[Tango-L] The 8-, 6-, 4-, 2-, and 1-step basics

[larrynla@juno.com]

-- 8CB as a kata

The problem with the 8-count basic is how it is often learned - as a 
unit that you dance at a party. It is more like a martial arts kata - a 
figure with movements that you practice and can combine in many ways. 
But you should not do a kata in a real fight. Or the 8CB in a real 
dance.

The 8CB as a dance figure (not a practice figure) may come from the way 
most ballroom dancing is taught - as a "suitcase" of figures. British 
tango (renamed International, Standard, or Dancesport tango to widen 
its appeal) is taught this way, out of a rulebook that specifies it in 
much detail.

-- 1-step basic

In tango there is only one basic figure - a single step forward, back, 
or to the side with your foot. The side step goes away from your 
supporting foot, or in front of or behind it. That is five basic steps, 
multiplied by two because you can step with your left or right foot.

You can vary a step by doing it with different speeds. Or NOT stepping 
for a short time. All depending on what the music suggests to the 
leader.

You can also turn your body, or pivot on the ball of your foot, at the 
start or end of the step. The result is the same, but a pivot uses less 
energy and looks more elegant. (It is also harder to control your body, 
because your foot-floor contact is smaller.)

Fabian Salas and Gustavo Naveira struggled for years before they 
discovered the single-step-basic idea. This is a basic idea in modern 
dance, going back to its founding by those rebelling against the 
strictures of ballet.

Even in modern-dance classes, however, my teachers did not begin with 
the single step. They taught several simple patterns. Then they taught 
us to freeze after each step, then explore the complexities of a step. 
How your middle body related to your upper body, for instance, or your 
hips to your knees and feet.

The 1CB is useful for exploring the fundamentals of tango movements, to 
see how to better do traditional movements, and explore newer ways to 
do them, or newer movements that still fit in with traditional tango. I 
do not think it is a useful way to teach people new to tango. The CITA 
tapes I have seen of Naveira teaching, and Sala's three-volume tape/DVD 
set, do not use the 1CB. Maybe they came to the same conclusion.

-- 6-step basic

Teachers who use the 8CB can introduce it with the middle two steps 
taken out. This teaches by example that the 8CB can be broken up.

Also, it isolates the very important cross-step and its lead-in step so 
that the teacher can spend more time on its subtleties. For instance, 
the teacher can have students do several lead-step/cross-step pairs in 
a row to exercise their mastery of those subtleties.

And the 6CB is similar to the box step which many students already know 
from fox trot, waltz, and so on. Only the first of the six steps is 
different. This gives teachers a chance to discuss why especial care is 
needed with this back step. Also, teachers can show two variations of 
the 6CB - with and without the leader going to the right-foot outside 
position.

-- 4-step basic

Some Argentine teachers teach a four-step pattern called the baldoso. 
It is made up (in 8CB terms) of steps 2-3 and 6-7, which are two L-
shaped steps. This figure is so simple students can immediately begin 
dancing, as opposed to practicing dancing. It lessens the chance of 
getting hung up on physical actions, and forgetting that dancing is a 
social and an artistic activity as well. 

Many students come to a class for the social contact. Every minute the 
teacher keeps students solitary is a mark against them in these 
students' minds.

Dancing is also an artistic activity, melding partners with music 
inside the flow of the dance. Students need practice at this, at first 
guided practice within a class, then later by themselves within a 
milonga.

-- 2-step basic

When I began learning tango I thought the focus on figures in tango 
classes took too much attention away from musicality and connection 
with one's partner. I came up with a system incorporating and 
simplifying all the figures I knew based (mostly) on the two-step walk. 
More about this is at the link below.

http://larrydla.home.att.net/basics_0.html

Larry de Los Angeles


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