Women’s shoes
should have straps. Heels may help women maintain proper posture.
Clothing should allow free movement of both legs. Long skirts and dresses
worn in formal dances should have a slit to allow the legs to move.
For a dance-floor surface, a smooth material such as wood or tile works best
because of Argentine Tango’s frequent pivots.
Argentine Tango is not physically demanding. But if you plan to dance for
long periods, have plenty of water handy — Argentine Tango can be highly
addictive!
Music You can dance Argentine Tango to just about any kind of music with a beat.
But you may want to consider some Tango music to get you and your dancing
partner in the mood.
Argentine Tango music falls into four main categories with a variety of styles
sure to fit any mood:
Traditional Tangos. The classic Tangos you hear in movies. The term
encompasses a wide range of music in a variety of tempos and styles.
Vales. Argentine waltzes. They sound much like other types of waltz,
music known for its slow 1-2-3 beat.
Milongas. Livelier than other types of tango music, known for their steady
beat. The term also refers to a Tango dance party.
Nuevo Tango. Not strictly Tango, but synchronizes Tango beats to modern
music.
Generally, classic Tango is easiest for beginners to dance to. You can
purchase them for download from iTunes or Amazon.com’s MP3 store or find
them on Tango compilation CDs.
Here are a few classics to get you started:
“La Cumparsita,” Francisco Canaro. Probably the most famous Tango in
the world.
Learning Argentine Tango
Ken Spencer Brown 8
“Por Una Cabeza,” Carlos Gardel. Another famous Tango that you have
probably heard in a movie or two.
“Desde el Alma,” Osvaldo Pugliese. One of the most famous Tango valses.
“Palomito Blanca,” Hugo Diaz. A more modern iteration of a Tango vals.
“Flor de Montserrat,” Rudolfo Biagi. A nice milonga piece.
“Ella Es Asi,” Donato. Another good milonga song.
Fundamental Concepts
Ken Spencer Brown 9
SETTING A FOUNDATION Before outlining specific steps and moves, you should become familiar with a
few basic concepts that serve as the foundation to everything else you do in
Argentine Tango.
Tango offers plenty of opportunity for improvisation and self-expression, but
requires correct posture and clean isolation of the body’s two hemispheres.
Posture Argentine Tango starts with proper posture. Maintaining good posture helps
you keep your balance as you move across the dance floor and minimize
strain. Posture is also key to maintaining Argentine Tango’s distinctive
embrace.
A leader’s good posture allows the follower to read the lead more clearly; good
posture in a follower allows the leader to better sense and identify the
follower’s axis. This in turn, helps the leader lead more effectively.
Whether you are leading or following, lean inward from the waist slightly,
keeping your back straight. With a few rare exceptions, never lean
backwards. In addition to being bad form, leaning backwards could cause you
to lose balance or step on your partner’s feet.
Figure 1: Correct vs. incorrect posture
Isolation Tango often requires your upper half of the body to move independently from
the lower half — you often have to rotate your torso in one direction while
your feet and hips move the opposite way. This concept is called isolation.
Learning Argentine Tango
Ken Spencer Brown 10
Two ways in which the concept of isolation manifests itself in Argentine
Tango are in basic rotation and contra-body motion.
Basic Rotation Rotating requires moving your entire torso, not just your arms — especially
for the leader. If the follower is paying attention and keeping the chest facing
the leader’s, most basic dance moves require only the lightest force from the
leader’s arms.
Figure 2: Rotation, correct and incorrect
Contra-body Motion Sometimes, your torso must move in one direction while your
feet move in another. This is necessary in some moves to
continue facing your partner.
Here’s a typical example of contra-body motion. Notice that the
legs and feet are moving independently of the torso.
Figure 3: Contra-body motion
Note: In a proper
rotation, the legs do not pivot.
Fundamental Concepts
Ken Spencer Brown 11
The Collect Position The collect position is one of Argentine Tango’s most basic — and
most important — concepts. Every move the leader makes in
Tango ends or travels through the position. Likewise, the
follower is almost always moving to or from the position.
Fortunately, the collect position is easy. To position yourself in
the pose, put both heels together and spread the feet out in a
slight “V” shape.
The Classic Pose The classic pose involves starting with the left foot forward.
Many tango steps start in this pose, especially when
transitioning from another move.
