New classes start this week!

Tango I: Introduction to Argentine Tango (Thursdays, 6-7 PM, Om Studio, 14 NE 10th, between Burnside and Couch)

If you are a complete beginner, or a dancer reviewing your basics, this is the class for you! Each week, we'll cover new material and integrate it into your dance, so you can take it out on the dance floor immediately. We'll cover walking, turning, ochos, going to the cross; the embrace; navigation; improvisation; and musicality.

I teach a body-based tango which looks for efficient, balanced movement to allow you to find your own style. Fun, improvisatory, sensual, exciting: tango! No partner needed.

$60/6 weeks, or $12 drop in (summer special: pay for both six-week sessions at once for $100--save $20)

Tango 2: Advanced Beginners/Beginning Intermediates (Thursdays, 7-8 PM, Om Studio, 14 NE 10th, between Burnside and Couch)

Designed for folks who have already completed Tango I (at least once, I suggest 2-3 times), this class introduces new moves each week to gradually build an elegant, powerful dance. Want to improve your technique for following? We'll do adornos, boleos, ganchos, etc. Want to improve your leading? We'll do fun combinations that increase your confidence on the the dance floor and make you look good, too!

As usual, I focus on the body: balance, breath, alignment--the true tango fundamentals--to make tango work for YOUR body. Navigation, the embrace, musicality and connection/energy with your partner are integral parts to each class. Come connect with tango!

$60/6 weeks, or $12 drop in (summer special: pay for both six-week sessions at once for $100--save $20)

Milonga traspie: all levels (Wednesdays, 8:15-9:15 PM, Om Studio, 14 NE 10th, between Burnside and Couch)

Come learn new milonga moves that work to traditional and alternative music, and then head over to Norse Hall to practice them! We're one block from the milonga, so plan on making an evening of it!

Milonga traspie is a grooving, syncopated, WOW! dance. We'll work on the fundamentals of the dance, as well as harder patterns to incorporate into your existing milonga. We'll focus on musicality and making the dance reflect the musical playfulness of milonga. We'll also learn to adjust to various embraces, styles of music and partners so that you can lead/follow ANYBODY.

Note: This class is aimed at intermediate and advanced dancers. Beginners: you are welcome, but please bring a partner so that you can work at your own pace.

$60/6 weeks, or $12 drop in (summer special: pay for both six-week sessions at once for $100--save $20)

Not offered this session: Tango 3, 4 & 5; tango vals; musicality class. 

Private lessons available during the day Monday-Wednesday; and Tuesday and Wednesday evenings. Call 541.914.4812 to schedule, or email ewartluf@gmail.com.

The duende of tango

I think of "duende" as the "passion" or "soul" of something.  Merriam-Webster defines it as "the power to attract through personal magnetism and charm."

What is it that attracts people to tango, and then holds them in tango's embrace?

I don't think it's the steps of tango, or the music, although I am hooked on both myself. I think it is tango's demand that both the leader and the follower must interact with another person's energy and spirit, in order to dance well. To dance tango, you need to take an emotional risk and open yourself to another soul.

Beginner's mind

What made me think of this was a joyous, laughing beginner who tore up the floor last night at my lesson.   When I fired up my Naughty Toddler exercise, he flew around the dance floor with a more experienced follower, and led her in moves that I KNOW he does not know. He put his entire heart and soul into that dance, and it was breathtaking. 

Now, tango is not a solo dance, so you need a partner willing to risk all as well. Last night, a quiet, sweet follower turned up the volume, met this beginner's energy, and did the best dance I've ever seen her do in a year of dancing. She looked phenomenal; she took risks I've never seen her take, and it paid off.

It looked FUN! It had passion, it had groove, it had soul; for a moment, the duende of tango peeped out.

Maintaining beginner's mind

All of the tango beginners who showed up quickly got the idea that the shared energy counted more than perfection of steps. As we explored, the more shy dancers started to play, smile, risk more, and began to dance with energy, with spirit, with soul.

More experienced tango dancers were less sure. I saw the skeptical looks exchanged by the "experienced" dancers (something along the lines of "I think she must be nuts" as far as I can read facial expressions). A teacher is telling us that it doesn't matter how well we do the steps?!?!

