[Tango-L] Rhythm or Melody?

[Carol Shepherd]

If you are a follow, this depends on the skills of the leader, and what's 
appropriate for the music.

The orthodox answer would be to say that the feet should always be in rhythm, 
but the lead should be choosing to fit figures to the phrases of melody.  That 
requires a medium to high understanding of music and medium to high level of 
expressing musicality.  Beginning leads should stick to the basics.

Rhythm dancing is definitely suggested by certain orchestras with certain songs 
with a pronounced habanera.  Other orchestras and tangos are more lyrical and 
the rhythm backbone is light to nonexistent in some places.  Heavy rhythm can be 
kind of draconian.  Not fun to do traspies and nothing more all the way down the 
side of a long ballroom.

I have had tangos where the lead syncopates the feet, drops steps, or dances 
more slowly than the beat for a phrase or two, then picks the rhythm back up. 
If he communicates it, I can do it.  Those dances, are they 'rhythmic'?  They 
are fantastic.  With other leads trying this, it's a disaster.

In open frame dance forms, such as lindy and salsa, I myself can choose whether 
to dance to the saxophone as opposed to the drums, but only with a partner who 
understands what I'm doing and is confident I will be in the right place on 1. 
In tango, I'm pretty much dependent on the skills of the leader to choose 
whether I dance to rhythm or the phrase.


Jack Dylan wrote:
> To everybody,
> 
> A very basic question - should Tango be danced mostly to the rhythm or the melody?
> 
> Jack
> 
> 
>       
> 
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> 

-- 


Carol Ruth Shepherd, Esq.
VP/General Counsel Loud Feed, Inc.  |  http://loudfeed.com
Principal, Arborlaw PLC             |  http://arborlaw.biz
734.717.4646 v  734.786.1241 f