Figure 5: Classic pose
Figure 4: Collect position
Working With a Partner
Ken Spencer Brown 13
WORKING WITH A PARTNER Now that you have learned the basic concepts around posture and movement,
find a partner. The old saying is true: “It takes two to Tango!”
Whether you are the leader or follower, you need to learn your role in the
dance and how to interact with your partner.
The Embrace One of Argentine Tango’s distinctive features is the
embrace. When both partners are maintaining
proper posture, the top halves of their bodies
remain closer — touching most of the time — than
the bottom half. The embrace roughly resembles a
narrow letter “A” shape.
Tango is not a standardized dance, so there is no
single way to embrace. The only firm rule is that
the embrace must be comfortable for both leader
and follower.
To form a typical Tango embrace:
1. Stand chest to chest in front of your partner.
The leader and follower can stand a bit to the
right of their partner to slightly offset one
another.
2. Lean slightly forward until your chest is touching your partner’s. Leave
some space between the leader’s and follower’s feet, spreading out
downward from the chest.
3. Form the closed side of the embrace.
Wrap your right arm around your follower’s torso, toward the
person’s right shoulder blade.
Place your left arm over the leader’s right shoulder.
Photo 2: A typical embrace
Symbol key:
Instructions for leaders
Instructions for followers
Learning Argentine Tango
Ken Spencer Brown 14
Figure 6: A typical embrace, as viewed from the closed side of the embrace
4. Form the open side of the embrace.
Bend your left elbow and hold your partner’s right hand with your
left hand at cheek level, about two feet away from the face. The back
of your left hand should face outward.
Mirror the leader — with your right elbow bent and back of the hand
facing away, hold the leader’s left hand.
The Leader’s Role The leader directs the dance, guiding partner firmly but as gently as possible.
Since the follower moves backwards frequently, the leader is responsible for
steering clear of obstacles and other couples.
The leader must think for both partners — knowing how the follower should
respond makes for a better leader. And a good leader makes it easy for the
follower to follow
To guide the follower, lead with your chest, gently pushing with your arms.
Things for the leader to keep in mind To become a confident, sensitive leader:
Protect your follower. Always be aware of the dangers lurking on the
dance floor, such as reckless couples and objects on the floor.
Figure 7: A typical embrace, as viewed from above
Note: You’ll need to
know the open and closed sides of the embrace for many other
Tango moves.
Working With a Partner
Ken Spencer Brown 15
Be gentle but firm. Be clear with your lead, but use as little force as
possible. The goal is to hold the follower as you would a baby: firm enough
to protect but gentle enough to sooth.
Move with confidence. If you start a move, follow through unless it’s
unsafe to do so. Changing your mind halfway through a move is not only
annoying — it is a quick way to step on your follower’s toes.
Move with the music, but don’t be a slave to it. Unlike standard ballroom
dancing, Argentine Tango allows for a wide range of move and tempos. If
the music is too fast, step on every other beat instead of every beat. If the
floor is too crowded — or you are feeling romantic — forgo the footwork
altogether and just rock your partner back and forth.
The Follower’s Role The follower’s role in Tango is to watch the leader’s body language for subtle
cues on when and where to move and respond appropriately to that lead.
Although beginning followers do not need to know any specific steps — in
some ways, not knowing is better — a few basic guidelines will keep both
partners in harmony.
Things for the follower to keep in mind To keep you in sync with your partner and follow the lead correctly:
With the exception of a few advanced moves, keep your chest facing your
leader’s, no matter where your feet go.
Make this as easy as possible for the follower by moving slowly and
leading with the chest.
At all times, one foot is planted while the other is free to move. Rarely
divide your weight equally between both feet. Instead, shift your weight
from one foot to the other, moving from collect position to collection
position as the leader guides you.
As the leader guides you, let your feet move where it feels most natural.
Let your free foot move naturally to support your body in its new position
on the dance floor. Sometimes, this means crossing the free foot behind the
fixed foot.
At the start of the dance, assume the follower’s right foot is the free
one. That means your left foot should be the first to move.
Learning Argentine Tango
Ken Spencer Brown 16
Graze the floor whenever possible. Though you may see professional tango
dancers lift their feet high in flamboyant arches, this is not helpful for
beginning Argentine Tango dancers.
A typical step for the follower You can follow effectively in Argentine Tango without knowing specific steps.
But seeing how a typical step progresses might make the your first attempts
on the dance floor easier.
Here’s how to enter the parallel walking system from the follower’s point of
view. (The parallel system is a common way of moving across the dance floor.