Some of those dancers did not walk on the dance floor with an open mind. When I left, they were practicing dance moves--without any spark of connection. Well, you can't change anyone's mind except your own :-)

One more experienced dancer took the challenge. Over the course of a few dances, I watched tentatively try out "misbehaving" as a follower. She started to smile. Her dance improved, but it was not easy for her. I honor her for daring to step out of her comfort zone.

My job as a teacher

I used to think that teaching perfection in each step was my primary job as a teacher. After twenty-four years of teaching dance, I no longer believe that. In the past two or three years, I have come to realize that I needed to relearn how to teach, in order to serve my students better.

My job is to release joy, confidence and pleasure into the world; to facilitate personal fulfillment.  For some people, that does mean reaching perfection in a dance style, and I am happy to share my expertise (and my anal retentive nature!).

However, for most of my students, I find that their goal is NOT perfection. They have different goals: find a boy/girlfriend; spend time in our unconnected lives to touch other humans; to express themselves to music; to build balance and flexibility in order to dance into old age; etc. For all of them, they seek those magical moments during a song where two energies meet and two souls touch. Perfect dancing should be perfect connection. Tango entices because it offers an opportunity to reach that perfect connection every dance.

That is what I try to teach. Ask me about the Tiger Growling exercise sometime! Or, come to the Eclectic Dance at Norse Hall on Saturday night (lesson 7:30) and experience it for yourself!

More milonga moves (review from Milonga class, March-April 2010)

We covered a HUGE amount of material in the past six weeks--good work, folks! Here is a review of the steps and technique we learned.

This first part on ocho cortado is recopied from my blog earlier. I just want to make it easier to find for those of you who are only taking my milonga class.

Ocho cortado

There are many ways to do ocho cortado, but there are some fundamental elements that must exist for the ocho cortado (or ocho milonguero) to happen:

1. Follower is led in a back-front rebound step (R foot back, L forward). This is ONE movement, like a basketball hitting the ground and returning. Does the ball stop for a moment at the ground? No! It flexes and returns (just like the follower's body).
2. Follower is led to step through to the leader's outside track (leader's right) with the right foot.
3. Follower is led in a side-side rebound step (left-right), ending in a front cross/close. This should have some circular motion around the leader to make the move easier for the follower and conserve space.

Notice that the ocho cortado is based on the follower's footwork! As the leader, I could hop up and down, as long as the follower gets these messages: rebound, step through, rebound, close. However, most of us prefer a bit more structure, so here are the leader's steps for the linear ocho cortado:

1. Leader does a forward back rebound (left, right).
2. Leader steps backwards with the left, while leading the follower through to leader's right side.
3. Leader does a tiny rebound side-side, but most of the movement is circular, so that the follower's rebound goes around the leader, not away, out into space.
4. Leader completes move by stepping in place (or near there, depending on the variation) with the right foot, ready to begin another pattern in parallel system (or doesn't switch and is in crossed system).

Most of the arguing about how to do the ocho cortado here in Portland centers around whether the ocho cortado should be circular or linear. THERE IS NO CORRECT VERSION; linear vs circular is a decision made on the dance floor, depending on the space available.

Ocho cortado variations

The Charleston

This is a linear variation that does not pivot the follower. The leader remains facing line-of-dance (LOD) or original direction; follower remains facing leader UNLESS you are using this move to change facings in the room.

• The leader leads the first half of normal ocho cortado, making sure to make it linear so that the line of movement is established.
• On the second half of the ocho cortado, the leader moves parallel to the follower, so that both dancers rebound along the line of movement: leader back, forward and follower forward, back.
• Do not close into the cross, but exit walking (of course, you can end any way you want, but this is easiest).
• Followers: make sure your rebounds travel up your body so that the leader knows when to rebound you. Keep your ankles, knees, hips and spine stretchy but relaxed. If you "help" by stopping the movement, you make it harder to lead and rougher on your body.

