Dancing Soul

Media vuelta and salida del 40 (tango vals review 2)

Vals timing for steps

1 . . 1 . . 1 . . 1 . . (step on the first beat of each measure, leaving beats 2 & 3 alone)

1 . 3 1 . 3 1 . 3 1 . 3 (step on the first and last beat of each measure, leaving beat 2 alone)

1 2 . 1 2 . 1 2 . 1 2 . (step on the first and second beat of each measure, leaving beat 3 alone)

1 2 3  (step on all three beats): I'd never do this more than once in a row!

Mix and match these timings as the music speaks to you. This session, we used valses from these three orchestras: Donato, D'Arienzo, and De Angelis because both Robert and I like nice medium-speed, well-marked rhythms for learning musicality (not because they began with 'D'!).

Media vuelta

Although there are many ways to begin a media vuelta, we did it in class from traveling back ochos.

The main idea is the the turn (media vuelta means "half turn") of the follower goes counterclockwise around the leader, using the follower's back, side, front steps. It truly IS a half turn (although I've been known to get all the way around on a particularly zippy one), and thus works really well to get back to line-of-dance (LOD) if you are facing the wrong way; or you can combine it with other elements to make a full turn more interesting. 

• The trick for a zippy media vuelta: The leader uses a slight rebound step to initiate the turn and make it zippy: he steps slightly forward and slightly to the left diagonal, with the left foot; and then rebounds back to his right foot. I usually add another step as I turn in place for balance, but sometimes I stay on my right and spin; try both!
• Timing: This makes a turn that works well for 1 . 3 1 for the follower (what I like usually), or 1 2 . 1 for the follower (what Robert likes usually). In either case, the follower steps left, right, left for the sequence.
• Easy ending: After turn, follower has right foot free. The leader can either exit with the left for parallel, or with the right for crossed system, and contine dancing.
• Continuous (linked) media vueltas: Continue turning so that the follower does a fourth step around to complete the turn (1 . . ) WHILE leader shifts weight (1 . 3 or 1 2 . ) and then initiates another media vuelta, again starting facing LOD. This makes the follower's and leader's steps both syncopate, but in series (ex. follower 1 2 . 1; leader 1 2 . 1; follower 1 2 . 1, with each person doing the quick quick staccato timing while the other person is executing a 1 . . count on their step.

Salida del 40 (1940s style salida)

I was taught this as a normal salida when in Buenos Aires, but I've noticed that most people call it a "salida del 40" so I'll continue that usage. There are many variations on this theme, but the one we taught was Robert's preferred version:

• Leader faces out of the room (back to the center of the floor), and takes a side step with the left, LOD; follower takes a right side step, also LOD.
• Leader steps together in place, onto the right foot (the couple are now in crossed system) and pivots the follower so that her/his next step will be backwards, down the LOD.
• Optional adorno for the follower here: use the left (free leg), making a tiny U shape around the right foot--make sure the KNEES touch, with the left back of the knee touching the right front of the knee. This has to be small, fast, and on balance!
• Optional adorno for the follower here: after being pivoted to move LOD, facing RLOD, you can tap your (still) free left foot next to your right before stepping backwards. Make is subtle--this is an adornment, not the main step :-)
• Leader steps LOD with the left; follower steps LOD back with the left (some versions have only the follower step here). This is a smaller step.
• Leader steps LOD with the right; follower steps LOD back with the right. This is an energized, strong step.
• Leader leads the follower to cross without changing the leader's weight. Follower crosses, transferring weight to the left foot.
• Exit in parallel.

Timing

1 . . 1 . . 1 . . 1 . . is the underlying pulse of this step. The leader's step to change to crossed system works well as 1 . 3 or 1 2 . so that the follower's step stays on the 1 . . 1 (and the same is true for the follower's cross, which works well as 1 . 3 or 1 2 .). Of course, other timings work well, too, but I'd say this is the most traditional version.

