Looking back on Tango

This post is a long time coming: Review of our Tango lesson on Jan 27.

If your interested in learning more Tango, you should mark your calendar for our Argentine Tango Workshop on Feb. 24 in the Ramsey Center from 1 p.m. - 4 p.m.

On to the review.

The beginners lesson we learned:

• The Basic - Slow slow quick quick slow (Aka T-A-N-G-O)
• Outside of partner- This occurs when the lead gently pulls the follow's shoulder so that their frames are side by side each other rather than in front of one another.
• The Lunge - In class we learned the Tango lunge to side, where the lead's left leg is bent and the the right leg is extended to the side. Lunges can also be done in forward movements as they as are in the Leg Crawl.
  
• Cameo or Leg crawl - In both the beginning and advanced lesson we covered the basic leg crawl. This is time for drama and to show off your passion. However, its o.k. your not "passionate" with every partner. Here is a great example of a passionate leg crawl.
• Tango Rocks - A move that is best used when trying to get around and blocked up dance floor. The lead pulls gently on the follow to rock minimally forward and backwards during the first two slows of the basic.
  

In the advanced lesson:

To begin we discussed the two different faces of Tango. The face of anger and machoness, as displayed Tango Roxanne from Moulin Rouge and the face of passion, as displayed in the True Lies Tango.

The moves we dicussed were:

• Ochos - or figure eights are executed by the woman twisting her frame and feet so that they appear to float over a very tiny figure eight pattern.
  
• Beat alterations - This is simply something to play around with. All moves can be expanded to include more moves or moves of different beat structures as long as they eventually fall back in basic time.
  
• Drunken Sailor- This move had many different parts to it and I am going to try to summarize them as best I can. If you have questions please comment and we will try to clarify this description or come and visit us on Sunday night.
  The counts (in 4/4 time where slow equals one beat and quick equals half of a beat) are divided thusly
  
• In promenade position to the lead's left for - Slow quick
  
• Forward steps into Ronds de jambe in which the outside leg moves forward and then back; quick and slow
  
• closing up; quick quick slow
• Into Twistes; quick quick slow
  
• Back brake into and full leg crawl; quick quick slow
  

Rumba Review

Last week Rachel did a great job of teaching us Rumba.
Here is a quick review of what she taught:

In the Beginning Lesson:

• The Basic - slow quick quick slow
  
• Rotating Basic - turning the basic box in quarter turn increments
• 5th Position Breaks - where the foot goes behind
  
• Cross over breaks - where the foot comes in front
  
• Pivot Turns - turning 180 degrees in one place
  
• Arch Turns - leading the turn away from you
• Loop Turns - leading the turn towards you
  

In the Advanced Lesson:

• Swivels - shake it!
  
• Rumba Cuddles
  
• Cuddles exited by a loop turn into crossover breaks
  
• Cuban breaks
  
• Sliding Doors

This video is really good for review a lot of the beginner moves and a few more intermediate moves. Some of the moves they may enter in to or preform differently than we may have taught and that is ok. There are many different dance schools out there who have there own styling. As dancers you will have to learn to be flexible to the community and, if performing, the directors around you.

Here are the marks for the different moves so you can "fast forward" to what you want to review.

Box step 0:00
Underarm (Arch turn) 0:42
Open break underarm turns (turning from the open position) 1:32
Crossover breaks 2:12
Parallel breaks 3:10
Alternating open breaks 3:41
Ladies underarm turn into side-by-side turn 4:33
2nd position breaks (Cubans) 5:33
Extended box 6:10
Alternating crossover breaks 6:50
5th position breaks 7:40



Happy dancing