Rudolf Valentino

This version is also a linear version (guess what type of ocho cortado I like!). Here, the follower is pivoted and then BOTH dancers move through the middle of the step, achieving that "Rudolf Valentino" cheek-to-cheek alignment just for a moment.

• The leader leads the first half of normal ocho cortado, making sure it is linear to that the line of movement is established.
• As the follower does the second rebound, the leader also does a rebound in the same direction, and overturns the follower so that the follower must step forward through the space between the dancers after the rebound.
• This timing on when to pivot the follower (and self) is subtle: turn too soon, and the follower will try to turn around you. Turn too late, and the follower cannot comply with your request to travel facing forwards in a front cross. Use your chest and the rebound, working together, to "catch" the follower's rebound and send it in a new direction.
• Don't wrestle your partner, but you can use your embrace to prevent the follower from "helping" by doing a regular ocho cortado on auto-follow.
• When the follower finished the forward step, you can pivot her/him again, returning to the original partner orientation in order to exit walking or whatever you want to do.

Playing with repetition as a variation

For each of these variations above, you can take one rebound and repeat it several times before completing the pattern, to vary the step. Usually, it's easiest to repeat the second rebound (repeating the first is not fun, IMHO as a follower).

This changes the timing from the traditional quick quick slow, quick quick slow, to: quick, quick, slow, quick, quick, quick, quick . . . slow. This is useful if you either forgot to start your milonga on the strong beat, or got off-track somewhere. Just keep rebounding until you can start again on a strong beat!

For example, you can take the second rebound of the Charleston version, and just keep rebounding (make the follower rebound forward on left, back on right; then back on left, forward on right, making a rocking motion).

I tend to use this concept more with the Rudolf Valentino version. Having turned my follower to face LOD with me, I'll rebound both of us forward and back and forward and back, and then exit. The exit can be finishing in tango close, or UNwinding to finish with a Charleston and then walking out.

The El Tano

This is what I call the first variation I learned of ocho cortado, back in 2000.  I learned it by dancing with El Tano, yet another great dancer who has passed away recently.

When watching the move, it looked like he led the first half of an ocho cortado, and then waved his belly back and forth for a while, and then closed the step. However, following him, he made sure that I closed my ocho cortado, REBOUNDED at the cross (in place basically), and then opened up again to do more rebounds.

A favorite combination for him was to make me cross behind, then open again, then in front, then open again, then in back, then in open, and finally, close in tango cross (whew! that's six rebounds in a row!). If you do not have the beer belly to make this easy, you need to use some body English to make sure your follower feels the difference between in front and in back of her right leg.

Inside out ocho cortado

I saw a very fun version of ocho cortado in Buenos Aires in February. Dancers (guys) were hanging out of their chairs, watching intently. Luckily, the couple doing this move were my main teachers, so I could beg for instruction and learn it quickly.

• The rebound for this version is NOT a traditional rebound. Instead, it is triangular (I know, this is breaking a rule, but it's fun!). When the follower is sent backwards on the right to begin the first rebound, the leader twists the torso to the right, lightly suspends and uses "la marca" to make the follower pivot; and then leads the second half of the rebound so that the follower moves left diagonal with the left foot. This makes a V-shaped move, to the back right diagonal of the leader, rather than just in place.
• For the step after the rebound, this opening into a stronger V in the embrace, should make the follower able to step sideways BEHIND herself along the line of movement, rather than forward through.
• Leaders: don't make the follower guess! Be clear here! Have intention! If not, your follower may "help" you by doing a standard ocho cortado, thinking, "Oh, s/he led that really badly!"
• The leader, BTW, is also doing a triangular rebound and a step behind, parallel to the follower's path.
• Lead the second rebound so that the follower gets a side, back rebound (as in the Rudolf Valentino when you unwind back into the Charleston).
• The last step is not a tango close, but a walking exit. You can end with going to the cross, but it doesn't feel as smooth for the follower.
• Triple- (or double-) back variation on the exit: Do two or three of the side, cross behind steps before exiting, to make the move fit the music as you wish. The timing is then: quick, quick, slow, slow, slow, slow . . . quick, quick, slow.
• Exit variation: Do only the first rebound and the step behind. Then, suspend the follower with "la marca" turn to face LOD, and allow the follower's hips to unwind. Pause for an adorno, or simple exit to the cross.