The leader’s instructions for this step come later.)
As in every tango step, the follower should not try to anticipate the leader’s
moves, but move only when and where the leader directs.
To enter the parallel walking system
1. Start in the collect position.
2. As the leader’s right foot moves toward you, take a step back
with your right (free) foot. Your left foot should stay in place
for now.
3. Shift your weight to right foot. The shift frees up your left foot.
4. As the leader’s right foot moves toward you, slide your left foot
back to the collect position.
5. Shift your weight to the left foot. This shift frees up your right
foot.
Figure 8: A step from the follower's perspective.
Working With a Partner
Ken Spencer Brown 17
THE LINE OF DANCE Argentine Tango is a “traveling” dance, which means that you and your
partner are expected to move around the dance floor. Traveling around a
crowded dance floor can get dangerous unless everyone follows certain rules.
In Argentine Tango, these rules are called the line of dance.
Figure 9: The line of dance. Note: the red line is not following the line of dance.
By tradition, Argentine Tango dancers travel the dance floor in a
counterclockwise direction. To minimize the chances of colliding with other
dancers, couples move along invisible lanes. Which lane you choose doesn’t
matter — as long as you stay in it!
Any combination or pattern you execute on the dance floor should not take
you or your partner far out of your lane, nor should they cause you to violate
any of the basic rules of navigation on the dance floor.
You may find that traveling the dance floor is a bit like driving down a
highway. Here are a few things to keep in mind when you tango:
Go with the flow of traffic.
Avoid cutting across lanes unnecessarily.
Learning Argentine Tango
Ken Spencer Brown 18
Avoid weaving around.
Watch your surroundings. Protect yourself and your partner from novice
or careless dancers who aren’t following the line of dance.
Avoid talking on the dance floor. All communication in tango should be
done with your body.
Dance steps you know. You go to dances to dance, not to practice. Unless
you’re in a class or a practica (time set aside for practicing), keep moving.
Taking Your First Steps
Ken Spencer Brown 19
TAKING YOUR FIRST STEPS Now that you and your partner have learned some of Argentine Tango’s
foundational basics, you are ready to start stepping out.
Think of Tango as a kind of Legos, with basic building blocks you can mix and
match in endless combinations. By mixing a few walking systems with a few
basic moves —connected by the collect position — you can look like a pro in
no time.
Argentine Tango has four major “systems” of walking across the dance floor:
Parallel System
Outside Parallel System
Cross System to the Open Side of the Embrace
Cross System to the Closed Side of the Embrace.
In each of these walking systems, the leader imagines two, three or four
tracks to guide the feet. The beginning follower does not have to worry about
what system the leader is using; though the positions might change as both
partners keep their chests parallel, the follower simply walks backward
following the leader’s guiding push.
Once you’ve entered any of the four systems, continuing movement is easy —
just keep walking, putting one foot in front (or in the follower’s case, behind)
the other.
Parallel System In the parallel system, the leader imagines two imaginary
tracks that line up with the follower’s feet. Both partners’
chests face forward, with the leader’s right foot directly in
front of the follower’s left foot, and the leader’s left foot directly
in front of the follower’s right foot.
To begin walking in the parallel system:
1. Start in the collect position.
2. Step forward with your left foot.
Learning Argentine Tango
Ken Spencer Brown 20
Outside Parallel System The outside parallel system is similar to the parallel system you just learned,
only the leader walks to the side of — not in front of — the follower. Instead
of imagining two tracks, the leader should imagine four tracks: two for the
leader and two for the follower. The leader can walk on either side of the
follower, so long as their chests continue to face one another.
To begin walking via the outside parallel system:
1. Start in the collect position.
2. With your left foot, step left to the 9 o’clock position.
Keep your torso facing forward.
3. Slide your right foot left until you reached the
collection position again.
4. Continuing the motion, step forward with your right
foot. This step will move you to the left of the follower
(the follower’s right side).
5. Step forward and continue walking.
Like the original parallel system you learned, your feet will mirror
the leader’s. As the leader’s left foot moves forward, move your right
foot back in unison.
Cross System to Open Side of Embrace “Cross system” involves the follower and leader walking so that their feet
mirror each other — when the leader moves the right foot, so does the
follower. The open side of the embrace is the side where the leader and
follower touch hands — typically, the leader’s left side and the follower’s
right.
The leader should imagine three tracks; the leader’s right foot shares the
same track as the follower’s right foot, but the leader’s right foot has its own
track.
