[Tango-L] Directional notation

[rockies@comcast.net]

Jake,

For absolute beginners, I don't think what you're asking is going to be possible, you'll probably have to settle for giving two explanations (one for follower, one for leader), like everyone else does. For anyone with one class or more of experience you could describe all the steps relative to the follower, since the leader has to know what the follower's steps are at all times anyway. This is how Daniel Trenner does it. It's very effective. For example, as he coaches how to lead a molinette, he is telling the leaders in the class to think and say (initially) 'forward step, side step, back step, side step,'  etcetera, as they are simply rotating right or left on the spot.

Randy F

Portland OR.


 -------------- Original message ----------------------
From: "Jake Spatz (TangoDC.com)" <spatz at tangoDC.com>
> Hi all,
> 
> I'm wondering if anyone out there has found a more useful way to 
> describe direction in tango, since "left-right" and "forward-backward" 
> easily become confusing when two dancers are facing each other in the 
> embrace.
> 
> I've heard one teacher use (on occasion) the terms "open-side" and 
> "closed-side," to refer to those respective sides of the embrace. Those 
> terms, however, are already used to describe the distance between the 
> dancers, so they're not that suitable. I've thought of using "hand-side" 
> and "body-side," but that takes a moment of calculation, and I'd like 
> something better.
> 
> I've also tried using the old salida numbers from time to time-- 2 and 
> 7, for instance, describe consecutive sidesteps-- but they have a very 
> limited application, and only to parallel-system at that. (There being, 
> to my knowledge, no cross-system salida.)
> 
> Compass points such as North and South don't really work, because each 
> partner is tempted to consider themselves facing North. Same goes for 
> the clockface system (which is already used for rotation anyway). (The 
> compass system may come in handy for describing the couple in relation 
> to the room, but that's another matter.)
> 
> Ideally, I'd like a set of terms that can explain *to both partners 
> simultaneously* what direction everything's going-- relative to the 
> couple, but not oriented according to either partner-- during complex or 
> asymmetrical movements (e.g., overturned back ochos) as well as in 
> simple ones. I've considered using Spanish terms as well as English, but 
> that just creates a translation issue and complicates matters for 
> bilinguals.
> 
> Any suggestions appreciated, unless you're one of the schmucks who was 
> in charge of naming quarks.
> 
> Jake Spatz
> DC
> 
> 
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