Exploring Tango

Thursday, February 28, 2013

Progress and Tradition in Argentine Tango

An Appeal for Acceptance

Don't think in terms of breaking rules or adhering to tradition. Focus on what you want to accomplish. Whether you embrace convention or rebel against it doesn't matter as long as the course that you choose fulfills your vision.

And above all, permit others to follow the course that appeals to them.

Occasionally we hear or read dogmatic pronouncements about how Argentine tango should be danced, how it should be taught, what music counts as real tango, etc. Everyone is entitled to their opinion, but rigid adherence to an idea isn't always helpful to our development or the development of the community.

I'm not a youngster. I remember rotary phones and black-and-white TV. I remember when basketball was played below the rim and high jumpers jumped face down. I remember shopping on Main Street when there weren't any shopping malls. I remember when 3-D movies were considered a historic novelty.

Times change. Progress happens. Change has as much impacts in the arts as it does in life. The tango of 2033 won't look like the tango of 2013 or 1993 or 1973 or 1933.

Trends shift. Ideas emerge and practices evolve. We can choose any blend of traditionalism or modernism that appeals to us - that's one of the great freedoms afforded to us by the arts - but there are no grounds for disparaging those who choose to follow a different path. Criticizing others for dancing or teaching in a different style comes across as sophomoric. Even desperate.

One night we much choose to dance in a modern style. The next night we can dance in the style of the golden age of tango. At our next practice we can explore brand new ideas. This is called freedom, and we all possess that freedom.

Don't disparage others for dancing a different tango than the one that you prefer. Follow your vision and enjoy the fact that you are free to do so. And never let anyone tell you that your style is inferior or out of favor. Such comments reflect the character of the critic rather than that of the dancer.

Freedom.

Think about that word.

Freedom.

Tango is freedom.

Times will change. WE will change. The dance will change. And we are free to embrace the Argentine tango in all of its history, in all of its beauty, in all of its forms, traditional and emerging.

¡Buena suerte amigos, y muchas gracias!

Daniel

exploringtango.blogspot.com

Wednesday, January 23, 2013

The Seven Levels of Study in Argentine Tango

From Beginners to Professionals

Feedback from my last post indicated that I may have short-circuited a few brain cells out there in tango land. So, this post is just for fun.

The Seven Levels of Study in Argentine Tango:

Beginner: I don't want to work on walking and musicality. I want to learn some fancy steps!

Pre-Intermediate: I don't want to work on ganchos and turns. I want to study boleos and sacadas!

Intermediate: I don't want to work on boleos and sacadas. I want to study colgadas and volcadas!

Pre-Advanced: I don't want to work on colgadas and volcadas. I want to study alterations and back sacadas!

Advanced: I don't want to work on alterations and back sacadas. I want to study soltadas and jumps!

Experienced Advanced: I need to work on walking and musicality!

Professional: I need to work on EVERYTHING!

Old joke...

Q: Do you know how to get to Carnegie Hall?
A: Practice, man! Practice!

¡Buena suerte amigos, y muchas gracias!

Daniel

exploringtango.blogspot.com

Monday, January 21, 2013

How Well Do You Know Your Ochos?

From Rudimentary Step to Advanced Combinations

Ochos. You learned these steps as a beginner. You can lead or follow ochos without much thought or effort. Simple technique. Everybody knows how to do them. Not even worth discussing, right?

Absolutely NOT!

There are many ways to execute ochos, but most social dancers know only the simplest combinations. Those who explore the structure and the possibility of ochos more thoroughly are ahead of the curve.

Ochos Defined

An ocho is a repetitive step sequence based on either the forward or the back step of the turn (molinete) followed by a pivot on the arriving leg which changes the direction of turn for repetition.

(Note: The forward and back steps of the turn are also known as forward cross steps and back cross steps, but so as not to introduce confusion, it's easier to imagine them as components of the molinete.)

For example, a Forward Ocho consists of:

the forward step of the left turn (left leg)
followed by a pivot to the left on the left leg
the forward step of the right turn (right leg)
followed by a pivot to the right on the right leg
Repeat from Step 1.

The Forward Ocho can begin with either the right leg or the left. I began with the left step in my description arbitrarily.