Ocho cortado and ocho cortado turn

I covered ocho cortado and ocho cortado turns on March 19, 2010 and April 5, 2010. You can either search by "ocho cortado" among my topics, or look for those dates to review those moves.

Vals timing

For ocho cortado, the two rebound steps can be any of the vals timings I listed at the beginning of this post. In the turn, the most traditional timing is to syncopate the rebounds, AND make the turn 1 . . 1 2 . 1 or 1 . . 1 . 3 1--you choose! Of course, you can always stick to straight 1 . . 1 . . 1 . ., but where's the extra edge of challenge?

Traveling turns in parallel and crossed systems (tango vals review 1)

I love doing traveling turns in vals, and having one parallel and one crossed system option means that you can start turning at any time: when the music says "Turn!" you will be ready.

Warmup: Tete's exercise

I had the opportunity to study with Tete for a few months in Buenos Aires, and to take his vals class. After he got over the fact that I wanted to lead in his class ;-) he provided me with a lot of useful information.

To get the idea of listening to the music and turning, Tete would have us walk around the room, to the music. He would shout, "Turn!" and we would have to turn halfway or all the way around WHILE traveling down the room. He wanted us to be able to turn clockwise and counterclockwise effortlessly, so that we could access all the feelings in the music and respond accordingly.

The leader's focus is the leader's axis traveling through space. Tete would tell us to imagine that we were able to flip 180 degrees at a time, rather than trying to gradually turn (keep this in mind when you have a follower attached, because it makes the dance work). Don't try to tell the follower what to do; just move your own body clearly. That clarity creates the lead. As long as you move down the room on each step, this works. Practice without a follower first, and then add a partner.

In this exercise, the follower works on being on axis and staying in front of the leader; the leader is focusing on the leader. There are no specific kinds of turns being done: the leader is listening to the music and turning. As a follower, you will find that this is easier than it sounds. There are no correct number of steps, no demands for how to follow the step. As long as you stay in front of the leader and upright, it works.

Hint: As a follower, sometimes it will be safer to step on the inside or outside track, rather than right in front of the leader until the turn finishes.  Use your common sense: just step where it makes sense.

Parallel system traveling turns

Tete's exercise helps you feel more comfortable walking LOD and turning.  Here is one specific traveling turn. Although it is possible to turn clockwise and counterclockwise, it is MUCH easier to turn clockwise, so that is what we learned in vals class.

Leaders: "Forward side back, back side forward" is your mantra, after getting set for the turn:

1. Right foot moving into the "inside" (or "outside" track, depending on your descriptive terms), or to the right of the follower, line-of-dance (LOD) WHILE the follower steps back LOD on the left ("forward").
2. Step onto the left, moving LOD, facing the outer wall ("side") WHILE follower steps onto the right, moving LOD, facing the center of the dance space.
3. Step onto the right, moving LOD, facing reverse line-of-dance (RLOD) ("back") WHILE the follower steps forward, facing/moving LOD, with the left.
4. Step onto the left, moving LOD, facing RLOD ("back") WHILE follower steps forward and through to the "inside" track (to the leader's right side).
5. Step onto the right, moving LOD, facing the center of the floor ("side") WHILE the follower steps LOD, facing the outside wall, with the left.
6. Step onto the left, in front of your partner, moving LOD, facing LOD ("forward") WHILE the follower steps back with the right, moving LOD, facing RLOD.

You can do this move in a very tight space with small steps, always moving LOD. You can do this with really big steps if you have room. If there are people in the way, you can always truncate the move by continuing the turn IN PLACE, or by abandoning the rest of the pattern and doing something else (improvise!).