Note: Positions on the
clock refer to positions relative
to the line of dance — the
general direction you’re moving
on the dance floor — not
necessarily your orientation at
any given moment.
Taking Your First Steps
Ken Spencer Brown 21
To begin walking the cross system to the open side of the embrace:
1. Start in the collect position.
2. Step forward with your right foot while rotating your torso clockwise to
the 1 o’clock position.
Nothing much changes for you, except the position of your chest. As
the leader rotates to the 1 o’clock position, keep your chest parallel,
meaning you’ll face the 7 o’clock position (from the perspective of the
line of dance).
Cross System to Closed Side of Embrace The cross system to the open side of the embrace is similar to the previous
walking system, only the leader walks on the other side of the leader — in
this case, the closed side of the embrace, where the leader’s arm wraps
around the follower. Traditionally, this is the leader’s right side and the
follower’s left.
Again, the leader should imagine three tracks. The leader’s left foot shares
the same track as the follower’s left foot, and the leader’s right foot has its
own track.
To begin walking the cross system to the closed side of the
embrace:
1. Start in the collect position.
2. Rotate your torso counterclockwise to the 10
o’clock position. This step shifts your partner’s
weight to the right foot.
3. When the follower reaches the collect position,
step toward the 12 o’clock position with your
left foot. Keep your torso rotated in the 10
o’clock position.
Changing Systems
Ken Spencer Brown 23
CHANGING SYSTEMS You could go on all night walking in any one of the systems you just learned.
But you — and your partner — would get bored quickly. That’s why most
Tango dancers change walking systems frequently when dancing.
All of the walking systems you learned begin in the collect position. So you
can start them at anytime you happen to be poised in the collect position.
But sometimes, you may prefer to move from one walking system directly
into another. Some of the most common switchovers involve changing from
the outside parallel system to the parallel system; from the parallel system to
the cross system on the closed side of the embrace; and from the cross system
on the closed side of the embrace to the parallel system.
Outside Parallel to Parallel To move from the outside parallel system to the parallel
system:
1. Start with your left foot forward. Walking from the
outside parallel system correctly should point your torso
in the 2 o’clock position.
2. Step forward with your right foot. Keep the torso in the 2
o’clock position.
3. Step forward with your left foot and rotate your torso
counterclockwise to the 12 o’clock position. The follower,
keeping the chest parallel with the leader’s, will now be
in front of the leader, positioned for the parallel system.
Learning Argentine Tango
Ken Spencer Brown 24
Parallel to Cross on Closed Side of Embrace To move from the parallel system to the cross system on the closed side of the
embrace:
1. Start with your left foot forward. Entering from the
parallel system points your torso toward the 12
o’clock position.
2. Shift your weight to the right foot.
3. Rotate your torso counterclockwise to the 10 o’clock
position and swing the left foot back to the collect
position. This guides the follower to your left side,
with the follower’s left leg free.
4. Continuing the motion from step No. 3, step with
your left foot to halfway between the 12 o’clock and 1
o’clock positions.
Cross on Closed Side of Embrace to Parallel To move from the cross system on the closed side of the embrace to the
parallel system:
1. Start with your left foot forward. The cross
system on the closed side of the embrace will
have pointed your torso toward the 12 o’clock
position.
2. Shift your weight to the right foot.
3. Step back with the left foot — crossing it over
your right foot — and rotate your torso
clockwise to the 1 o’clock position.
4. With the left foot, step toward the 12 o’clock
position and rotate your torso to the 12 o’clock
position.
Adding to the Repertoire
Ken Spencer Brown 25
ADDING TO THE REPERTORE You can do a lot just switching between the different walking systems. But
Argentine Tango has a handful of steps so basic they’re considered
fundamental to the dance. Here are a few of them.
Step and Collect The step and collect can be a handy way to steer yourself and your partner
counterclockwise. It begins and ends in the collect position.
To perform a step and collect:
1. Start in the collect position.
2. Step forward with your left foot.
3. Shift your weight to the right foot.
4. Rotate your torso counterclockwise to the 10 o’clock
position while bringing your left foot back to the collect
position. The follower should rotate with the leader.
Basic Side Step The basic side step shifts you and your partner to the left. It also begins and
ends in the collect position.
To perform a basic side step:
1. Start in the collect position.
2. Shift your weight to your right foot.
3. Step toward the 9 o’clock position with your left foot.
Taking direction from the leader, move in the same direction.