The Back Ocho has a similar structure based instead on the back step of the turn.

The Common Ocho

If you ask a couple or tango dancers to show you a Forward Ocho, they'll most likely switch to cross system. (Cross system is when both partners step with the same leg at the same time, i.e. both step with the left leg, or both step with the right leg.) The follower will be led to execute the step pattern described above while the leader takes side to side open steps.

If you say, "No, no, please show me another way to dance Forward Ochos," I can predict with some certainty that your demonstrators will be confused. "What other way to do Forward Ochos?"

There are many ways to do ochos. They just aren't commonly taught or demonstrated, so most dancers adopt these possibilities into their repertoire.

Categorizing Alternative Sequences

We know what forward and backward ochos look like. Creating alternative ocho sequences is more about varying the steps of the other partner than varying the ochos themselves. The amount of pivot in the ochos might vary, but otherwise the sequence stays intact.

The ocho sequence is commonly executed by the follower. Let's adhere to that model for the moment and discuss the switching of roles later in the discussion. We can reverse the roles in any or all of these sequences if our leading and following skills are well developed. For now let's assume that the follow is the primary performer of the ochos, and the leader is doing some variable step sequence that may or may not include ochos.

Let's consider some possibilities for the leader while the follower performs ochos. Again, the roles can be reversed once we understand the structure of the combinations.

Repeating open side steps, as in the Common Ocho
Alternating forward and back cross steps with no pivots (changes of direction) in between
Simultaneous forward or backward ochos
Complex steps, e.g. forward cross steps alternating with open side steps
Rhythmic complexity, e.g. taking two steps for every one of the follower
Stationary lead, i.e. leading with the upper body only while standing in one place

Option 1 - Ochos with Repeating Open Side Steps

The Common Ocho in Cross System

System: Cross (both partners step on the left foot at the same time, or the right at the same time)
Follower: Forward or Back Ochos
Leader: Open side steps
Difficulty: Easy

Ochos with Open Side Steps in Parallel System

System: Parallel (when one partner steps with the left, the other steps with the right)
Follow: Forward of Back Ochos
Leader: Open side steps
Difficulty: Moderate with Forward Ochos, Challenging with Back Ochos

Option 2 - Ochos with Alternating Forward and Back Cross Steps

As an example, imagine going to step 3 of the Basic (Salida). The leader has just taken a forward cross step with his right leg. It's a cross step because his intention is turned to the follower who is now beside him rather than directly in front of him.

The leader will pivot the follow to the right as her weight remains on her left leg. He will now step back with his left leg to the position where his last step (step 3) originated. The follower will take a back step with her right leg as the leader goes back with his left. He'll pivot her again, and her back ochos will continue and he continues to alternate forward right and back left.

System: Parallel
Follower: Forward or Back Ochos
Leader: Alternating forward and back cross steps without pivot
Difficulty: Easy

Keep in mind that the leader's step must change depending on the follower's position with respect to him. If the follower is to his right, the leader will need to step forward with his right leg. If she's on his left side, he'll need to step forward with the left.

This combination can be done in cross system as well, but it becomes more challenging to manage the distance between the partners.

System: Cross
Follower: Forward or Back Ochos
Leader: Alternating forward and back cross steps without pivot
Difficulty: Moderate for forward ochos; challenging for back ochos

Option 3 - Simultaneous Ochos

Simultaneous ochos come in two varieties. In pure simultaneous ochos, both partners take a forward step or a back step at the same time. In mixed simultaneous ochos, one partner steps forward while the other steps back. The mixed combinations are less challenging in both parallel and cross system.

Mixed Simultaneous Ochos in Parallel System

System: Parallel
Follower: Back Ochos
Leader: Forward Ochos
Difficulty: Moderate

System: Parallel
Follower: Forward Ochos
Leader: Back Ochos
Difficulty: Moderate to Challenging

Mixed Simultaneous Ochos in Cross System

System: Cross
Follower: Back Ochos
Leader: Forward Ochos
Difficulty: Challenging

System: Cross
Follower: Forward Ochos
Leader: Back Ochos
Difficulty: Highly Challenging

Pure Simultaneous Ochos

Pure simultaneous ochos in parallel system are challenging, but worth the effort to master. Both partners will benefit from the balance and and technical precisions required. Plus it looks really cool!