Timing in the traveling parallel turn

We spent a lot of time in class practicing turning with different timings:

• Stepping only on the 1 . . 1 . . 1 . . makes this simple, but sometimes feels too slow.
• Stepping on the 1 . 3 1 . 3 1 . 3 has a nice lilting feeling (the brave Sir Robin count :-)
• Stepping on the 12 . 12 . 12 . has a zippier feeling that fits some valses better (the tiptoe count--yes, this is silly, but you did it right when I said this!)
• Stepping on all count 123 should only be done once in a row, and only rarely does it feel right; but I do use it.
• And then there is the "Dan" (as in Dan Boccia from Alaska): I love dancing vals with Dan because he plays with all of these timings in the traveling turn, starting slow and speeding up into a 123! ending. Dan, you probably don't know that I've called this step a Dan for years, but I think of it as your signature step!

Crossed system traveling turns (the cadena, or chain, step)

If you are in crossed system when the music says "Turn!" you do not need to switch systems to begin. The cadena is harder than parallel system turns at first, but once you learn the movement, you will find it just as easy to do.

Leader mantra: "Through, around, through around" (this is a four-step repeat, rather than the six-step repeat of the parallel turn)

Do:

1. Leader mantra: side-side, front-back. The leader's steps are right, left, right, left.
2. Follower mantra: back-front, side-side. The follower's steps are right, left, right, left.
3. These are the two sets of rebounds, rocks, whatever, that are involved in the chain step.
4. ALL STEPS turn continuously, so that the dance travels on each step, down the line-of-dance; if you are ending up staying in one place, something is wrong.
5. On the side-side steps, the person facing LOD is actually stepping forward straight THROUGH the step of the person doing the other set of steps, while turning. Yes, their left leg is in the way and touches yours; yes, the leg you touch does not have weight on it, so you are not knocking the other person over.
6. The easiest way to start and end the move is in traveling back ochos; or experiment!
7. This can turn both directions, but is easiest turning clockwise (once it's easy, then tackle the hard side).
8. Although possible to do in open embrace, it is easier to lead this in close embrace because the follower must follow your lead, rather than try to extricate her/his leg from the center of the turn :-)

Don't:

1. Do not try and keep your legs touching while you turn: this ends up looking like wrestling or some kind of European pivoting couple dance ;-)
2. Do not stop turning: it's much easier to just keep moving (which is why I made you do the Tete exercise first to get used to that idea).
3. Do not worry about perfect placement. If you keep landing in the middle of the dance, pivot steps 2 & 3 more. If you keep ending up heading towards the walls, you may be twisting too far around on 1 and 3. Experiment and find the right amount of turn for you.
4. Do not tighten your legs and knees to try to keep touching. If you relax your "free" leg while you turn, your legs will go into the correct place.
5. Do not do more than one set of four steps at once UNTIL you get control of that sequence. Get in, turn, get out.

Timing

I tend to do cadenas in even timing: 1 . . 1 . . 1 . . 1 . . because I don't want my follower to panic when they feel a leg touch theirs! It is possible to do all the other timings, but I would not advocate the 123 version. Dance safely.

New classes start this week!

Tango I: Introduction to Argentine Tango (Thursdays, 6-7 PM, Om Studio, 14 NE 10th, between Burnside and Couch)

If you are a complete beginner, or a dancer reviewing your basics, this is the class for you! Each week, we'll cover new material and integrate it into your dance, so you can take it out on the dance floor immediately. We'll cover walking, turning, ochos, going to the cross; the embrace; navigation; improvisation; and musicality.

I teach a body-based tango which looks for efficient, balanced movement to allow you to find your own style. Fun, improvisatory, sensual, exciting: tango! No partner needed.

$60/6 weeks, or $12 drop in (summer special: pay for both six-week sessions at once for $100--save $20)

Tango 2: Advanced Beginners/Beginning Intermediates (Thursdays, 7-8 PM, Om Studio, 14 NE 10th, between Burnside and Couch)

Designed for folks who have already completed Tango I (at least once, I suggest 2-3 times), this class introduces new moves each week to gradually build an elegant, powerful dance. Want to improve your technique for following? We'll do adornos, boleos, ganchos, etc. Want to improve your leading? We'll do fun combinations that increase your confidence on the the dance floor and make you look good, too!

