So many of us were taught to “step on the beat” as the main component of tango music, but there is SO much more to play with and explore in your dance! In fact, I don’t teach people to step on the beat. Instead, I have new dancers try out all the ways you can move within tango music, and try to encourage creativity and real connection, right from the start.
How you take a step matters. The quality of your motion is important: do you start slow and then VROOM to a halt? Do you sneak up on the step, whispering your way through to balance? Do you find a quick pause or a slow pause? What flavor is this step/this part of the song/your partner’s musicality? Don’t let anyone tell you there is only one way to hear the music or move; this is YOUR dance!
Milonga and vals have a more insistent beat than tango, and it’s harder to play around. There are moments where your style/version might nooooot be quite so acceptable because it disturbs the groove of the dance. However, there is still a lot of person agency here: you can slide around the beat like a jazz singer, finding cool nooks and crannies in the song to make it your own.
This week in class, we are going to practice adornos and turns, BUT we will be working on finding how YOUR body works best in the technique and then, I am going to turn you loose to try different ways to approach these moves in the music. I hope that, by the end of class on Tuesday and/or Friday, you will feel more connected to your body—and to the music!
Classes this week
6:30 PM Tuesday: Adornos and turns in Tango, milonga and vals
Noon Friday: Musicality of adornos, turns and exploring your creativity
Join us!