System: Parallel
Follower: Forward ochos
Leader: Back ochos
Difficulty: Moderate (requires lots of flexibility in the embrace)

System: Parallel
Follower: Back ochos
Leader: Back ochos
Difficulty: Challenging (requires balance, stability, and the ability of the leader to pivot smoothly)

Pure simultaneous forward ochos in cross system are beautiful and should become part of any dancer's repertoire. The shape is very similar to the sacada to the forward step in cross system and can serve as a bridge to learning this sacada for both leaders and followers. The primary challenge for the leader is to get the follower to pivot at the right time and to the right degree.

System: Cross
Follower: Forward ochos
Leader: Forward ochos
Difficulty: Moderate to challenging

Pure simultaneous back ochos in cross system are extremely difficult and should be treated primarily as an exercise. I recommend against trying to execute this combination in a milonga, even with a regular practice partner. In fact, unless you're an absolute die hard for difficult tango techniques, and unless you are extremely flexible, it's probably better to leave this technique to the imagination.

System: Cross
Follower: Back ochos
Leader: Back ochos
Difficulty: Extremely challenging/Borderline impossible

So you see, ochos aren't as simple as you thought they were!

This ought to give you enough to work on for a while. I'll cover the other possibilities in a later post.

Practice hard! I want to see ochos that kick some booty out on those dance floors!

¡Buena suerte amigos, y muchas gracias!

Daniel

exploringtango.blogspot.com

Friday, December 7, 2012

Demystifying Alternative Music

There's A World Of Great Music Out There - Why Not Dance To It?

Have you heard that peppy little pop song Call Me Maybe? With 350 million downloads on YouTube, there's a chance that you've heard it somewhere. But did you know that you can dance the Argentine Tango to this recording?

Likewise, you can tango to Adele's Someone Like You and Katy Perry's Firework, two huge recent hits (Adele won a couple of Grammy Awards). You can dance milonga to Lady Gaga's Pokerface if you're in an adventurous mood.

But let me pose a rhetorical question. Have you heard any of these songs played at an alternative music milonga? Think about that for a moment as we explore some more music.

1980's

If you're more of an 80's person - you know who you are - here are some songs that will work well with the Argentine Tango. These were selected from many, many excellent recordings. The music of the 80's is particularly tango-friendly.

Sweet Child O' Mine - Guns 'n' Roses
Sweet Dreams Are Made Of This - Eurythmics
Mad About You - Belinda Carlisle
You Shook Me All Night Long - AC/DC
Wrapped Around Your Finger - The Police

Some devoted 80's fans have even suggested dancing to Bon Jovi's Living On A Prayer. Just be aware that this could be frowned upon outside of New Jersey.

1970's

If you're a 70's fan, how about dancing a tango to Just The Way You Are by Billy Joel, Keep On Rockin' Me by the Steve Miller Band, the eponymously named Bad Company, or if you're in a seriously adventurous mood, Josie from Steely Dan's Aja album?

You can dance an awesome tango nuevo to Elton' John's Benny And The Jets - provided of course that you can dance an awesome tango nuevo in the first place.

1960's

How about some soulful Motown Tango? Reach Out I'll Be There by The Four Tops would be a good choice. Tears Of A Clown by Smokey Robinson and the Miracles has a peppy, tango-friendly beat.

You can dance milonga traspie to Midnight Train To Georgia by Gladys Knight and the Pips. If you want a mind-blowing psychedelic experience, try the same to Come Together by The Beatles. Far out, man!

Expanding The Repertoire

There's a whole world of tango-friendly music from a wide variety of artist, eras, and genres. This music won't appeal to every dancer. Some will always prefer traditional music. This should never be an issue, because traditional music is played everywhere.

But for those of us who would like to explore music and dance without limitations, a vast musical repertoire is waiting to be discovered. If only we could convince the DJs to play some of it.

True Confessions

In the interest of furthering a discussion on alternative music for Argentine tango, I'll share some candid opinions on music.