As usual, I focus on the body: balance, breath, alignment--the true tango fundamentals--to make tango work for YOUR body. Navigation, the embrace, musicality and connection/energy with your partner are integral parts to each class. Come connect with tango!

$60/6 weeks, or $12 drop in (summer special: pay for both six-week sessions at once for $100--save $20)

Milonga traspie: all levels (Wednesdays, 8:15-9:15 PM, Om Studio, 14 NE 10th, between Burnside and Couch)

Come learn new milonga moves that work to traditional and alternative music, and then head over to Norse Hall to practice them! We're one block from the milonga, so plan on making an evening of it!

Milonga traspie is a grooving, syncopated, WOW! dance. We'll work on the fundamentals of the dance, as well as harder patterns to incorporate into your existing milonga. We'll focus on musicality and making the dance reflect the musical playfulness of milonga. We'll also learn to adjust to various embraces, styles of music and partners so that you can lead/follow ANYBODY.

Note: This class is aimed at intermediate and advanced dancers. Beginners: you are welcome, but please bring a partner so that you can work at your own pace.

$60/6 weeks, or $12 drop in (summer special: pay for both six-week sessions at once for $100--save $20)

Not offered this session: Tango 3, 4 & 5; tango vals; musicality class. 

Private lessons available during the day Monday-Wednesday; and Tuesday and Wednesday evenings. Call 541.914.4812 to schedule, or email ewartluf@gmail.com.

Drunken sailor: oldie but goodie steps

I hadn't meant to teach this step last week, but one couple came in with a mild disagreement over how to make it work, and the other dancers were intrigued, and it got added to the intermediate lesson plan. After all, what's not to like about a bit of milonga snuck into tango class?

I learned this step the first year I took tango. In fact, I think we ALL learned this step that year, 1995-1996, because I remember being led in it ad nauseam, and swearing I'd never teach the move again. Ah, well, life is more fun when you reverse your decisions randomly!

Main concept

The leader blocks the follower's leg so that, instead of walking backwards, the follower has to change weight by crossing the right leg in front of the left leg (the reverse of the "normal" cruzada position). This is repeated several times (three feels nice), and then the leg block is released to walk the follower to the cross. Many people like to use a slight rocking motion to travel/change weight during this move, which is probably why it's called drunken sailor.

Because this step relies on full body contact to lead nicely, I wouldn't do this in open embrace: it leads to karate-like chops towards the follower's legs, which do NOT feel nice. Ease into this step; it's only a slightly drunken sailor! Think rocking boat, not staggering drunk.

Getting into the step

I like leading into the drunken sailor from the salida. Of course, there are other ways, but I'll leave you to figure those out.

1. Leader steps to the left with the left.
2. Step forward and slightly to the right diagonal with the right, making sure to contact the outside of the follower's right thigh with the outside of the leader's right thigh.
3. While doing #2, the leader rotates a bit, so that the leader's hips face slightly left forward diagonal. This makes it easier for both people to arrive in the correct, balanced position to switch feet.
4. The leader steps in and behind with, the left so that the knees "kiss"--but the feet don't. By overshooting a bit, and then shifting the hips, this step shifts a teeny bit to the leader's right. This ensures that the follower MUST shift weight, crossing to the "wrong" side.
5. Repeat 3. and 4. two more times (optional), continuing down the line-of-dance. The hip shifts tilt the dancers from one foot to the other, making this step look drunken. Don't overdo it, and make sure that the lead is from the center, not from the arms or shoulders. It's supposed to look drunken, not dangerous.

Exiting from the step

Once the follower understands that you are doing the drunken sailor, continuing the step is easy. However, convincing the follower that you want to STOP the move takes a clear lead.

