[Tango-L] heels on floor?

[Jocelyn Paine]

In response to Lois’s questions about keeping weight on her heels, I have, as a follower dancing apilado or close-embrace, have always been taught by various teachers to keep my weight on the forward part of my feet (though differing parts of the ball of the foot from different teachers), a posture which keeps my center of balance forward and my responsiveness fluid. A very few teachers have “allowed” heel steps in certain moves, only rarely. All that said, there might be another question here: what to do about conflicting opinions from different teachers.

I decided, after I had achieved the basic instruction in tango and my body had acquired the requisite sensitivity to dance adequately, a process that took me in the USA about two years, to stick to one teacher at a time and to stop taking every workshop offered either in my home town or at festivals. I stayed with a series of teachers for several years each, which didn’t always mean a lot of instruction or classes in big gulps, because I’d always have to travel to learn from them. I learned as much as I could from each: great milonga and waltz skills from Muma; elastic abrazo techniques and even a few nuevo moves from Fabrizio Forte; fabulous adornos and delicate balance from Yvonne Meisner. Too many teachers confused me, though I am grateful for all the others who gave me their versions of the “right” tango.

Michael is correct: there is no right or wrong, only what works for you. I personally would dance with what one teacher told me early on, to let the heel hover the space of a sheet of paper over the floor, just barely brushing.

Jocelyn Paine
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Anchorage, AK, 99509
http://www.jocelynpaine.com/
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