Confession Number 1 - I envy West Coast Swing dancers

West Coast Swing dancers get to dance to some of the most emotionally satisfying music ever recorded. Even if you aren't very good at West Coast Swing, you can still have a great time at a WC Swing event. The music has such an intoxicating vibe that it pulls you into the groove.

Confession Number 2 - I have a longstanding love/hate relationship with traditional tango music

Traditional Argentine Tango music is inspired, brilliant, wonderful. The compositions are heavenly, the arrangements complex and textured. Virtuosic musicianship is required for a convincing performance.

This music reaches across time with a mournful passion and a lustful energy that transcends every other feeling in our bodies at the moment.

What could possibly be lacking? Nothing. But variety exists in the musical world, and we might profit from sampling that variety.

Traditional tango music embodies a sound and a style from a particular era. Other styles and eras are compatible with the tango. We can enjoy these 'alternative' musical styles while remaining true to the essence of the dance.

Confession Number 3 - Alternative music milongas are typically rather disappointing

Disappointing and frustrating.

I've walked into many alternative music milongas with high hopes, but they rarely live up to expectations. The music just doesn't have the kind of smooth, effortless groovability that our colleagues on the West Coast Swing circuit have come to expect. Sometimes the songs don't even have an appropriate tempo for tango dancing.

My aim is not to make harsh comments about alternative music DJ's - it won't accomplish anything - but why is the music that they play typically so lackluster?

Alternative music doesn't have to be obscure or edgy, but it DOES have to have feeling, emotional intensity, and it must communicate clearly with our physiology.

Maybe Tango DJ's should hang out at West Coast Swing events occasionally. Take note of what makes that musical tradition so exciting and emotive, and bring some of that vibe back to the milongas.

Tempo is critical, of course. If a song is too fast or too slow, we can't dance to it, at least not comfortably. I listen for alternative songs that match the tempo of my favorite classic tango and milonga recordings. I don't want to have to re-invent my dancing just to enjoy a new musical experience.

Music selection is a straightforward process - find emotionally moving music at the right tempo, ensure that there's enough rhythmic and thematic variety to keep things fresh and interesting, and let the dancers do what they love to do.

What does the future hold for alternative tango music? Will DJ's replace some of the techno and new age music that they play today with more emotionally fulfilling compositions? The dancers will determine the future. If they won't dance to a particular type of music, it won't last long at the milongas.

If I walk into your milonga and hear Someone Like You or Call Me Maybe on the sound system, you will have gotten my attention and I'll be expecting an evening of seriously adventurous tandas with like minded dancers.

¡Buena suerte amigos, y muchas gracias!

Daniel

exploringtango.blogspot.com

Sunday, September 23, 2012

Preparation

Be Ready

Prepare. Don't just practice. Don't just go through the motions. Focus. Identify your weaknesses and work hard to improve them. Identify your strengths and elevate them to higher and higher levels over time. Identify what makes you special and develop that until it's extraordinary. Take pride in your progress but push to achieve more. Refuse to become complacent, and never believe that you have it all figured out.

When your mind and body tire, rest. You're going to need to work hard again tomorrow and the next day and the next. When you become frustrated or humiliated, get over it quickly and keep going. Setbacks just mean that you still have work to do. Use the lessons of struggle and defeat to correct your course of action, not to abandon it.

One day someone is going to offer you a special opportunity. If you turn it down, they'll never ask again. If you try it and fail, you will have etched your reputation in stone. But if you succeed, doors will open, and you will have those long, tedious, sweaty, frustrating hours of preparation to thank for your 'sudden' good fortune.

Success didn't come to you because you were gifted or lucky or connected. It happened because you worked, because you prepared, because you were honest with yourself, because you overcame every obstacle, and because you refused to let circumstances define your place in this world.

¡Buena suerte amigos, y muchas gracias!

Daniel

exploringtango.blogspot.com

Monday, August 13, 2012

Don't Sweat The Small Stuff

Enjoy The Important Stuff Instead

You will never enjoy your life fully while worrying about what other people do.

We meet all kinds of people as we go through life. Some are kind and thoughtful, but others might be rude, lazy, or arrogant.

Some people betray our trust and say hurtful things. Others simply ignore us; they stare right through us as though we were invisible.