Other stuff

 My goodness!  I don't think I've ever covered this much material in such a short time! Here's the non-ocho cortado material we did this session.

Omar's step

This is my favorite Omar Vega move that I learned in his milonga classes in July, August and September of 2000 in Buenos Aires. As many of you know, Omar was both a brilliant dancer, and a bit of a bad boy. This move has all his attitude and finesse in it. I love the grooviness of it, especially if you throw it in between a few smooth, milonga lisa steps so that it attracts attention and then disappears ("Hey, what was that?").

• Start: Feet together, having just put the follower on the right foot and the leader on the left foot.
• Leader moves a half-step backwards with the right, WHILE rotating the chest to the left AND lifting the follower slightly up, so that the follower takes a half step forward, moving into the center.
• Leader moves a full (but not too big!) step backwards WITH THE RIGHT, while relaxing the chest to neutral and having released the follower's suspension. That's right! This is a step where you take TWO steps in a row with the same foot, sorta.
• Invisible rebound: The reason you can take two steps with the same foot, is that there is an invisible rebound in the middle. Basically, this is a rebound that you feel in your foot, straight into the ground, and in your body, up and away from the foot; you transfer weight WITHOUT MOVING onto your other foot. Then, the original foot is available to move again.
• Exit to the left with the left, and continue as you like.
• The follower has a half step forward with the left, suspended so that there is a small step. Rebound (see above) and step forward again with the left, exiting to the right with the right into whatever is led.
• Note: We learned Omar's step out of the cuadrado, but obviously you don't have to do that first.

Cuadrado

Robert doesn't like the cuadrado, so I taught it a day that he wasn't co-teaching :-)  I agree that it should be used sparingly, but it's a good way to bail out of walking to the cross, or to get nice side-together steps going.

• Leader: Open to the side with the left; walking (inside track) with the right; back into center track with the left; side open with the right; and close in place, putting your weight on your left. I think of this as: "side, maybe no, step together" but you can call it whatever you like.
• Follower: Open to side with the right; walk back on the left; back on the right; side open with the left; together with the right, switching weight IF you are led to do that!

The pendulum (QQQQ)

Again, I learned this move from Omar Vega, who didn't call it anything ("Today's new step looks like this:" is not a good name).

Note: It is easiest to lead this after a side step. I suggest doing the entire move with the leader facing out of the space, moving sideways line-of-dance.

• Side-step line-of-dance; leader's left, follower's right. Timing: slow.
• Leader steps forward through, diagonal right LOD, with right foot.
• Leader steps together with left.
• Leader steps back with right.
• Leader steps together with left.
• Timing after side step: quick, quick, quick, quick.
• Follower: side step LOD with right; back on left; together on right; forward on left; together on right; exit with left.
• How do you get the follower to do four quick steps in a row, with two of them in place? Good question! Think of this as a pendulum-shaped move. When I lead it, I send my feet further than my chest on step one, and on step three, I scoop the follower almost under and towards me, so that the follower's feet do the same thing, swinging towards me like a pendulum. The first step has the energy emphasis. If I were singing this move, this is how I would sing it: YUMP bum bum bum.

Basic framework: grapevine

All of the moves we did this session work nicely connected together with a basic framework of a form of grapevine:

• Leader: side with left, forward through with right, side with left, back with right.
• Follower: side with right, back with left, side with right, forward with left.
• All slow steps.
• Note: This is facing (for the leader) towards the outside edge of the dance floor; the follower is facing the center of the floor. This protects the follower from other dancers, allows the leader more space to place/more ability to see available space, etc.
• The framework has a slight diagonal to it, with the leader moving forward diagonal LOD when stepping through with the right; and either straight back towards the center of the room OR turning a bit more and stepping back diagonal LOD with the back right step.
• Variation #1 (Step close): After the leader's front diagonal step with the right, step TOGETHER instead of to the side. This makes the follower's step also step in place. To help make sure the lead is clear, you can tilt SLIGHTLY to ensure that the follower's step cannot travel sideways.
• Variation #2 (Triple-steps to the side): For one or both of the side steps, make that step a "step-together-step" (quick, quick, slow). This is easier on the side step after the follower's back step, but it works for both. As a follower, I prefer ONE set of quick, quick, slow side steps per pattern, not two. As a leader, I kinda like two!