4. Move your right foot leftward to return to the collect position.
Backward Ocho The backward ocho gets its name from the figure-8 shape the follower makes
when the leader performs this step. While the step gets a bit more
Learning Argentine Tango
Ken Spencer Brown 26
complicated than previous steps for the leader, the follower need only move
the feet the direction that feels most natural, given the leader’s guidance.
To perform the Backward Ocho:
1. Start in the collect position
2. Shift your weight to the right foot. This step frees
up your left foot.
3. Step to the 9 o’clock position with your left foot.
4. Bring your right foot to the collect position.
5. Rotate your torso counterclockwise to the 11 o’clock
position.
6. Step to the 9 o’clock position with your left foot.
7. Bring your right foot to the collect position; at the same time, rotate your
torso clockwise until it faces the 12 o’clock position.
8. Continue rotating your torso clockwise until it reaches the 1 o’clock
position.
9. Step to the 3 o’clock position with your right foot.
10. Bring your left foot to the collect position; at the same time, rotate your
torso counterclockwise to the 12 o’clock position.
Adding to the Repertoire
Ken Spencer Brown 27
Two Check Steps A check step involves leading a follower in one direction,
and then back to the original position. Both of the
following check steps begin with the classic pose.
Simple Check Step To perform a simple check step:
1. From the classic pose, step back to the 7 o’clock
position with your left foot and rotate
counterclockwise.
Step No. 1 should cause you to step with your left
foot to the 7 o’clock position.
2. Step back to the 12 o’clock position with your left foot
while reversing your torso rotation (clockwise).
This step should cause you to step back with your
left foot to the 12 o’clock position.
Another Check Step To perform a different kind of check step:
1. From the classic pose, step forward to the 12 o’clock
position with the left foot.
2. Step to the 7 o’clock position with the right foot.
3. Step back to the collect position with the left foot.
4. Rotate your torso in the clockwise position. This will
rotate the follower around the planted foot.
5. Step to the 12 o’clock position with the left foot.
Note: When
performing a check step, both
leader and follower should
avoid shifting too much weight to the follower’s
free foot.
Putting the Pieces Together
Ken Spencer Brown 29
PUTTING THE PIECES TOGETHER Now that you have learned the major walking systems and a few basic steps,
you can start putting the pieces together in basic combinations.
Entries and Exits Every step in tango has three parts:
The entry
The step’s essential element
The exit
Learning how to improvise in Tango requires paying particular attention to
the entry and exit of each step.
You can execute the same Tango elements with different entries and different
exits. And you can combine any step that exits with a particular walking
system with any other step that begins with the same walking system — just
like Lego building blocks.
Backward Ocho: Different Exits The backwards ocho makes a good example for using different entries and
exits.
The basic backward ocho includes three parts: An entry, the characteristic
element, and the exit:
Entry: (steps 1-2) A sidestep and rotation. The leader
performs a sidestep merely to take the follower’s
weight off the left leg and onto the right.
Element: (steps 3-7) Step 3 also starts a rotation,
which begins the backward ocho.
Exit (Steps 8-9) Step No. 8 starts the exit, which
takes you into the cross system to the open side of the
embrace.
You exit the Ocho into a cross system to the open side of
the embrace. So you can combine the Ocho with any other step you know that
starts with a Cross System to the Open Side of the Embrace.
Figure 10: Backward Ocho
Learning Argentine Tango
Ken Spencer Brown 30
Alternatve Exit
The leader can exit into the outside parallel system using
the same entry and element. But by stepping out of the
move with a different leg, you can exit the step into the
outside parallel system you learned earlier. Simply step
with your right foot (to the follower’s right side) on step
9.
Backward Ocho: Different Entries You’ve seen how easy it is to exit the backward ocho in
different ways. You can also enter the move using a variety of different steps.
In the Backward Ocho, the leader starts the Ocho with a sidestep to his left.
As noted before, this sidestep’s purpose was merely to get the follower’s
weight off of the left leg onto the right. You can enter the move in other ways.
Backward Ocho to Cross System on Open Side This is one way to enter an Ocho from a cross system to the
open side of the embrace:
1. Rotate your torso counterclockwise to the 12 o’clock
position and step up with your left foot to the collect
position.
2. Follow steps from original backward ocho.
Back Ocho from Cross System on Closed Side This is one way to enter an Ocho from a cross system to the
closed side of the embrace:
1. Step to the 3 o’clock position with your right foot
while rotating your torso clockwise.