It is perfectly natural, and probably reasonable, to become annoyed or irritated with such people. However, if you react in this way realize that the situation is not entirely their fault. Their behavior might be crude, reckless, or unconscionable, but ultimately WE get to decide whether to let that behavior bother us.

Mind Trap

Consider a common situation. We're waiting for someone, and they're extremely late. They haven't called to let us know why they're not there. We feel frustrated, annoyed, maybe even angry.

When the person finally arrives they explain that they've just been through a dreadful or dangerous ordeal and they're terribly sorry to have kept us waiting. Our feelings of frustration and annoyance are instantly replaced with concern for their well-being.

How is this instantaneous emotional transformation possible? It's possible because our annoyance was not a reaction to real events. It was a reaction to our thoughts and what's been conjured up by our imagination. Most of us have the ability to control our thoughts and therefore we can control our reactions if we choose to.

Milonga Gone Horribly Wronga

What does this have to do with tango?

Everything!

Why do we go to milongas? Why do we dance in the first place?

To enjoy ourselves!

To paraphrase my point from above: You will never enjoy tango fully while worrying about what other people do.

The milonga is a place of many expectations and sadly many judgments.

We have expectations about how people will conduct themselves.

We have expectations about what people will wear.

We have expectations about how people will react to us if we approach them to ask for a dance.

We have expectations about styles of tango and what movements are appropriate.

We have expectations about the music that's played.

And we have strong expectations about safety considerations and traffic flow on the dance floor.

If any of these expectations aren't met, we might feel justified in becoming annoyed, irritated, or angry. We might even express our dissatisfaction to other milonga attendees, an encounter that could result in even more negative emotion or even a physical altercation.

Keep What's Important In Mind

When you traveled to the milonga, did you plan to get into an argument or a fist fight? Were you looking forward to a tense and emotionally draining experience? Maybe the answer is yes if you have a chip on your shoulder and you like to punch people, but if that's the case you should probably seek therapy before signing up for any more tango lessons.

(Note: All kidding aside, if anger is a real issue with you, you need to take responsibility and seek treatment before you or someone else gets hurt.)

I'm guessing that you went out that evening expecting to have a good time. You were looking forward to a pleasant, rewarding, relaxing, and enriching experience, not some petty misunderstanding. So why let yourself get sucked into a negative situation?

Remember, if you can control your thoughts you can control your reactions.

The person who turned down your invitation doesn't have to ruin your evening.

The crazy music that you've never heard before doesn't have to keep you from enjoying connection with your partners.

The woman in the sleazy outfit doesn't have to irritate you.

They guy doing big moves in a small space doesn't have to undermine your tanda.

That fact that you only danced one set doesn't make this an unsuccessful night.

Any of these occurrences could put you in a bad mood, but they will only if you let them.

Let it go. Let all of it go. Let it slip away without so much as another thought. Be content. Be happy. Be happy to be dancing, and enjoy the milonga.

Collision Repair

The harshest feelings arise when couples collide on the dance floor. Collisions happen. Sometimes they happen when people are being careless, but even careful dancers incur (and cause) their share of bumps and bruises. Put of bunch of moving bodies into a small space, and guess what? Folks are going to run into each other sooner or later.

Sometimes the bumps are benign and sometimes they really hurt. I've been on the receiving end of boleos and ganchos, and it's not pleasant. I've been stepped on by high heels more times than I can remember, and sometimes those women were rather massive.

It hurts. You see stars. You grimace and swear like a sailor. Fortunately, serious injuries are uncommon. Most people keep dancing, or they get back up again after a short pause.

You can get angry. You can get into an argument. You can demand an apology. You can remove those nasty people from your Christmas list.

Or you can be gracious, forgive and forget on the spot, and enjoy the rest of your evening. It's entirely up to you, but personally I don't see any advantage to confrontation. It's not going to heal your bruises, and it's not going to encourage anyone to be more careful.

Don't sweat the small stuff. Don't let criticism, hard feelings, or arguments get in the way of a pleasant evening (even if it's a bumpy one). Letting go and getting back to tango is the best policy. We only have so many dances in life. Fulfillment is not optional; it's mandatory.

¡Buena suerte amigos, y muchas gracias!

Daniel

exploringtango.blogspot.com