Workshop Notes: Tango Nuevo

Date and Time: Sunday 23 January 2011, 2pm - 6pm

Warmup

(All in open hold)

Firstly, playing one track of neotango music, dancing around the room as normal.

Next, dancing in place - that is, not progressing around the room, simply rotating around partners.

Finally, reversing roles - getting the followers to lead and vice versa.

Section 1: Axis

What does "Axis" mean?

First, unfortunately, we need to have some terminology (or jargon)... Note: this is not a definitive definition, these are simply for the purposes of this class, other teachers may use other terms.

"Axis" = the imaginary line through head, torso and abdomen to the weight-bearing leg and foot. Your axis, and your partner's axis, shifts each time you take a step. If you turn, your body rotates around this axis (like a spinning top).

"On axis" = you are completely balanced on your own. That imaginary line is vertical. If your partner disappears, you won't fall over.

"Off axis" = you are tilted, and need support from the the other person. That imaginary line is off-vertical. If your partner disappears, you will fall over.

"Shared axis" = you and your partner are leaning on each other (you're both off-axis), and this creates a single shared axis between the two of you. Shared axis is relevant for leans (volcadas and colgadas) and for dancing "apilado style".

Technique exercise: take your partner on and off-axis

We then took our partners off-axis, with sideways leans - "sideadas" :)

Key points

  • By default, stay on axis, at all times.
  • Leaders: when taking your partner off-axis, you also need to adjust your axis so that you are both off-axis together (counter-balance).
  • Followers: If your partner takes you off-axis, commit to that movement, trust that he knows what he's doing, and don't try to "correct" it.
  • Don't do this stuff with a random stranger or in a crowded dancefloor.

Most importantly: if you take your partner off-axis, make sure you don't drop her...

Off-axis movement 1: side volcada with gancho

This demonstrates a side-to-side volcada and colgada (not at the same time!):

  1. Sidestep-left-to-forward-ocho start
  2. Leader rotates left after taking a sidestep left
  3. Parallel walking along (both facing in the direction of the walk) - note that followers need to adjust the embrace.
  4. With weight on right foot (for both partners), lean to the left and lead the lady out to the right (side colgada)
  5. Bring her left leg around and to the front, then lean her into you (side volcada)
  6. This should cause her free leg to come around the front and gancho with her left leg in between the man's legs.
  7. Cross leg to finish.

Key points for this move

  • Timing is crucial - especially in when to lead the "forward then around" part of the lady's leg movement in the lean.
  • Don't "over-pull" the follower; it's a small motion to bring the follower off-axis, and her foot should naturally come around.
  • Both partners must be in body contact all through the lean motion.

Off-axis movement 2 (demonstration only): side colgada from parada

Just to show that this type of movement can be used in other movements:

  1. Side step to man's left - block the woman's outside (right) foot with leader's left foot
  2. Keep the woman's momentum going, lead her into a colgada to your left whilst men counterbalance on the right
  3. Lead the lady's free leg (left leg) around the outside of your leg, around to a hook / gancho around and behind your left leg.
  4. Reverse the momentum to bring her back out.

For more information

The Ghost Guide to Social Tango 2nd Edition: Volcadas

Section 2: Dissociation

Exercise: dissociate with the walk

We then did some ochos - separated - forwards and back, focussing on dissociation.

We then partnered-up and did a set of walks, with the aim of enhancing the natural dissociation of the walk. We also reversed roles and did this. The aim of these exercises was to get used to using dissociation constantly in the dance.

Movement 1: Overturned ochos

We examined what we can do with more, or less, angles on the pivot part of ochos - "underturned" and "overturned" ochos:

  • Forward overturned ochos - the follower walks away from the leader.
  • Forward underturned ochos - the follower walks towards the leader.
  • Backwards overturned ochos - the follower walks towards the leader
  • Backwards underturned ochos - the follower walks away from the leader.

So, effectively, altering the angle of pivot provides a way for the couple to move (as a couple) forwards or backwards. Typically, you'd use backwards underturned ochos the most for this, as they provide a way to move along the line of dance, and they're less effort than forward overturned ochos.

