Absolutely fantabulous

Watch this milonga presentation. .. ganchos, hooks, altas, giros, secadas .. all to a milonga beat.

Vals drills

Vals walking drills: The “pendulum” - con tiempo. Don’t rush. Practice forward and back.

Remember the “V” shaped basic vals pattern.

Practice a secada with the left forward while the follow is stepping out of the cross (she must change her weight as soon as she crosses) and step around her holding her in place until you again look down the line of dance.

Practice: A sideways “molineta” like figure which subs a collection for the side step (both in, both back, both in, etc.) — and then the lead after a few iterations walks her into a cross and then out. Practice that walk by yourself both to right, left, and both directions. Same for the “v.”

An 8 count in vals is best done with a back step on one, and on the iteration with a pronounced movement of the left shoulder back on this back step. Begin with a side.

Cococabana with Carina.

Humor

So, sometime in the past few weeks I’m dancing with a lady at Eastern Market, and at the end of the set I compliment her on her following technique, since she had picked up quickly on some oddball moves I threw in. She says to me that she was a feminist, and it had been a hard thing for her to learn to do well; to be “led.” I say to her “and I’m an evangelical Christian.” And we both had a good laugh at that without the need for further commentary. Not that we had been dancing, but that we both had to get past some of the complicating aspects of each of those respective belief systems.

the great equalizer

I have a software program on my computer that lets me perform custom equalizations on music being played. Around last December or January for awhile I was listening to tango music after stripping out the mid and hi tones, thus better to hear the “beat.” I find myself returning to this now, and I am wondering, basically, where I have been in my musicality.

YouTube generation

While poking around I found this as well. In general there’s a lot of cool tango instruction and demo to find there, so go find your own to watch!

Tete

I. suggests to me that I watch the dancing of Tete to get an idea of how elegance and simplicity well done is better than “fancy.”

Viva la guerre

If you or your partner lose your step, the thing to do is to keep dancing.

Tango Haiku

Sharp turn; secada
Una mas, then parada
Deep concentration

A plug

Let me put a plug in for my instructor in Buenos Aires, Sra. Paula Ferrio, who is now up on the ‘web.

More milonga …

More milonga variations from Carina:

Sidestep (l), (r) forward and back in double time before the next figure.

Sidestep left with left, then placing the right forward past (l); and drawing the right back; forming a cross. Then the left brought from behind to the right, then the left back, forming a cross … and stepping out.

Stepping left with left, right forward, collecting; pivoting back on the right before completing the “box.”

Doing the “middle”steps of any milonga variation in double time but stepping out 4-5-6 in normal tempo.

STEP TOGETHER. COLLECT. STEP TOGETHER. COLLECT.

Practice the practice “zigzag” walks; alternating R. or L. The “walking secada” as well. Stomping the first beat helps establish the start of the next figure. STEP TOGETHER.