The Argentines are content with knowing seven or eight figures which are used over and over again. It's the North Americans who aren't content with a "limited vocabulary." I remember when ganchos were in vogue, followed by valcaldas and colgaldas. Connection isn't taught but how to do figures that take up a lot of space on the dance floor.
Walking the tango presumes you know how to walk well. "When a man walks beautifully, the woman wants to die in his arms. When a man walks terribly, the woman wants to die." When I sit out a tanda, I love to watch women's faces as they pass me. Very few have a look of bliss. Some have a look that says "Please. Shoot me and put me out of my misery." Others have a look that says "Please. Shoot him and put me out of my misery. Michael Came home to New York where the Argentine Tango is better -----Original Message----- There is dancing on the beat, which may suffice for most European and American ballroom dances. I'm not sure if Ming Mar was referring to stepping on the beat or dancing to the phrases. It is my belief that beginners should be first taught to walk the tango. After they can walk, lead, and follow in time to the music, they should be introduced to this idea: *listen to the music the entire time you are dancing.* When I watch a dance floor, I see some people doing steps to the music. For me, it is tango when couples are dancing with the music, immersed in the dynamic flow of feeling that is so characteristic of tango. This is why it is also important to listen to tango as music. Sit and listen and get to know and develop a feeling for the tangos you dance to. I think the Argentine emphasis on the feeling in the music and dance sets tango apart from the Northern hemispheric approach to social dancing. Jonathan Thornton _______________________________________________ Tango-L mailing list Tango-L@mit.edu http://mailman.mit.edu/mailman/listinfo/tango-l