[Tango-L] musicality

[rockies@comcast.net]

 -------------- Original message ----------------------
From: "Trini y Sean (PATangoS)" <patangos at yahoo.com>
> Hi Randy,
> 
> You're correct in thinking that always having ankles or
> knees together on the half-beat (upbeat) limits one's
> musicality.  But that guideline is useful for teaching
> people how to time their leg movements and help them stay
> balanced.  However, if you watch how experienced women
> ornament, you know this guideline can be broken.

Hi Trini,

Thanks for your thoughts. I based the question on something I read at http://www.tangoandchaos.org/chapt_2secrets/6%20Essential.htm#EssenTop
Here, the author states that all good dancers always stay 'en el compas' and his definition of it is
that the ankles go exactly past each other on the half beat. I realize that this is valuable for 
teaching beginners, but the author also makes it sounds like this is the way *all* good dancers dance.
 Actually, he also mentions that good followers don't adorn a lot, if at all, less is more, but 
that's digressing.
> 
> If you're interested in expanding your musicality toward a
> more advanced notion, here's a suggestion.  Think of a step
> has having at least 4 distinct parts:
> - leg extension,
> - weight transfer,
> - leg closure,
> - pivot (if needed).
> In general, the leg is fully extended on the strong beat
> (downbeat) and the weight transferred/leg closed on the
> half-beat (upbeat).  Most dancers do this without realizing
> it.  One might think of a pre-lead as a 5th part, but let's
> not get into that for simplicity.

Ah! Well, perhaps I have been doing this all along without realizing it.
> 
> Each of these parts can have their own velocity and express
> the music differently.  Each can occur over several strong
> beats or be more impulsive.  For example, a man can lead a
> woman to do an impulsive leg extension but a slow weight
> transfer and leg closure.  Or the woman can choose an
> impulsive leg closure as an adornment.  And she can do a
> languid or impulsive pivot, as well.  Try playing with
> these pieces to the music, and you'll discover a lot more
> options.


I do in fact vary foot speed greatly
and do virtually all the things that people have suggested. This came from experience rather than analyzing 
technique of other dancers. I will, for example, start a step quickly, slow it down as the feet come together, and then accelerate to the end of the step. The velocity of the step does not stay the same in any one place. If it stays completely consistent, to me, it feels like marching rather than dancing. Actually, many followers have said my musicality is very good, but I certainly wondered about the article above, if what I was doing was 'bad technique,' even though it was musical. When I introduce beginners to musicality, I try to show them that there is a quality to the *way* that one takes a step, the step is not necessarily just getting from a to b. Being very balanced allows rapid changes in direction (good for crowded milongas of course). So I teach that when balanced, it is possible for both leader and follower to extend without committing to the step, and that in turn allows them to vary the speed of the step and be musical (of course, an absolute beginner sometimes
  has a
 hard time even hearing the beat, but at least if they learn to walk in a balanced fashion, they will learn musicality later).

Cheers,

Randy F