[Tango-L] Close Embrace in ?

[Hoyt Ng]

Hello,

Would Julio Balmaceda and Corina de La Rosa's embrace be classified  
as "V" or close?  I notice that she is pretty much off-set by at  
least a half body width from him in many of the videos I have seen of  
them, but they don't seem to be angled off each other, not sure if  
its a perception issue though.  I've always been confused by this  
issue.  thanks.

be well,
Hoyt


On Dec 10, 2008, at 10:07 PM, Trini y Sean (PATangoS) wrote:

>
> --- On Wed, 12/10/08, Mario <sopelote at yahoo.com> wrote:
>
>> The above quote has me wondering...since all Tango embraces
>> are asymmetrical:
>> ("..the asymmetrical nature of the embrace, closed on
>> one side, more open on the other.") I was originaly taught chest  
>> to chest when in my first close embrace class.  You know
>> the exercise where the couple fold their arms behind them
>> and only make contact with their chests?..well, Im currently  
>> questioning the utility of such an exercise.
>
> Personally, I now prefer using a different technique that I learned  
> from Alicia Pons.  The woman folds her forearms over each other (as  
> if she's Jeannie from I Dream of Jeannie) and they rest on the  
> man's chest.  This gets the lean and the connection and allows more  
> room for feet for beginner's mistakes.
>
> But anyway, "close-embrace" is the term used for straight on  
> connection (buttonhole to bra) with very little V in the frame.   
> The exercise you described is quite useful because many people  
> often do not have a sense of what being in front of someone  
> actually means.  It's quite common for beginners to move aside  
> their partner while thinking that they are in front.  Taking the  
> arms away helps bring the focus on the chest and not the problems  
> the arms can bring into play.
>
>
>> The best close embrace experience I've had was when the
>> woman placed her left breast between my two. I don't know if this  
>> is the legendary "V" embrace but we danced a Milonga song to die  
>> for..perfect communication coming up from our lower torsos thru  
>> the chest
>> connection. ..
>
> This sounds like an odd connection to me, but this might just be  
> due to body types.  In close-embrace the chests can sometimes roll  
> open, as if they are gears in a pair of wheels, to create or close  
> room as needed.  If you stop the rolling so that you get an  
> asymmetric embrace that is shaped like a V, you've created the V- 
> frame.  It's the left side of the woman connecting with the right  
> side of the man.  The asymmetry allows for more movement and  
> ornamentation.  The woman's head position can face the man more  
> comfortably.  You can check out Daniel Lapadula's videos for more  
> on the V-frame.
>
> There are different things to be wary of, such as the asymmetry of  
> backward ochos and the greater likelihood of the woman taking a  
> forward step in a turn instead of back step, among other things.   
> There are also things you lose, as well, with the V-frame.  The  
> body parts that are no longer in contact cannot share in the dance.
>
> Trini de Pittsburgh
>
>
>
>
>
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