[Tango-L] Hucks theorem #1, Jake's Steno pad.

[Jeff Gaynor]

Jay Rabe wrote:

> Several points/questions:
>
> 1:
> Need some clarification to understand your notation, Jeff.
>
> [correct me if I'm wrong]
>     Direction is noted by position on a clock face that is oriented as 
> if the clock were attached to the dancer's chest/torso/shoulders.
>     If a dancer is facing a north wall, with no twist/dissociation, so 
> that his chest/torso and his hips all face the north wall, then a step 
> to direction 12 will be straight forward towards the north wall.
>     If the dancer twists his torso 90deg CC so that his torgo faces 
> the west wall, keeping his hips facing the north wall, then a (left) 
> step to direction 12 will be a step with his left foot towards the 
> west wall (basically a "side" step from the perspective of his hips).
> [/correct me if I'm wrong]
>  
>
Correct. This is a convention that I follow my nose because that is what 
is normally done in tango, unless you are trying to walk with some 
crossed boady position. Conventions are what you do the most and 
comments let you take up the slack, so you could note the twist and 
state that the direction of travel is left/right/backwards etc.

> 2:
> Comment: your use of "duration" is consistent with the 
> "quick-quick-slow" terminology.

Yes, but not synonymous with it. Consider a vals. The QQS terminology, I 
have observed, is the source of a lot of bad dancing because there are 3 
counts to a basic beat, e.g.

2 : 12 : step left
1 :  12 : step right

1 : 12 : step left
2:  12 : step right

2 : 12 : step left
1 :  12 : step right

1 : 12 : step left
2:  12 : step right

(note the spacing of blank lines between bigger beats, this is often 
useful.) This gets you walking with two standard rhythms in vals. Many 
people do duple time when they dance vals because their teacher said QQS 
and this makes them plod rather than lilt. You can even try walking to 
Libertango's infamous rhythm

3/8 : 12 : step left
3/8 : 12 : shuffle right
2/8 : 11 : step left

3/8 : 1 : step right
3/8 : 11 :step left
2/8 : 12 : shuffle right

which puts you briefly in back ochos... If you have an advanced follower 
-- preferably with a strong musical background -- try it some time, 
she'll probably find it groovy.

> 3:
> I'm not completely satisfied by your description of this step:
>
> "Here might be a suspension as you slowly turn CW
> 1 : 12 : step left
> 3 : 3 : twist CW
> 1 : 12 : shuffle left to right "
> -----
>
> My problem with it is: This step pattern requires that the first step 
> left is not a complete weight change. The trailing right foot is not 
> collected and retains some weight, so that, after the twist, there is 
> space between the feet (that is subsequently closed by the "shuffle 
> left to right.")
>  
>
Yup, if you are doing a slow turn as you move your chest your feet are a 
bit apart because you need the leverage off the floor. Going CCW might 
be easier to envision, since it is an elegant way to put her into back 
ochos with a slow chest turn.

> So how would you denote a "1 : 12 : step left" when the intention is 
> to fully transfer weight and collect trailing right to beside the left?
>  
>
1 : 12 : step left
1 : 12 : shuffle right : keep weight on left

This is why there are comments. I'm admitting up front I don't want 100 
noodly notations (like Labanotation) which just obfuscate the movement. 
I've toyed with the idea of having a direction of 0 for shuffling 
because we close so much. YMMV...

Cheers,

Jeff