It seems counterintuitive, doesn't it? Isn't the Argentine tango danced to the music of brilliant composers and world class orchestras? Doesn't every milonga feature a DJ or a live band? Doesn't every tango festival schedule at least one class or workshop on musicality?
At your next milonga, spend some time on the sidelines observing the dancers on the floor. Note how many couples dance with a clear connection to the music (not just the beat). And then notice how many there are that DON'T.
Here are my top tips for dancing musically. This list is suitable for leaders and followers of all levels, from those who started classes two weeks ago to those who have spent a lifetime at the milongas.
Wait!
Don't be in a rush. Think about how your partner feels in your arms. Are they balanced? Ready? How about the embrace? Is it comfortable?
Does your partner seem connected to you, or are they distracted? Spend a moment experiencing the music together before you begin to take steps. This will heighten the connection.
Listen!
You can't dance musically if you aren't listening to the music. What instruments are playing? Is there a singer? Is the beat light or is it heavily accented? Can you illustrate the difference with your movements?
All music communicates emotion; what emotions do you feel when you listen to the music that is playing now? Passion? Adventure? Fun? Frivolity?
Plan!
If you're the leader, plan when you want to take the first step. At the beginning of the next phrase? Later? Somewhere within the phrase (a beat or two after it starts, at the halfway point, etc.)? Communicate your 'flight plan' nonverbally to the follower so she'll be ready to move when you are.
Anticipate!
One human body cannot move instantaneously, and when you're with a partner, movements require even more lead time. Whether you're a leader or a follower, prepare your body to move well before the first steps are taken. Think of the baseball player as he gets ready to take a swing.
Attack!
When it's time to take those first steps, be decisive and move with clear intention. If you're the leader, make sure that the follower is prepared and clearly informed. If you're the follower, make sure that you're ready to move and that you are tuned into the leader's body language.
Flow!
Glide from step to step smoothly and efficiently. Never lurch or stumble into the next step.
Relax!
And while you're at it, breathe! Relaxation improves movement in almost every case.
Feel!
There are strong beats and weak beats in every style of music, just as there are strong and weak beats in our heart's rhythm. Can you hear the difference? Are you stepping with additional energy on the strong beats? Have you consciously decided to accent the weak beats instead? That's okay as long as it is the result of a conscious decision between the partners.
Think also about the spaces between the beats. Connect your movements through the spaces just as the spaces connect the beats.
Interact!
Most music is grouped into phrases. Phrases are analogous to sentences in a conversation and last approximately as long (from a few seconds to several seconds, but not longer than that). Can you hear the start and end points of each phrase? Are you coordinating your movements with the phrases in the music?
Pause!
Just because you started moving doesn't mean that you have to keep going. Pause and think about what to do next. Pause to add drama to your steps. Pause to resynchronize and intensify the connection to your partner. Pause. Breathe. Inspire. And get ready for the next phrase.
Filter!
Never dance a step sequence that doesn't match the music. Just because you learned it (or thought of it) doesn't mean that you have to do it right now. Maybe it will work better in some other song. Save some combinations for later, or shelve them for now and try them on another night.
If you don't feel it, don't do it. Dance only steps that match the music that's playing now. That means that you'll have to hold back on some favorite sequences and some hot trick that you learned in a recent workshop. Save it for a different song. What you leave out is just as important as what you add.
Innovate!
Our movements should evolve through the course of a song. Change speed. Vary the size and aggressiveness of your steps. Accent strong beats in one section and weak beats in another part of the song. Let the overall intensity ebb and flow to match (or even contrast) changes in the music.
Theme and variations is a time honored principle in musical composition and improvisation. Start with a basic idea and transform it into a wide variety of options. Music can help us to create variations in our dance figures as well. Breathe new life into the old familiar steps by experimenting with tempo, accent, rhythm, and phasing.
Finish!
Leaders, always have an ending ready, even if you use the same one over and over. You can't send a letter until you put a stamp on the envelope. The ending is your stamp, the desert after an evening of fine dining, the climax of a tango love story.
Give your follower one last fun little detail to enjoy and remember. Accent that last moment together with a dash of something special.
Consider!
People who dance musically are always in demand regardless of their level. The Number One Complaint that I hear from followers is that "none of the men dance musically."
Some people won't want to read this, but it is MUCH better to dance very simple step sequences and dance them musically than to perform complex technical sequences that don't match the mood and soul of the music. Complexity of steps means nothing without musical connection.
Here is your chance to stand out in the crowd and be one of those uncommon dancers who understand and utilize the power of music effectively. Your partners will appreciate it, and it's going to look so much nicer than most of what goes on in the musical chaos of most milongas.
¡Buena suerte amigos, y muchas gracias!
Daniel
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