2. Bring your left foot to collect.
3. Follow steps from original backward ocho
Figure 11: Exiting the Backward Ocho into the Outside Parallel System
Troubleshooting
Ken Spencer Brown 31
TROUBLESHOOTING Here are a few problems you might run into when learning Argentine Tango
and some possible solutions.
You keep stepping on your partner’s toes.
Chances are that the leader is stepping without first leading with the
chest or that the follower isn’t reading the leader’s signals correctly.
Solution: Lead more clearly. All of the leader’s signals should come from
the chest first, with the feet following slightly after. A natural delay will
exist between the time the leader signals a move and the follower reacts.
Solution: Follow more A good follow will not move until the leader’s signal
to the chest has become very clear. So delay your feet from moving until
after your chest has already started to move.
You keep bumping into other dancers.
Solution: stay within the line of dance. When on a crowded dance floor (or
even a not-so-crowded floor) you must obey rules of traffic navigation that
are very similar to rules of the road when driving. Go with the flow of
traffic, stay in your lane as much as possible, don’t go backwards, etc.
Solution: Watch out for other couples who may not be following the line of
dance.
You keep tripping or slipping.
Solution: Wear shoes that can glide on the dance floor but stay on your
feet. Slip-ons and strapless sandals do not work well for Argentine Tango.
Solution: Find a different dance floor. The floor should allow shoes to glide
but not slip.
You cannot keep up with the music.
Solution: wear loose clothing that doesn’t restrict your movement.
Long skirts should have slits.
Solution: Stop trying to hit every beat and instead hit every other
beat. Or better yet, work with your partner to find your own beat.
Glossary
Ken Spencer Brown 33
GLOSSARY OF TERMS Argentine Tango: The original Tango, which originated among working-class
Argentineans in the late 1800s.
Classic pose: A common position in Argentine Tango. Involves having right
foot forward.
Collect position: One of the most common positions in Argentine tango.
Involved standing with feet together, spread out in a
V” shape.
Entry: The starting position of a given Tango step.
Exit: The ending position of a given Tango step.
Embrace: Argentine Tango’s distinctive hold, which places leader and
follower close to one another for better communication.
Essential Element: The defining characteristic of a given Tango step.
Follower: The partner who follows the direction of the leader. Traditionally a
woman.
Leader: The partner who directs the dance and guides the leader.
Traditionally a man.
Milonga: Tango music with a steady beat. Also refers to a tango dance party.
O’Clock (positions): Direction as they relate to positions on the clock. Twelve
o’clock represents the direction of the dance.
Nuevo Tango: Contemporary popular music infused with a tango beat.
Isolation: Concept of torso moving independently of the legs and feet.
Required by many Tango moves.
Line of dance: The rules for moving around the dance floor to avoid collisions.
Tango: Usually refers to a more formal type of ballroom tango that evolved
from Argentine Tango.
Vals: A waltz, known for its steady 1-2-3 beat.
Walking system: A way of moving across the dance floor. The four most
common walking systems are parallel system, outside parallel system, cross
system to the open side of the embrace and cross system to the closed side of
the embrace.
Learning Argentine Tango
Ken Spencer Brown 34
Index
Ken Spencer Brown 35
INDEX backward ocho, 28, 31-32 basic side step, 27 changing systems, 25 check step, 29 classic pose, 13, 29 classic Tango, 9 closed side (of the embrace), 21, 23, 25 collect position, 13, 17-18, 21-23, 25, 26-29,
32 Contra-body Motion, 12 Cross System, 22-23 embrace, 7, 11, 15, 16, 21-23, 25-26, 31-32 entries, 31- 32 essential element, 31 exits, 31-32 follower, 7, 11-13, 15-18, 21- 23, 25-29, 31-
33 Isolation, 11, 35
leader, 7, 11, 12, 13, 15-18, 21-23, 25, 27-28, 31, 32-33
line of dance, 19-20, 23, 33 Milonga, 9 music, 9, 17, 33, 35 Nuevo Tango, 9, 35 open side (of the embrace), 16, 21- 23, 31,
32 Parallel System, 21-22, 25, 26, 32 Posture, 11 Roles of leader and follower, 17-18 Rotation
rotating, 12 Step and Collect, 27 Traditional tangos, 9 Vales, 9 walking systems, 21, 25, 27, 31, 35
Recommended