This page and the other website pages referred to below, have been prepared for Argentine tango dancers who may be interested in ideas about how to dance tango more musically.<\/p>\n
The four accompanying website pages provide brief visual \/ audio \/ visual profiles of a small number of the most basic rhythms of tango (3), vals (3), milonga (2) and chacarera (3), as well as brief profiles of a number of more complex rhythms.<\/p>\n
Of the rhythms profiled, by far the most important is the \u201ccomp\u00e1s\u201d rhythm (i.e. the navigation rhythm or underlying pulse) of each tango, vals and milonga. In social dancing at milongas around the world, it is apparent that milongueros dance more to the comp\u00e1s than to any other rhythm. Dancing to the comp\u00e1s is (nearly) always musical; no matter what rhythms are overlaying the comp\u00e1s. Being able to recognise and dance to the comp\u00e1s with precision by a tango dancer, is an essential first step towards being able to master more complex rhythms, to dance in sync with both other dancers and the music being danced to, and to dance more musically.<\/p>\n
There are simple dance exercise patterns that can be used to test (or self-test) whether a dancer can step consistently to the comp\u00e1s with precision. These can also be used by dancers to practice dancing to the comp\u00e1s or to more complex rhythms.<\/p>\n
The simplest of these is to take three steps forward in time with the first three comp\u00e1s beats of a phrase of music, close the feet together on the fourth count, then (without pausing) repeat this series of steps throughout an entire track of music. If the music adopted has the standard four, eight or 16 count phrases, verses, choruses and other sections throughout, then a dancer (who is stepping in time with the comp\u00e1s starting from the first count of a phrase) will always land subsequent first forward steps to match the first counts of each subsequent section of music.<\/p>\n
This simple pattern can be expanded by incorporating sidesteps and backsteps to result in a variety of box-pattern structures.<\/p>\n
As an example, the leader takes four steps forward, then a side step, a close step with weight change, a side step, a close step with no weight change, then (without missing a beat) the partner takes over as leader to lead the same eight steps in reverse and thereby return to the starting position of the box to repeat the full cycle. Ideally the hold should be palms-to-palms with (just) enough connection so that a credit card or piece of paper would not fall to the floor. The first step should land precisely on the first count of a musical phrase, and communication of the intention to take each step should occur ahead of each count.<\/p>\n
This pattern has the extra benefits of enabling both partners to test and improve their understanding of how to:<\/p>\n
The box pattern described is also useful for an individual to practice and self-test stepping to the comp\u00e1s (without all the peripheral benefits). A partner isn’t essential to use the pattern for timing practice or to test timing. <\/p>\n
Ideally, these base exercises should be able to be executed consistently with precision, before a dancer takes on more challenging steps and rhythms; such as to incorporate stepping to the comp\u00e1s for some phrases and stepping to either the half-time or double-time rhythm for other phrases, or to refine the exercises (on-the-fly) for music with non-standard structures.<\/p>\n
From the base that the preceding exercises provide, other progressions towards more musical dancing include:<\/p>\n
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS AND REFERENCES:<\/strong>
\nIn the preparation of this webpage I have drawn on my background of over five decades as a professional musician, composer and arranger, as well as content presented in the publications and in workshops and one-on-one lessons with the tango maestros listed below.
\nStu Johnstone
\nOctober 2018<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n
Publications<\/strong> –
\nTango Therapist – Reflections on the powerfully therapeutic – “Three M’s” of Argentine Tango: Music, Movement and eMbrace – Musicality Workshop: Triplets – August 21, 2011<\/span>
\nhttp:\/\/tango-therapist.blogspot.com\/2011\/08\/musicality-workshop-triplets.html\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n
Introduction This page and the other websi … Read More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":[],"yoast_head":"\n