A REALLY BIG NIGHT at last week's Firehouse Tango!
What a great evening we had at Firehouse Tango last Thursday! Terri Lopez and Steve Turi did a fabulous job of hosting the affair in Sue Dallon's absence. (Sue was away in California
visiting family, and will be back with us next week.) The house was absolutely packed with Firehouse regulars as well as quite a number of first-time guests. We enjoyed the wonderful music of DJ Felix Pacheco. And we celebrated Elena Syrett's birthday with enthusiastic participation by our own milongueros in a lively celebratory dance. All in all, it was another spectacular night of fantastic food and drink, great friends, and non-stop Tango. Have you been to the Firehouse lately? Next
week, not only will Sue be back, but we'll also be celebrating our twelfth anniversary of Firehouse Tango! To mark the occasion, we'll be welcoming our great friend, renowned dancer and teacher, and honored guest Monica Paz from Buenos Aires. Why don't you stop by? We guarantee that you'll have a ball!
The Turi Report
Yea, cheers and much thanks to our Firehouse heroines and heroes! Yes,
I've up-graded the Firehouse team from "helpers" to "heroes" and of course, "heroines"!
Elena T.
Elena S.
Shan
Steve M.
These wonderful folks flew to our
rescue. They picked up, cleaned, and schlepped tables, chairs, garbage bags and recyclables. Tsipoyra, undaunted by her previously injured arm, began in the afternoon, working with Terri to set up and prep. They both worked tirelessly all evening to keep ahead of all the tasks that put the enchantment into an evening at Firehouse. Thanks go also to all you heroines and heroes who dispose of your plates and cups. It is a huge help and much
appreciated.
-- Steve Turi
Tango Tip of the Week
Hi everyone, Fran here with your Tango Tip of the Week. Last week, I discussed what I sometimes refer to as the "structural" aspects of movement in Tango. Today, I want to focus on what I'm going to call the "functional" components of each step.
Let's say that we're taking
one of the three basic traveling steps (forward, backward, or side). In terms of pure function, what we're trying to accomplish with each of these steps is to get from one place to another. (At this point I could make a case for all movement in Tango -- or any dance for that matter -- being "gestural" in nature rather than "functional;" but we'll save that thread for another time.) In taking one of our basic traveling steps, we first initiate our movement, then we travel through space, and
finally we balance at the end of the step. We can therefore define any walking movement as a self-contained mini-sequence, which consists of these three individual elements:
1. Initiation
2. Travel
3. Balance
As leaders, during the initiation phase of any given movement, we begin to propel ourselves through space. At the same time, we also invite our partner to begin her
movement. We accomplish this by first flexing at the knees in order to lower our torso slightly. This very slight lowering gives the follower advanced notice that "we're about to go somewhere." Next, we project our entire body into space (forward, backward or side). This lets her know exactly where we're asking her to travel. We're on our way.
At this moment, the leader has fulfilled the task of leading his partner. He invites; his follower responds.
During the next two phases of the step, each of the partners acts independently, as we will see.
During phase two -- the travel phase -- the two partners move through space in the direction the leader has chosen. The leader doesn't push or in some way "carry" his partner through this phase. She moves completely on her own. And as she moves to the end of her step, the leader accompanies her. He may accompany her by moving with her, or in some figures he may
remain still. What is important to keep in mind is that the follower is traveling through space on her own.
At the end of each step, we come to phase three: BALANCE! I'm using big, fat, bold capital letters here to place heavy emphasis on this absolutely decisive moment. To complete our step with phase three, both leader and follower bring themselves independently into absolute, upright, come-to-a-dead-stop balance. Each of us lands
on the leg that has just traveled through space, and we make sure that we don't fall to -- or in any way rely on the assistance of -- the other leg.
That's it. We're done. We've moved successfully through the three phases of a single step. Initiation, travel, balance.
Notice that the only phase in which the partners actually physically rely upon one another is phase one -- initiation. Once the follower knows what the leader wants
her to do, she executes her traveling movement by herself during phase two, and brings herself into resting balance during phase three. After this, the three-phase mini-sequence begins again with the next step.
I've developed an exercise for my students, which I call "single-step movement." This exercise enables people in my techniques class to practice both linear and circular movements one step at a time. If you want to become proficient in social Tango, I think you'll find this
exercise very helpful. To find out more about it -- and many other techniques that can transform your dance in a very positive way -- come to my Monday class (check out my Web site for details). If this sounds like crass commercialism, I suppose it is. Get over it.
In next week's Tango Tip we're going to talk about the crucially important moment when we make a transition from one step to another. This is where most social Tango tends to fall apart. What all of us see on the dance floor
every day is people lurching through space, paying no attention whatever to the beginning, middle, and end of their steps, and finding zero balance from one movement to the next.
Next week, we'll try to put it all back together.
Saturdays with Fran and Pat at Dardo Galletto Studios
Please join us for our Saturday
Practica at Dardo Galletto Studios, 151 West 46
th Street (between
6
th and 7
th Avenues; 2-4pm, $10 per person. (Bringing a partner isn't necessary.) We think it’s just like being in Buenos Aires! We’ll both be on hand to answer any questions you may have about your dancing, and to help you with material you're working on. Plus you get a new “must-have” tango move each week! If you’d like a private lesson, call Fran directly at
212-662-7692, or email him at
franchesleigh@mac.com
