At some point during any tango class it is very likely you will hear your teacher talking about dissociation, but what is it and how does it help your tango? In tango terms, dissociation is the ability to isolate the behaviour of one part of your body from all the others. It can refer to how you project your standing leg without affecting your balance, how you lead a height change without bending forwards or backwards, but most usually it refers to the technique of letting your shoulders turn into a pivot before your hips and legs follow. Allowing yourself to turn in this way, with your shoulders and chest beginning to turn before any other part of your body starts to move, is also called a corkscrew effect as your body briefly spirals around your axis. This helps create the flow we look for in tango, but most [read more...]
It is estimated that one in twenty people in the UK do some form of dance on a regular basis, with around twice that number having an interest in watching dance performances either on stage or on the television. A significant percentage of both categories say that Argentine Tango is the dance they most like to watch and want to be able to do themselves, yet a recent survey suggests that only around one in two thousand people in the UK actually regularly dance the tango. What is going on? Whenever tango is performed on stage, it is always the dramatic and acrobatic “Tango Fantasia” version that is featured. With its spectacular lifts, cat-like flexibility, and sizzling hot passion the dance creates a powerful visual impact, and the rapid leg flicks and super-fast footwork give it a unique and instantly recognisable dynamic. The music starts, the dancers connect, and [read more...]
Those of you who are regulars at South Norwood will already have heard the sad and unexpected news about Fred, who passed away suddenly last week after a stroke. All of us at Tangosynthesis extend our deepest sympathy to his family and friends at this difficult time. Fred was a cornerstone of the South Norwood tango group and had been coming to us for several years. His unique and flamboyant dancing style always made everyone smile, and although he never quite seemed to dance the exercises in the way that I had planned he inspired everyone to really enjoy the dance and to express themselves on the dance floor more than they thought possible. Fred was unique and brought a wonderful character to the group that will never be replaced. His stories made us laugh, his dancing inspired us, and his personality brought us together. Thanks for all the [read more...]
When you first start to learn tango you soon begin to hear lots of unfamiliar words, such as ganchos, ochos, giros (although your teacher will insist it is pronounced ‘heroes’), sacadas, and more. If you speak Spanish you may recognise some of them – although probably badly pronounced, but what do hooks, eights, turns, and ‘taking away’ have to do with anything? And why do different teachers seem to use them to refer to slightly different things? Most dances are based on a variety of steps that are strung together – or choreographed - into a sequence. The steps all have names, and there may be some sort of agreed standardisation of what a particular step must look like. This is particularly true for dances that have exams or grades, but even for less formal dances there are often commercial interests or agreed standards that teachers are expected [read more...]
Tango is usually described as a “led” dance, with the leader determining what happens next, and the follower just… well… following. This is certainly one way of thinking about it, although it implies that the follower’s role is passive and that the leader does all the work. The reality though should be very different with both roles active and involved in shaping the dance. But to get there may require a shift in perception as to what we mean by a “strong lead”. The simplified view of leading – and the one usually taught to beginners - is that the leader moves the follower from one position to another and the follower simply does what they are told. We teach this early on as it is easier and generates something that looks a lot like tango, but the resulting dance is very one-sided and lacks dynamism. Instead think [read more...]
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