1. Stop touching legs: as the leader travels forward with the right, make sure your legs do not touch.
2. Reverse the diagonal: as the leader travels forward with the left, make the step move out SLIGHTLY to the left front diagonal (facing LOD), and make sure you have rotated the follower so that it is obvious that something else is happening.
3. Lead the follower into the regular cruzada, crossing the follower's LEFT over the right (of course, there are other ways to exit, but this is the easiest).

This is a traveling step

This does not travel in a straight line (notice the name!), but it does end up making a normal progression down the LOD. I can't explain what it looks like, so I will have to draw a picture of it:

In my mind, this is what I say to translate this picture (you need to start at the bottom and work up--sorry, this is how I notate dances for myself!):

• side
• forward
• shift in place
• forward
• shift in place
• forward
• shift in place
• forward
• to the
• cross!

As long as the move continues line-of-dance (LOD), it works on the dance floor. There are two main variants I've seen, one in which the leader does a crab walk down the LOD, with the hips facing slightly left front diagonal. In the other version, the leader faces the center of the room, and moves sideways down the line of dance. I like moving down the room in diagonals, rather than facing in.  Yes, facing into the room is probably an easier way to get that first reverse cross from the follower, but it's harder to exit elegantly. 

Adjusting for height

Not everyone is the same height, so sometimes "thigh" needs to be a relative term. I aim to contact the follower's leg near the height of the hip joint, so I can move the follower's leg through space without upsetting the follower's balance. That means that a short leader may need to aim higher than their own thigh, and a tall leader may need to use just above the knee in order to contact the follower at the upper thigh. If you have a really tall follower, make sure you don't take them out at the knee by mistake!!

Taadaa!

The duende of tango

I think of "duende" as the "passion" or "soul" of something.  Merriam-Webster defines it as "the power to attract through personal magnetism and charm."

What is it that attracts people to tango, and then holds them in tango's embrace?

I don't think it's the steps of tango, or the music, although I am hooked on both myself. I think it is tango's demand that both the leader and the follower must interact with another person's energy and spirit, in order to dance well. To dance tango, you need to take an emotional risk and open yourself to another soul.

Beginner's mind

What made me think of this was a joyous, laughing beginner who tore up the floor last night at my lesson.   When I fired up my Naughty Toddler exercise, he flew around the dance floor with a more experienced follower, and led her in moves that I KNOW he does not know. He put his entire heart and soul into that dance, and it was breathtaking. 

Now, tango is not a solo dance, so you need a partner willing to risk all as well. Last night, a quiet, sweet follower turned up the volume, met this beginner's energy, and did the best dance I've ever seen her do in a year of dancing. She looked phenomenal; she took risks I've never seen her take, and it paid off.

It looked FUN! It had passion, it had groove, it had soul; for a moment, the duende of tango peeped out.

Maintaining beginner's mind

All of the tango beginners who showed up quickly got the idea that the shared energy counted more than perfection of steps. As we explored, the more shy dancers started to play, smile, risk more, and began to dance with energy, with spirit, with soul.

More experienced tango dancers were less sure. I saw the skeptical looks exchanged by the "experienced" dancers (something along the lines of "I think she must be nuts" as far as I can read facial expressions). A teacher is telling us that it doesn't matter how well we do the steps?!?!

Some of those dancers did not walk on the dance floor with an open mind. When I left, they were practicing dance moves--without any spark of connection. Well, you can't change anyone's mind except your own :-)

One more experienced dancer took the challenge. Over the course of a few dances, I watched tentatively try out "misbehaving" as a follower. She started to smile. Her dance improved, but it was not easy for her. I honor her for daring to step out of her comfort zone.

My job as a teacher

I used to think that teaching perfection in each step was my primary job as a teacher. After twenty-four years of teaching dance, I no longer believe that. In the past two or three years, I have come to realize that I needed to relearn how to teach, in order to serve my students better.

My job is to release joy, confidence and pleasure into the world; to facilitate personal fulfillment.  For some people, that does mean reaching perfection in a dance style, and I am happy to share my expertise (and my anal retentive nature!).