Buenos Aires basics (Popular tango moves 3)

This is the third (of three) reviews for the moves we worked on in my intermediate tango class these last six weeks. As I have said before, we learned moves that were led on me hundreds or thousands of times on my most recent Buenos Aires trip. All of them are moves that are simple in concept, work in small spaces, can be done in closed or open embrace, and and are fun to do; but that have subtle tricks to make them work better.

Left turn with rebound step

Although I commonly think of this as two separate patterns, they were often combined in Buenos Aires to make a nice, compact turn with a quick, quick, slow; quick, quick, slow pattern in the music. 

Leaders:

• Lead a rebound, forward on left, back on right for yourself; back on right, forward on left.
• The traditional timing is quick, quick BUT make sure you are using the rebound! Don't truncate it to be on time. Remember, to adjust the follower's step size works much better. The magic "la marca" allows you to reduce the size of the follower's step by keeping her/his foot more under the body.
• Lead a left turn. Make sure you rotate in place and keep the the spiral in your torso so that the follower keeps doing a grapevine.
• The traditional timing on the turn is slow, quick, quick, slow.

A lot of leaders in Buenos Aires did two rounds of this before exiting, even though we usually  made it all the way around in one set. Of course, traffic didn't move very much on the dance floor. Here in Portland, with leaders zooming down the room, you might want to only do one set so as not to get run over!

Followers:

• Do a back on right, front on left rebound. Make sure you complete this movement before beginning the turn around the leader (don't make a triangular movement; return to original spot!).
• In your turn, make sure that each step is completed by finishing the push off with your toes the way we've practiced. This allows you to arrive on balance so that you can slow down or speed up as the leader asks.
• For your back cross step, use those hips! This is a swivel and then push off move--don't swing your feet for momentum.
• Traditional move: four step turn, side step with right, back cross with left, side step with right, front cross with left.
• Traditional timing: slow, quick, quick, slow. When you add it to the rebound, the entire pattern is: quick, quick, slow; quick, quick, slow.
• In Buenos Aires, I was expected to deliver this timing. If I waited to be told the timing, dancers felt I was going too slowly. Here, where many leaders lead all-slow versions of turns, it may take some adjusting of this traditional timing.

Adorno for right and left turns for followers

• Between the back cross and the next open step in a turn (right or left), allow your knees to rebound against each other as your legs pass under you. If you are doing a right turn (clockwise), the free leg doing the adorno is the left; to the left, it is the right leg.
• This LOOKS like you are doing an ankle adornment, with the free foot sliding in front of the support leg, and then going into the side step, but if you concentrate on the ankles, you may trip yourself (ask me how I know this!).
• This adorno has the added bonus that it helps you arrive on axis better during your back cross steps in the turn.
• Remember to keep your hips back while you do the adorno. If you lock your knees while your dance, or bring your hips forwards, you will not be able to make this move look as good, and may trip the leader (luckily, I do not know this from my own experience!).

Walking circles clockwise

Of course, you can do these the other direction as well. And in crossed system. However, the clockwise, parallel version was the one that guys in Buenos Aires tended to lead.

For those of you also in my milonga class that I co-teach with Robert Hauk, this should look familiar: we did it in the winter session of the milonga class! Here in Portland, Robert, as well as Steven Payne,  lead very sweet circles like this, but no one else really seems to. In Buenos Aires, I had this led on me more frequently.

There's only walk technique involved here. Doing the porteno walk (see the Tango Fundamentals review sheet in the right column, top page under PAGES), simply walk in a big enough circle that the follower walks backwards instead of pivoting in place on the dance floor.

Simple way to get going: Take a side step as if doing a salida, and then walk forward. This gets you into the nice, connected twist that will keep the follower from stepping in front of you. Keep herding the follower towards the center of the circle; go all the way around; continue line of dance.

