Tango Fundaments Class: From the Floor Up

Courtesy of Tim Allen

Tango Fundamentals Class: from the floor up

Tango is communication. Although we learn particular steps and movements, we combine these to suit our interpretation of the music, and in consideration of a particular partner. Tango is improvised, if a movement can be led and followed pleasurably and safely, it is legitimized by the elegance with which we dance it. Mistakes sometimes become new steps and movements.
Good tango is intimate, movement doesn’t lie; there are no walls between partners in tango! It is sensual, though ironically, it is not sexual. We risk our vulnerabilities learning and dancing tango, we learn about ourselves, and we can grow doing this.

Lead and follow are different roles, though not gender specific; leading tango well requires confidence, decision, and assertiveness. Following well requires confidence, trust, and acquiescence to another’s lead. Both require that we pay careful attention to our partner’s movement, that we understand each other’s intention and movement, both require strength and risk.

Needless to say, above all, tango should be enjoyable, one leads or follows not only to enjoy dancing tango, but to give one’s partner pleasure as well.

1. The embrace defines the spaces within which each partner dances; tango is a bit of a paradox in that we dance together, but alone in our own space and on our own center maintaining an essential connection with our partner. We communicate with our partner; there are no walls in good tango that separate partners and interfere with their kinetic communication. We embrace each other in a frame that remains more or less consistent in its orientation to our torso.

A fluid embrace allows each partner to turn within their space while changing direction; this is particularly important as we dance ochos (a figure 8), in which the follower pivots alternately on one forefoot and then the other, turning his or her torso in response to the lead. In the fluid embrace, the leader leaves the follower free to slide along the inside of the right forearm that embraces the followers back. The follower slides his or her left hand and forearm along the leaders right shoulder, this allows their respective frames to remain in a more or less consistent orientation to their torsos without bending their arms thus limiting, or opposing each other’s movement. Although not critical, this fluid embrace helps us to maintain our balance as we move our center from one forefoot to the other, it also allows us to maintain an effective distance between our respective centers as we lead and follow. Close embrace is easier to follow than an open embrace, though; dancing close embrace requires more skill if one is to dance within his or her space. Leaders should remember that the frame and embrace are not used to turn the follower, rather the follower turns in response to the lead emanating from the leaders torso. Remember this lead begins in the foot and muscles of the ankle. Of course, as the leader turns the torso to lead, the frame also guides the follower.

There are two parts really to the lead, both come through the torso. One results in the follower pivoting the other to the follower moving forwards or backwards on the floor in unison with the leader. Leading requires that we learn to disassociate our hip movement and torso movements. To lead effectively, we sometimes need to have our hips move in one direction, while our torso moves in another. This disassociation is difficult to master. One can practice by simply standing in place and turning the torso over the hips, sometimes it is helpful to think of turning the shoulders, rather than the torso.

2. Gender:
Lead and follow are not gender specific, in fact, it is best if both partners dance both roles well. Traditionally, Argentine men did not learn to lead tango, until they had become competent followers. It is more difficult to learn to lead clearly and assertively than to learn to follow well. One expects to follow well after about 6 months dancing tango, perhaps a few years to lead well. Don’t feel discouraged though, learning tango is enjoyable, developing the new neurological pathways in the brain necessary to tango coordination and movement is a healthy challenge and endeavor! A clear unambiguous lead is essential to good tango, it is necessary if the follower is to develop trust in a leader and respond in a timely and confident way.


3. Posture and walk are interdependent as we shift our weight from our center on one location on the dance floor to another location. For the most part we maintain a straight back and lean slightly toward each other, placing our weight slightly toward the front of the foot. One can lead and dance tango striking the floor first with the heel, but perhaps not as easily.

Starting out.
How does a tango begin? How do we know which foot to move first? Making a good start is important! This is easy; we cannot move a foot if we have weight on it, usually we lean in the direction of the foot carrying our weight. If we pay attention to our partner’s body weight and posture, we can easily know which foot is carrying his or her weight, the other foot is the foot that will move first.

