Hi everybody, Fran here with your Tango Tip of the Week. If you’ve been reading these posts regularly, you know that for the past several weeks our focus has been on the subject of balance. Last week, we talked about achieving and maintaining balance with a partner during la pausa (standing still), and during el cambio de peso en su lugar (the weight change in place). Today, we’re going to begin moving through space!

El paso al lado (al costado)

This terminology refers to a step to one side. If you’ve been practicing moving to the side by yourself (as I sincerely hope you have over the past few weeks), you’ve discovered by now that finding balance at the end of this (or any) traveling movement can sometimes be a problem. This is due to the natural law of inertia: “A body in motion tends to remain in motion.”

The implication of this law is that when your body is at rest; it wants to remain at rest. When your body starts moving; it wants to keep moving. The challenge we face constantly as Tango dancers is to recognize clearly that bringing ourselves into balance at the end of any movement isn’t easy, and that we need to come up with a way to make this happen.

In general, my recommendation to my students is that they form a mental picture of themselves coming to a complete stop — rather than continuing to move through space. This, I think, is a powerful way to consistently achieve balance at the conclusion of any movement, be it sideways, forward, backward, or in pivoting — as we’ll be discussing in a future post.

To be more specific:

1.     Begin by forming a nice, comfortable embrace with your partner. Be sure that you’re both solidly balanced on two feet.

2.     As a leader, gradually shift to one foot (either one is fine) in order to start the ball rolling. (This is the cambio de peso en su lugar or weight change in place, which we described during last week’s post.) As your torso moves laterally, your follower should receive and respond to this lead by also shifting her weight in place to one side. Are you both still in balance? If so, it’s time for the next lead.

3.     As a leader, flex you knees slightly in order to lower or soften your torso — thereby indicating to your partner that you’re about to invite movement through space. (I teach this as fundamental to the basic lead/follow or invitation/response skill set).

4.     Now, gently, but decisively, take a step to the side. If all is going well, your partner should follow this lead by also moving to the side. Under no circumstances should you attempt to carry your follower through the movement. It is also important to recognize that as a leader, your movement is going to slightly precede that of your follower. This is because you know in advance what’s going to happen, but your follower doesn’t. As leader, you now have to allow the follower time to respond. Conversely, if you’re the follower in the partnership, you need to realize that you’re receiving an invitation, and that your job is to respond to that invitation — not to rush “in order to keep up.” Stay focused; take your time!

5.     At the end of the side step, we come to the moment of truth — the balance. The leader’s job at this crucial juncture is to bring himself into balance — and to wait patiently for the follower to complete her movement, and do the same. Here is where each of the partners has to concentrate on overcoming that pesky “at rest/in motion” law of inertia we talked about before. Neither partner should try to assist the other here. Finding balance is an individual challenge. As a leader, pay careful attention to your follower as she completes her movement. Do not — do not — do not attempt to rush her into another movement until you’re absolutely certain that she’s balanced and ready to continue. As a follower, you need to have the opportunity to bring yourself into balance — without having to worry about what’s going to happen next. If your leader doesn’t give you this opportunity, you have to recognize that your resulting lack of balance is not your fault. He’s just not doing his job. Find yourself another leader.

6.     As with la pausa and el cambio de peso en su lugar, hold this balanced position for fifteen seconds. Whether you’re the leader or follower, try your best not to in any way use the other foot to help out.

I know that all this concentration on what may seem like minute detail can be somewhat mind-boggling. But I absolutely guarantee that if you take this part of your learning process seriously — and put in the work — your Tango will be light years better than if you don’t.

Next week, we’ll tackle the problem of finding balance at the end of a leader’s forward step, as he accompanies one of the single most challenging movements in Tango — the follower’s back step.

           A little bit of Buenos Aires in Oakland, NJ 

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Last month Milonga was a great fun!

Please join us for another great Milonga on

Admission $15, including the workshop and home cooked "delight"

                                                                                                                                                                       Location:

THE AMERICAN LEGION

65 Oak Street 
                  Oakland, NJ 07436                 

For directions click here

Los Pitucos Milonga brings the best of Argentine Tango to Northern New Jersey.
                                    Experience the finest of Buenos Aires at our Saturday night Milonga at the American Legion.
                                  

Los Pitucos is a Monthly event which is held on the Third Saturday of the month...
                                    Find yourself engulfed in the spirit of Buenos Aires, circa 1940.  Mingle with other delightful Tango dancers.
                                    Allow the romance of the period music to move you.
                                    Your evening's hosts "El Tordo" and "El Zurdo" are dedicated to an authentic and enjoyable Tango
                                    experience.  Our DJ (and instructor) El Tordo, incorporates composers from the
                                    "Golden Age of Tango" to replicate the best of the Milongas of Buenos Aires.
                                  Milonga Los Pitucos is the first and only Milonga to offer gourmet refreshments, prepared fresh,

                                  by our chef "El Tordo".  Chef Tordo takes pride in creating a home made dish for every event.
                                  We have been bringing the finest Tango events and music to New Jersey since 2009.
                                

                                    ● Beginners Welcome... no partner necessary.
                                    ●  BYOB
                                    ● Munchies & Finger food (Feel free to bring a dish to share...)
                                    ● The evenings "delight" is made fresh before the Milonga by chef "El Tordo"
                                  

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