— from a recent issue of Dance Notes.
 
Some Hints On TANGO
by Elena Pankey

The real Tango occurs when a man and a woman are in harmony with each other, and they dance to the same musical instrument. We need to listen to each other, and to the music, which is our conductor during the dance. But every leader has a different perception and interpretation of the specific Tango music. That is why tango hooks artistic people for a lifetime.

I usually start my new class with a joke: "Gentlemen! I have some news: You have to be leaders in Tango!" Learning Tango is an endless process, and there is always some challenge in it. The more advanced the man is, the more attention and concentration it takes for the woman to follow him. In order to be a great leader, to please a partner and give her some joy, a man should learn this incredible dance very intensely, with determination and dedication. During our lessons we give the historical explanation of some movements. Also, we use many different images to help people to understand the steps. It brings great fun to our lessons. For example, "a big boleo" (leg makes a circle behind the standing leg) might have come from men's fights, when they tried to clean some space behind them without looking back. A special Tango walk with torque, for example, came from the 19th century, when this dance was born in Buenos Aires. Men "danced" or walked with the music ready to fight or protect a woman from others.

Some hints on tango techniques: A strong frame and good posture by the leader is 90% of the dance. A leader should not ever move his left arm! He should not lean forward or backward, but should keep the upper body straight up, without breaking the waistline. Whatever we do in Tango, our knees are flexed a little but never locked! Don't keep your weight on the heels; walk with your toes forward, carefully placing the feet on the floor, and all the time face your woman. This is your main lead, gentleman!! Your walk forward should look like somebody holds you behind and tries to pull you back, while you are trying to escape from that person. For example, to walk inside the woman straight forward, you would first put her weight on her left leg. At the beginning, for the first walking step, you will give her impulse, then raise your knee and touch her knee. She moves her leg and gives you some space. Then you stretch your right leg forward with your toes first, in a position of "parada" or "promenade position." At the same time, you still keep the other leg bent slightly. Your weight is, at that point, on your bending leg. Be sure that one knee is behind the other one. So, you should have a shape of a triangle between the legs. You are slightly in a position like you want to sit down, with your spine vertical to the floor. This is what keeps good balance for many advanced movements. You then move your body to the middle, with your weight equally on both feet. Then you move your weight onto your leading leg, which you then relax as your other leg stretches forward in a new position of "parada" or "promenade position."

Most of us watch men's footwork: how smoothly the feet caress the floor, how skillful are the pivots, how precise are the steps, leads, or technique. Women want to choose a partner with whom it would be interesting to investigate new challenges and attain some joy of Tango. A good dancer makes any woman look good. A woman cannot make up the dance for a man, because he is a leader and the first creator of the Tango design. Leaders need to improve their ability to make fast decisions during the two minutes of Tango. When a leader has a vast active Tango vocabulary, he will be able to improvise and build his own Tango. This is why it is so interesting to watch dancing couples; they are all different creators. Enjoy your Tango. It is the "powerful NOW"!

www.TangoCaminito.com
EPankey@Juno.com
(760) 728-7185