However, for most of my students, I find that their goal is NOT perfection. They have different goals: find a boy/girlfriend; spend time in our unconnected lives to touch other humans; to express themselves to music; to build balance and flexibility in order to dance into old age; etc. For all of them, they seek those magical moments during a song where two energies meet and two souls touch. Perfect dancing should be perfect connection. Tango entices because it offers an opportunity to reach that perfect connection every dance.

That is what I try to teach. Ask me about the Tiger Growling exercise sometime! Or, come to the Eclectic Dance at Norse Hall on Saturday night (lesson 7:30) and experience it for yourself!

Creating your tango on the fly: paradas, drags and stepovers

One of the complaints I hear from intermediate dancers is that they don't know how to combine the moves they learn with their established habits on the dance floor. My preferred approach to new material is to integrate new moves immediately into the structure that dancers already use; and to understand material as a matrix of opportunities that suggest themselves while dancing.

One example of this: While turning, the follower takes a back cross step every four steps. What can you do with this step? Let's look at a few possibilities that are almost identical in setup, but differ in terms of which side of the follower's foot connects with the leader's foot; which foot the leader uses; and what the music says to do.

Back parada (stop) and pasada (stepover)

A parada (see most recent post) led on the follower's back cross step, or back parada, places the leader's foot in the way, blocking the next side step in the same direction of the turn. For example, if right turn is happening, the follower's left foot is blocked on the outside edge with the inside edge of the leader's right foot (to keep us all sane, I will only suggest one possibility here for the moment).

Two possibilities:

1. Reverse the follower so that s/he steps FORWARD over your foot (so, a back parada and then a front pasada, or stepover).
2. Do a sandwichito (little sandwich), bringing the leader's other foot up so that the leader's heels touch around the front of the follower's foot; then step back with the foot that originally stopped the follower; let the follower collect the heels around the front of your foot, and then step over (the version I described in the last post).

A drag (barrida or "sweep" or arrastre or "drag") and pasada

If you set up EXACTLY the same way as mentioned above, BUT place your foot on the other side (instep) of the follower, you can then perform a drag and stepover.

Let's say that we are turning to the right, and stopping the follower when the follower's left foot is near the leader and the right foot has done a back cross and is touching the floor.

Just like a parada, the drag is an illusion: it is led with the torso, and the leg drag simply adds another flavor to what is simply a side/open step of a turn for the follower. So, as soon as the leader's foot is in place, the leader's torso turns (here, clockwise, or to the right), and the leg accompanies that movement, so that the follower, the leader, and both legs arrive at the next point, at the same time.

This is a nice moment to incorporate the pasada, or stepover, perhaps with a pause for adornment before it.

Again, two possibilities:

1. Drag with the foot towards which you are turning. In this example, use the right foot to drag. Your hips face the follower to make the leg drag easier. Then, the leader's torso twists to the right/clockwise, as do the hips and legs.  The leader ends up with hips and torso facing the follower (don't forget, keep your feet in a V, or you will fall over!)  The leader's right leg guides the follower to step immediately in front of the leader's new facing, and step over. 
2. Drag with the opposite foot (i.e., to the right with the left foot). For this move, the leader must align the hips and feet facing the follower's NEXT step, while leaving the torso facing the follower's present position. Then, twist the torso to align with the hips and feet; and lead a stepover. This move is easier to keep one's balance, but harder to execute a pretty drag, as there is a tendency to push the follower's foot, instead of accompanying it with the leader's foot.

# 1 is easier to lead in close embrace (IMHO), while #2 is easier in open embrace; but don't limit yourself! Try both, to both sides, to see which one(s) you like, and use those.

This week in class, we'll cover some more ideas that are built off of back cross steps in the turn, and we'll also look at moves from the follower's side step. More drags, more pasadas, maybe even some ganchos! We'll see how far we get.