Movement 2: Overturned ochos and sacada

Next, we worked on a sacada sequence:

  1. Lead the lady into a forward ocho to the man's right.
  2. Sacada the woman's back foot with the man's right foot, stepping forward onto that right foot.
  3. Over-pivot the woman clockwise, whilst pivotting yourself
  4. Lead her into a forward step to your left, whilst taking a sidestep to your left to match.
  5. And repeat.

Basically, from the woman's point of view, she's doing two forward ochos, one of which is overturned.

Key points

  • Dissociation is key to a lot of the dramatic "shapes"
  • It's also the key to making effective pivot-based movements - that is, most Tango Nuevo movements

Section 3: Free leg movement

Followers did some "leg-swinging" exercises, getting used to feeling their legs swing, in as "free" a manner as possible. We then got the leaders to start to try to influence this "swing" - feeling the way the follower's legs moved, and trying to enhance / damp down this movement.

The idea of this exercise is:

  • To get the followers used to free leg movements
  • To get the leaders used to being able to effectively lead and change these movements.

Movement 1: linear boleo:

This movement is designed to get the leaders used to interrupting a movement, and to get the followers used to having free leg movements.

  1. Step to the (leader's) left, leader stepping further than follower
  2. Take one or more forward steps, then bring the follower's upper body to a halt, as she starts to move her free leg back
  3. This will result in the follower's leg "sweeping" back.

Key points

  • Leaders: get the timing of the halt right. You need to lead the follower to start to take a step back, and give her enough time to start to move her leg, before you apply the "emergency stop".
  • Followers: let your free leg be free in its movement. Don't tense up if the leader stops you.

Movement 2: Enganche (leg wrap) from walk

Wraps (enganches) only work well if they are led as specific movements, and if the leg wrap happens naturally as part of the follower's leg moving naturally.

We practiced a wrap, starting with a similar sequence to the side volcada one we used in the "axis" section, as follows:

  1. Sidestep-left-to-forward-ocho start
  2. Leader rotates left after taking a sidestep left
  3. Parallel walking along
  4. With weight on left foot (for both partners), leaders pivot and wrap the lady around them anti-clockwise
  5. The followers' right legs should wrap around the leader.

The wrap should look a little like this:

Key points

  • Followers, don't anticipate this, let it happen as a natural movement. It looks really naff if you do this artifically.
  • Leaders, don't try an inject extra "oomph" into the lead. If the followers leg does not move naturally, don't force it.

Section 4: Musicality and "feel"

Bonus movement: enrosques feminino (twistarounds) / espiral de cruz (spiral cross)

Basically, this is simply an enrosque movement for the followers:

  1. Lead the follower into a standard cross (follower's left foot over right)
  2. Keep the follower in a cross position and walk around her clockwise
  3. Follower can effectively now do an enrosque movement, twisting to follow the partner's body
  4. Leaders can lead an "untwist" motion to finish.

Musicality: dancing to Neo tango music

Neo tango music may not usually have an underlying "march" beat in the same way traditional tango music does.

Depending on the music, it may have lots more "sweeps" - almost operatic. It's designed to allow you to fit movements to phrases. Achieving a good level of musicality to Neo Tango music is, I think, more difficult than for Traditional tango music. The movements are longer, and it's correspondingly harder to fit the movements to specific phrases on an improvised way.

Floorcraft: etiquette and techniques for when and where to dance this way

A brief checklist:

  • Most obviously, tango nuevo movements are larger - also sometimes faster, and also sometimes higher. So take extra care - make sure you have plenty of space before practicing almost all Tango Nuevo movements. It only takes being stabbed once by a Comme il Faut shoe at groin height to ruin your day...
  • As we've seen, Tango nuevo is not as naturally "progressive" as traditional tango. So if you're going to do Tango nuevo in a traditional venue, best to stick to the centre of the floor.
  • And on that point - Tango nuevo only works well for neo tango music. It will / should feel wrong when dancing to traditional music. If you're dancing to traditional music in a traditional venue, dance traditional style.