In the embrace, as a leader shift your weight to one foot, as a follower, notice how the weight shifts to one foot or the other, that is, which of the leader’s feet supports his or her weight. You know then which foot is free to move first. As a follower, shift your weight to one foot; pay attention to the leader as he or she attempts to read your body to ascertain which of your (follower’s) feet supports your weight. It is important in tango that we know that our partner knows, that is, that we communicate effectively! Remember, in tango, movement doesn’t lie.

The walk is not conventional; it requires some effort to learn as either a leader or follower. The walk of each kinetically complements the walk of the other. Walking well together allows us to maintain a sense of static connection and a confident response to each other’s movements. It is not easy for two physically connected people to move their centers of gravity in graceful unison, especially two people who may never have danced tango together, it is however a wonderful sensation when they discover they can do this. I’ll leave it to you to think of analogous encounters.

The lead in tango is directly related to the walk. One begins standing straight with the heels together. Slide a leg back raising the heel, as far as it is comfortably possible without bending either leg or the back, until the ball and large toe of the back foot are the only connection to the floor. If one rocks back down onto the back foot, without bending the legs or the back, the torso moves back, if one rocks up onto the ball and large toe, the torso moves forward, this is the origin of the lead, and the means of complementarily following, in tango.

Imagine a couple facing each other in the embrace, the leader slides and extends the right foot forward as the follower slides and extends the left foot back. Remember not to bend the knees or back excessively. One does not usually move far in a tango step! Small steps are better than long steps! Tango is danced for pleasure rather than to cover distance.

As the leader follows through to the next step, he or she rocks the left foot up off the heel producing a pulse that moves the torso and breast bone forward toward the follower, this is the lead! In response, the follower begins to slide and extend his or her right foot back as he or she rocks down onto the heel of the back foot. Try reversing this motion, rock back and forth reading and following each other’s motion carefully.

If the leader and follower continue in a walk beyond simply rocking in place, the leader projects through a thrust off of the forefoot his or her intended direction. This provides a clear, decisive message to the follower. One should add that the speed and energy the leader puts into his or her thrust modulates the movement of both partners.

You will find with practice that attention to this step as a leader or follower is the key to moving synchronously, to a clear lead that is easily followed. This movement is critical to most of the figures one leads and follows in tango, and it allows us to move from being centered on one position, to being centered on the following position, to maintaining control of own bodies and space, and to maintaining a pleasant connection to our partner. Its efficacy is as apparent moving side to side as it is rocking back and forth. Try it back and forth pivoting as a couple in a circle, this is a great way to continue to move if your way is blocked by another couple on the dance floor, or to turn in the corners of the room.

Walking in Cross and Parallel Steps
In tango our steps fall in two different orientations, parallel: in which the leaders and followers left feet alternate with their right feet contacting the floor simultaneously, and parallel: in which the leaders right foot contacts the floor simultaneously with the follower’s left foot, and the leaders left as the follower’s right contacts it. Walking in parallel, we can walk in two tracks so to speak, directly facing each other, but, walking in cross usually requires three tracks. Tango is a dance of paradox though, of exceptions to rules as is life, so, if a leader becomes very competent walking in parallel, he or she can indeed walk in two tracks directly in front of his or her partner. Competence in this walk requires that one thread his or her feet one before the other, placing the left in the space the partner’s left has just vacated, and the right in the vacated space of the right. This cross walk directly in front of one’s partner usually produces a particularly pleasant motion for one’s follower, usually also a pleasant smile. It is good way to practice walking well together, as errors are readily noticeable and can be corrected during the next step.

Leaders frequently alternate between cross and parallel walks, indeed many steps or figures can be lead from either. One can weave back and forth in front of the follower from his or her far left to his or her far right dancing in two, three or four tracks. Followers almost always alternate …left right left right left right… until the tango ends. However, followers are offered opportunities to execute more elaborate or exotic movements: the cross, ochos and ganchos, and to add sensual embellishments spontaneously if the inspiration strikes them to do so. Some leaders also execute the more elaborate steps, though sadly, many men do not dance ochos or ganchos and thus miss the pleasure of these movements, especially the pleasure of two people moving together in ochos.