New classes start April 14th at Interstate Firehouse Cultural Center

My new classes start next week.  Here's a preview, and hope to see many of you! If you haven't tried my classes, come the first night and check it out! $60/6 weeks, or $12 drop-in. Address: 5340 N. Interstate Ave.

Tango Fundamentals (6 PM to 7 PM): Beginners and intermediates

This next six weeks, we focus on using steps that rebound ("rock" steps, ochos, etc.) and combining them with traveling steps, to make your dance more confident, safer on the dance floor, and more musical.

New to tango? Great! We'll have you up and running in no time! Come to class and then to to Norse Hall to put it all into your dance right away!

Intermediate dancers: Take some time to review what you know, polish it, and dance better with more people! My small group classes give you a lot of one-on-one time so that you REALLY learn the moves. Warm up in this class and work on your fundamentals, then stay for the next class and learn more material!

Creating the Magic (7 PM to 8 PM): Intermediate and advanced dancers

• Energize your tango for incredible dance experiences.
• Learn new, fun moves that WORK on the dance floor.
• Improve your musicality so more of your vocabulary fits into the dance.
• Hone your connection skills.
• Play with the energy of your partner to create new versions of moves.
• Have more fun with tango.

For me, the difference between an intermediate and advanced dancer is not the number of years dancing tango, but the ability to create an energized, musical, magical experience for the senses. We'll play games and do exercises that make that happen, mixed with new material to incorporate into your new dance!

Tango vals (8 PM to 9 PM): Intermediate and advanced dancers

This six-week session, Robert Hauk and I will teach tango vals instead of milonga. Come work on your vals (a glorious dance!). We'll focus on musicality and making the music help you get in the groove, as well as steps that work well in vals.

Buenos Aires basics (Popular tango moves 1)

The advantage to both leading AND following tango, is that I can steal moves from folks I danced with in Buenos Aires, and bring them home to YOU! My intermediate tango class on Wednesdays at the Interstate Firehouse Cultural Center (5340 N. Interstate, Portland, OR) will be learning these moves during this six-week session. We'll do a new one each week, so feel free to come drop in and dance!

Ocho cortado

There are many ways to do ocho cortado, but there are some fundamental elements that must exist for the ocho cortado (or ocho milonguero) to happen:

1. Follower is led in a back-front rebound step (R foot back, L forward). This is ONE movement, like a basketball hitting the ground and returning. Does the ball stop for a moment at the ground? No! It flexes and returns (just like the follower's body).
2. Follower is led to step through to the leader's outside track (leader's right) with the right foot.
3. Follower is led in a side-side rebound step (left-right), ending in a front cross/close. This should have some circular motion around the leader to make the move easier for the follower and conserve space.

Notice that the ocho cortado is based on the follower's footwork! As the leader, I could hop up and down, as long as the follower gets these messages: rebound, step through, rebound, close. However, most of us prefer a bit more structure, so here are the leader's steps for the linear ocho cortado:

1. Leader does a forward back rebound (left, right).
2. Leader steps backwards with the left, while leading the follower through to leader's right side.
3. Leader does a tiny rebound side-side, but most of the movement is circular, so that the follower's rebound goes around the leader, not away, out into space.
4. Leader completes move by stepping in place (or near there, depending on the variation) with the right foot, ready to begin another pattern in parallel system (or doesn't switch and is in crossed system).

Most of the arguing about how to do the ocho cortado here in Portland centers around whether the ocho cortado should be circular or linear. THERE IS NO CORRECT VERSION; linear vs circular is a decision made on the dance floor, depending on the space available.

