[Tango-L] No moves heeps?

[Trini y Sean (PATangoS)]

I agree with Tom.  But there are some additional details to
a woman's walk.  In working with our Alexander Technique
teacher, we've developed a backward walk in which the
extension of the leg is a result of the spiraling
(contrabody) action of the spine (spine is attached to the
sacrum which is attached to the pelvis which is connected
to the leg).  

One advantage is that it uses less muscle compared to
extending the leg without the contrabody (which uses the
thigh muscle).  A second is that the man has an easier time
feeling what leg the woman is on.  A third is that it makes
coming back to neutral so easy and pivots very fluid. 
Also, the look is much more fluid and graceful.

So, it's not just a drop, but a drop AND rotation of the
hips.  The drop comes from relaxing the lower muscles in
the back.  The rotation and drop of the hip of the woman is
caused by the drop and rotation of the man's hip if she is
relaxed in her lower back.  One can feel it in apilado,
though I'm not sure if this would translate the same way in
an open frame.

Accompanying the dropped hip is, of course, a natural bend
in the knee.  Men, we have discovered, also need to be more
aware of the separation of the leg and the pelvis at the
leg socket.  Otherwise, they have difficulty with dropping
the hip to cause the woman's hip to drop and rotate.

Robert Hauk was great about teaching us the details as it
relates to tango.

Trini de Pittsburgh


--- Tom Stermitz <stermitz at tango.org> wrote:

> I disagree that the woman should keep her hips from
> moving.
> 
> (1) It is a physical impossibility
> (2) Look at the dancers in the milongas: EVERY SINGLE ONE
> OF THEM  
> moves their hips.
> 
> So, I'm not sure what you actually mean, because it can't
> be  
> literally be: "no moves heeps".
> 
> I think sometimes a teacher says something, and then all
> their  
> students continue saying the same thing irregardless of
> whether it is  
> true or not. The toe-first is another example. Watch what
> the teacher  
> does, sometimes it is the opposite of what they say.
> 
> 
> HIPS IN TANGO
> 
> Salsa has a specific hip motion. Tango does also, but not
> the same  
> one. Certainly it is a lot less.
> 
> Changing weight in tango involves a bunch of different
> things, and  
> hip movement is one of them.
> 
> If you are up on your hips, and trying to keep them from
> moving, then  
> you are creating a series of difficulties:
> 
> (1) Balance is harder
> (2) Shock absorption is harder
> (3) Going up on your hips leads to stiff knees, making
> stick-legs.
> (4) Follower feels stiff or choppy to the leader
> (5) Makes it hard to dance milonga tras-pie
> (6) Makes it hard to do a smooth cross.
> (7) Makes it harder to do shooth ochos
> (8) Makes it harder to do fast boleos
> 
> Obviously, these issues are easier to explain in person
> than over email.
> 
>

PATangoS - Pittsburgh Argentine Tango Society 
Our Mission: To make Argentine Tango Pittsburgh's most popular social dance. 
http://patangos.home.comcast.net/ 



 
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