Tango Lesson, Friday, 9/20

Tango for Beginners & Intermediate
Friday, September 20

This week: Variations on the Theme of Walking
7:30–8:30pm – Camille & partner show you steps & technique
8:30–10:30pm – Practica, with guidance
$10 – package deal

Walking, or caminando, is the most basic unit of tango, the most elegant when done well with a partner, and the most under-estimated for its beauty. In this class we’ll work on different “flavors” of walking to the music, including the understated weight changing in place, the playful rock step (or cadencia), and rock steps with 1/4 & 1/2 turns or pivots. We’ll start with the music of Señor Romantico, Carlos DiSarli, and move into practica with El Res del Compas, the King of Rhythm, Rodolfo Biaggio.  See you Friday!

“You learn tango from the feet up but dance it from the heart down.”

Summary notes of the class:
Organito de la tarde
– by Carlos DiSarli was the music we used.

  1. Walking to DiSarli in circle
  2. Weight changes in place
  3. Rock steps – forward & to side
  4. Rock steps with ¼ turn
  5. Rock steps with ½ turn – pivots on heel or from upper body, feel difference
  6. Connection – face a partner – hand on breastplate – walking back n forth
  7. Connection – leader stops thinking of self – thinks of follower – Exercise that helps you understand this: Fly casting – pitching – body leg – Follow the line, ball, follower
  8. Connection – follower waits and doesn’t think at all. Stays in hover zone. Like football players but more graceful.
  9. Embrace – arms are fluid and flow like wings – almost weightless. Prefer to connect at shoulders first; let arms float up; palm to palm fingers relaxed 2lbs pressure. Over balls of feet
  10. Walking in close embrace now – dynamic, sliding – back of heart
  11. Put it all together now – vary flavor of walk – vanilla, choco, straw, butter pecan – add weight shifts in place, rock steps
  12. Communication & dialog is 2-way – try to do it through body language