You may want to explore some of tango’s rich cultural history.
Below are a few suggestions for books on tango and tango films. You may also enjoy listening via the Internet to Elmira Cancelada’s http://www.tangotales.com/ on Portsmouth, New Hampshire Community Radio. She has archived many of her previous programs of interviews, music, ideas and ruminations.
An essay by Borges, History of Tango; a good short, somewhat speculative introduction to tango.
Tango and the Political Economy of Passion, Marta E. Savigliano
This book has some interesting, engaging sections; others are academic obfuscation. I was particularly interested in her discussion of the ‘’the other’’ as either exotic or sub human and of course indicates that neither does justice to the real person, but does create social distance and license for exploitation. She also discusses the social history of tango, the double morale standard of Argentine society and relates her introduction to tango through her family, and stories about family members who danced tango.

Tango, an Art History of Passion, Robert Farris Thompson
Thompson is an art historian at Princeton, as I recall, or perhaps another prestigious institution, also a tango enthusiast. His book is a history of tango music and tango society, he traces the origins and evolution of tango to various indigenous cultures, and those who emigrated or were brought to Argentina as slaves. Many authors overlook what tango owes to West African music, and to black men and women. He explores the people of tango as he explains its evolution, his writing is engaging and clear.

Paper Tangos, Julie Taylor
This book is a challenge. Much of it is a bit opaque. I have read it several times. As I have become a better dancer and developed more of a personal reality of tango, I have understood more of her intention. Julie Taylor is an anthropologist and danced ballet before pursuing anthropology. Much of what she writes remains somewhat obscure: only an intimation of her personal struggle, of what she confronts of her difficult memories and fears.

The Meaning of Tango, Christine Denniston
This is a clearly written useful history and dance manual. The author has spent time in Argentina discussing tango with various members of the Old Guard. She discusses gender and tango, who learned and how from whom within a rigid social hierarchy. She also explains some of the kinetic geometry of tango posture and movement, this book provides a useful analytical perspective on tango, some people can follow this sort of thing, others find about as useful as instructions for programming a DVD player.

Kiss & Tango, Marina Palmer
As I wrote above, this is amusing, though not a profound exploration of soul or culture, a travel tale, a self deprecating look at a young woman’s experience of Argentine culture, Argentine lovers, learning the proper ‘’milonguera’’ comportment.

There are some excellent films about tango:
Tango, Carlos Sauras, you might also want to look at two other of this director’s films: Flamenco and Fados. Tango is a beautiful film, an intricately written history inside a love story, inside a record of making a film about tango. I have not yet sorted out the intricacies despite many viewings.

Tango Lesson, Sally Potter
A bit bizarre and self involved, but some good dance and some interesting tango existentialism, also a bit of romance. Sally Potter did Orlando also, she is a competent director and the filming is certainly competent.
Tangos: L’exiles de Gardel(?) This film is difficult to find, the director is Solanas, the film was produced or distributed by New Yorker Films, and it may become more readily available as their film catalogue was recently sold. Sometimes universities show this film. It is a great film, the music is by Piazzolla, and the story is of Argentine exiles in Paris during the years of the military junta during the 1980’s.

Tango, Our Dance, Carlos or Jorge Zanada
This is a good documentary by an Argentine; his insights have a legitimacy well established in the film.

Heart of Tango, Johnnie Robinson
You can go to Rochester and dance with Johnnie, he is a prof at RIT, and his short film is one of the best I have seen for filming the relationship of the foot on the floor to the movement of the rest of the body.

EncanTango Débora Blake(Deborah Blake)
It is also a documentary about tango in Europe, she follows two profs to various workshops, records their ideas and dances, visits a shoemaker who makes shoes for the woman partner.

Two sources for women’s tango shoes:
http://kelliemarino.com/Tango_Shoes.html
http://www.22tangoshoes.com/
Capezio markets men’s character shoes which have leather soles and heels.