[Tango-L] Basics.

[Michael]

Ming:
These are the basics for all dances:

AXIS:
Weight is only on ONE foot. Many men don't understand axis. If they did, 
they would know the woman has a free foot that can move forward, backward, 
or sideway. There's no reason to push the woman backward. Her foot moves 
first to establish support for her weight after she steps. When a man PUSHES 
backward, the woman doesn't have a chance to get her foot out to support 
herself and she doesn't have her balance as she falls backward. To improve 
axis, women have to bend their knees so the free foot will move backward as 
far as possible.

FRAME:
"The man is the frame, the woman is the painting" is a famous dance quote. 
The man envelops the woman like a frame surrounds a painting. [This only 
applies to close embrace.] Frame is used to maintain the couple's alignment. 
When I dance close, I need the woman's sternum (indentation in the chest) to 
line up with my sternum. There is an imaginary pin (like the pin that holds 
the hinges on a door and wall together so that the door can swing open and 
close) that keeps our centers together for the dance. There is a symmetry to 
the embrace and the frame maintains the symmetry. When the couple is off the 
alignment, the woman will feel a stronger lead on one side of her body. The 
lead has to be straight, like the wheels on a shopping cart or the cart 
doesn't go straight.

POSTURE:
Think of a hula hoop. The hoop is placed at waist level and spins as the 
hips rotate in and out. For AT, the hips are back so that weight is shifted 
to the balls of the feet. With weight on the balls of the feet, the chest is 
brought forward to make contact with the partner.

BALANCE:
The feet are turned out, not inward (pigeon toed). This applies to walking 
forward and backward. Normal walking is on the outside edge of the foot. 
Dancing should be the same way.

You also asked about the consequences of not having the basics. Below is a 
quote I found somewhere on the Simba Tango blog that summarizes:

  -When a man walks nicely, the woman dies in his embrace.  -When a man 
walks badly, the woman wants to die.Michael
I danced Argentine Tango --with the Argentines

From: "Ming Mar" <ming_mar at yahoo.com>
Sent: Saturday, September 18, 2010 10:26 AM
Subject: [Tango-L] Basics.


 Loisa writes:
Bring in traveling teachers who insistently teach solid,  clean basics!

 What are these solid, clean basics?  What are the consequences of not being 
able to do these basics?