[Tango-L] Directional notation

[Brian Dunn]

J, you wrote:
>>>
* I think in terms of there being 6 possible "basic steps" from any given 
position: front, back, side, in-place, front cross (ocho), back cross (ocho)
<<<
We used to teach that way too, for years - then at one point after some
fundamentals classes with Luciana, we realized that using the clarified
3-step definition, "front", "back" and "side" steps generally reduce to
"open steps in different directions", geometrically similar in terms of the
couple.  On the other hand, "front cross" and "back cross" represent truly
distinct cases geometrically, according to the definition in my original
message.  Unless we make this distinction, we might as well add a
"half-front-half-side" step to split the directional difference between
"front" and "side", the same way "side" is used to split the directional
difference between "front" and "back". 

These days, in our classes we use "front", "side" and "back" as shorthand
monosyllabic synonyms for "front cross", "open" and "back cross", which we
introduce first and clarify as I did above.  That way, we can use the
monosyllables to train the code of the turn in a group, saying half as many
syllables in a musical phrase ;>.

Looked at in this way, an "in-place step" becomes a step of zero (or
minimal) length, actually usually a tiny "open step" - although
theoretically you could shift weight in the follower's cross position,
creating a tiny front-cross or back-cross step instead.  

Similarly, by this frame of reference, "ocho" becomes a figure, composed of
two front cross steps or two back cross steps, but the front cross stands
conceptually on its own, without reference to an "eight-shaped" figure.

All the best,
Brian Dunn
Dance of the Heart
Boulder, Colorado USA
www.danceoftheheart.com
"Building a Better World, One Tango at a Time"

   




* Regarding the 8CB and numbering of the steps: I have heard instructors use

the numbers more to refer to the position of the feet than the actual steps 
needed to get there. So if I am standing with my feet together, and my 
follower has her left crossed in front of her right, we are in position #5, 
regardless of what steps we just did to get to this position. Note that with

this interpretation, positions 1, 4, and 6 are all substantially identical, 
as are 2 and 7.

          J
          www.TangoMoments.com



----Original Message Follows----
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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