[Tango-L] Alternitive

[TimmyTango@aol.com]

Ron, at Tango Society wrote
"The main reasons that as a DJ I stopped using non-traditional tango are that
some dancers complained the music was difficult to connect to, whereas
others used the energy of some of these modern compositions to bring out
their exhibition tango to the fullest extent. Navigational suffered and, of
course, connection with the music evaporated. So I stopped. i didn't want to
facilitate that."

Thank you Ron for keeping tango pure
When I think of traditional music and in particular, navigation, I'll always 
telling people who have never been there yet,  to go to BsAs.
There are so many milongas in the US where people have never experienced 
dancing on a crowded dance floor where it seems the entire floor moves as one. 
Hundreds of people dancing on the floor and as if they were all linked together, 
dancing as one. The couple dancing next to you having just as much impact on 
what your next step will be as your partner. I love it and miss it.
There are a number of milongas in Cleveland where all types of music is 
played, and where people dance tango traditionally to neuvo and stage on the same 
floor. I feel it can be a little intimidating to dance on a dance floor if you 
are dancing traditional and the couple next to you are dancing stage and you 
don't know where there next step will take them. I will continue to keep 
Alegria the only traditional floor in town.


lgmoseley at aol.com Wrote
"The other difference is in the walk - whether one walks on the ball of the 
foot first or on the heel first. The ball-first dancers (male or female) have 
rather more time then do the heel-first ones. That? means that the men have a 
little more time to change direction, swivel, pause or whatever, and ladies 
have a little more time to react to such changes.

With both classic and alternative music the ball-first dancers have no 
problems. However, the heel-first dancers have a slight time delay. Rather than 
their weight transfer taking place on the beat, it arrives slightly late. That, as 
far as I can see, is because their heel lands on the beat, but the weight has 
not been fully transferred. There is then a slight delay for the weight to be 
transferred to the ball. That is what appears to account for the fact that 
they always seem to be slightly out of time with the music. As usual, 
irrespective of the direction in which you are moving, the heel acts as a brake."

It has been so frustrating to take so many lessons all these years where the 
instructor stress heel-toe or toe-heel and not being able to say why or what 
the reason is. No one has been able to convince me which is the better, so I 
came up with my own opinion. But 
here, who I believe to be a non-instructor hit the nail on the head. I loved 
your post Laurie.
So I would like to add my $0.02.
First, it very hard to land toe-heel if you are taking long steps. Short ones 
yes. So when I'm dancing tango, and I'm taking long slow steps, I'm using my 
heel-toe, as where in the milonga I'm taking shorter quicker steps, I'm using 
my toe-heel.
Then I think of balance and walking as they say, Like a Cat.
Two people, three legs on the floor. First shown to me by Robert Hauk of 
Portland, OR. The leader steps forward, the follower also stepping backward and 
then also collecting, where the leader still continues to keep their behind foot 
on the floor trailing their forward step. Much better balance. 

Thanks all
Timmy in Cleveland<BR><BR><BR>**************************************<BR> See 
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