[Tango-L] Basics: Walking

[Michael]

I regret I can't respond in rich text so I could use a different font and 
color to differentiate my response to Ming's comments.

The hips are already back before the free foot moves. If the hip is pulled 
to much backward, the woman will fall forward. The hips should only go 
backward enough to bring the weight onto the balls of the feet. This doesn't 
cause the butt to stick out. Bending forward from the waist causes the butt 
to stick out, not pulling the hips back.  My back is fine.

Yes, when people walk outside milongas, they land on their heel first, but 
that's because their posture is straight up without their hips pulled back. 
But what happens after you step on your heel. You don't walk heel to toe 
without rolling to the outside edge. Why? The foot has an arch (except mine 
because I have flat feet). There's no support under the arch so the foot 
rolls outward and then comes back in.

Michael
I danced Argentine Tango --with the Argentines

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Ming Mar" <ming_mar at yahoo.com>
Sent: Monday, September 20, 2010 6:29 AM
Subject: [Tango-L] Basics.


Michael writes:
Her foot moves first to establish support for her weight after she steps.

 Yes.  First the foot, then the body.

women have to bend their knees so the free foot will move backward as far as 
possible.
>
 Not quite.  Move the hip back to extend the reach of the foot.
>
>>I need the woman's sternum (indentation in the chest) to line up with my 
>>sternum.
>
> I've never seen anyone dance close embrace like this.
>
>>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.
>
> This sounds like Sherrie's stick-out-the-butt dancers.
> Does your back hurt?
>
>>The feet are turned out .... Normal walking is on the outside edge of the 
>>foot.

 Most people don't walk this way.  They land on their heels, not the side of 
their foot.  And unless you have to repair
> the side of your shoe before the heel, you don't walk this way either.
>
>
>
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