The grammar of tango

We can analyze the steps and basic movements of tango in many ways.
1) There are only two kinds of steps: cross and open. Always considered in relation to the partner.
2) There are three different steps: front cross, back cross and open/side. The follower's steps can go only to two directions: the leader's right or left. The leader's steps go either with or against the turn. (Yes, I know, especially the last sentence does not make any sense if you don't know what it means…).
3) My steps can go forward, back or sideways in relation to my own body, and they can be cross steps or open steps in relation to my partner.
4) The Mingo Pugliese system, based on the giro caminado (could not find the link, a great article!!!).
5) There is the walk, the ochos, and the giro. And then we add the extra elements like paradas, boleos, ganchos, sacadas, colgadas etc…
6) Linear movements and circular movements.

And these are just the systems that come to my mind right now! There are a million ways to analyze the tango dance, maybe even some that I don't know yet…

And all these systems want to explain the grammar of the body. The physical feeling of how the steps forward, backward and side connect to each other by rotation. How does it FEEL to make an ocho, and how does it feel to be led to a side step and into another ocho. How does the giro, the turn around the partner, connects to the walk.
I think this is the grammar of tango. You need to learn it with the mind and the body. And then you can play with it. Or you learn by playing...

Workshop in Helsinki, Finland 29.-30.03.2014

We will be teaching in Helsinki in one week! A whole weekend!!! Amigos del Tango ry is organizing a workshop weekend for us at El Atico 29.-30.03.2014. Please register quickly; we will not be teaching so many weekend workshops this year in Finland, so take
this chance!!!

The topics of the classes are : 

Lauantai/Saturday 29.03.2014

1) musicality (all levels) 12.00- 13.30

2) tomas, pasadas y barridas (int) 14.00- 15.30

3) vals turns and the musicality (int-adv) 16.00- 17.30


Sunnuntai/Sunday 30.03.2014

4) colgadas and steps around follower's axis (int/adv) 12-13.30

5) back sacadas for him and her (adv) 14.00- 15.30


And of course, in every class the connection to the music and the partner are an essential part of the training!


Register with a partner via e-mail info@tango.fi

Hinta 15eur/ workshop

Tiedustelut info@tango.fi


MISSÄ? WHERE?
El Ático, Kumpulantie 1 (Itä-Pasila), 8. kerros/ 8th Floor
Soita numeroon 045-8560608 kun olet etuovella, jotta voimme ylhäältä avata oven.
Call us on +358-(0)45-856-0608 and we'll open the front door for you from upstairs.

Keskustasta raitiovaunu 9 suoraan oven eteen ja Pasilan asemalta kahdeksan minuutin kävely El Áticoon. Myös linja-autot 22, 59, 505 ja 518 pysähtyvät edessä.
Best connection with tram number 9 that stops in front of the building.

Tervetuloa!!! Bienvenidos!!!

On the importance of milongas

Wow, what a nice Sunday milonga we had! As one friend said, there seems to be a market for Sunday milongas!!! Nice to see new dancers, beginners, babies, all coming together for a lovely Sunday social event!

I have been thinking of how important it is to go to milongas when you want to learn to dance Argentine tango. In a milonga you have the chance to dance with many different people, and with the people you want to dance with. You get to meet people with different dancing experience and style, and you also get to dance with more experienced dancers. More experienced dancers take you to a level where you can never go just alone and not just by practicing. 

Our goal as teachers is to help people to become great social dancers. We want everybody to enjoy dancing. To be able to dance with everybody. To really lead and follow, to dance the way you like, and take into account the common rules and codes that give Argentine tango its special character. To listen to the music, and to learn to move to it. In every class, we want to create a learning environment for exploring different aspects of social tango. 

In a milonga we can enjoy a lovely mix of danceable tango music, milonga and vals. The old rule for dancing in a milonga is to do only the steps you really know (I think this is especially important for the man's role). We can learn to use the steps we know in a comfortable way, and we learn to improvise new combinations in a real live environment. In a class we can never practice all the possible combinations that we need on the dance floor. And we all have to find on our own the most natural way of moving. When we use the most simple steps we can, we give space to feelings - physical and emotional feelings. Like the great dancer and teacher, Diego "El Pajaro" Riemer said: "Tango cannot be taught. You learn it."