Common mistakes in performing an ocho cortado:

1. Abandoning the follower's first rebound step to "make room for the follower" by tucking your free foot behind yourself. Your follower doesn't need you to get out of the way, s/he needs you to lead clearly.  Easy Fix: If you are going to make a circular ocho cortado, make sure the follower is completing the rebound (i.e., headed back towards you) before you pivot. No fix is needed for the linear version: if you were walking correctly, your foot is already behind your other foot, ready to receive the rebound.
2. Pulling the follower to your side to make sure they know this is a forward step after the rebound. Your follower needs to stay connected to your center, not your shoulder, so this pulls the couple off balance.  Easy Fix: Check your first rebound. You get the momentum to carry the follower forward by completing the rebound. Don't think rock step; don't think check step: think REBOUND. Stay connected with your energy, but allow the follower's body to rotate against yours if she needs more room for her hips.
3. Stepping open to catch the follower and send her back to the other direction to close. This usually makes the follower's "rebound" step into a yee-haw cowgirl, knees locked attempt to finish the step.  Easy fix: Make your own rebound step TINY (if you tend to fall over here, stand on both feet and just rotate!), and focus on making the follower's side-side rebound have a slight circular quality to it, around your center. Use the follower's momentum from the rebound to catch him/her and reverse direction.
4. The enormous, yee-haw! version of the ocho cortado seems to start from a big, enthusiastic first rebound. A lot of guys have complained to me that they feel the followers charge through the middle (creating the "on the shoulder" orientation of the couple), and that they are forced to take a big step to catch the follower, in order to save the move. Yes, sometimes it is definitely the follower's auto-ocho-cortado that creates problems. But if you are leading, you get to choose to fix that!  Easy fix: take a small first rebound step. This should make the follower's forward step through smaller, AND result in a smaller side-side rebound. Whatever the energy of the beginning of the ocho cortado, the rest will mirror that. YOU are in charge, leaders!

Linear ocho cortado

Having said there is no correct version, full disclosure time. I prefer the linear version of this move as a follower. Too many folks have abandoned me in the middle of my first rebound in order to tuck their right foot behind and start turning, without having told me what to do! Yes, I can SEE where they want me to go. Am I being difficult in requesting that the leader LEADS me to dance? I don't think so. When I follow, I want to feel clarity, not see it :-)

As a leader, I don't even think what shape I need. I focus on making the first rebound the right size for my space on the dance floor, and then only move circularly when I have no space behind me. I rarely plan ahead for more moves, but let the end of the ocho cortado dictate what comes next (and yes, fourteen years ago, there was often a pause there because I couldn't figure out what to do next!). The energy of the dance makes the choreography, adjusted for space.

Where to find more information

An excellent source of review of some basic variations on ocho cortado is Oscar Mandagaran and Georgina Vargas' Rhythmic tango DVD. I like their explanation of the basic ocho cortado as well.  I think it's Chapter 11 on changes of direction, traspie timing and the ocho milonguero; and several chapters after that for the variations.

If you are coming to my class April 4th in Eugene, we'll learn three to five new variations to add to your dance. I just realized today that I'm teaching on Easter. Hope some of you show up anyway!

Classes start on January 6th! Come dance!

Happy New Year! It's time for class again, time to work off those holiday cookies (for me, at least).

All classes will be held at the Interstate Firehouse Cultural Center, 5340 N Interstate Ave. (Killingsworth MAX station)

$60/six weeks or $12 drop-in

No partner needed, no pre-registration needed; just show up!

Not sure what section you should come to? Drop-in to all of them on Wednesday to make a decision!

Levels and description:

Tango Fundamentals/Beginning Tango

6-7 PM Wednesdays, IFCC

• Great for diving deeper into the dance, or starting off for your first tango class.
• This class will focus on correct posture, balance and energy to make tango easy on your body
• We will learn (or polish) basic tango steps: walks, turns, ochos, the cruzada, etc.
• Musicality: Make your partner swoon with your amazing use of the music!
• Navigation: Just in time for Valentango! Learn how to avoid crashes and have fun.
• FUN: Tango is an improvisational dance. Although there's a lot of technique involved, there is also a lot of room to play, break rules, and mess around!
• Tango culture and etiquette: how do you ask for a dance? What is a tanda? As a dance anthropologist, I teach not just the dance, but the cultural rules surrounding it.

Intermediate Tango

• Topics for this session include volcadas, ganchos, and tango vals--and anything YOU need/want/desire.
• As usual, we focus on deepening body awareness, improving posture, balance, energy and connection with the partner.
• Musicality: This session, we'll work on vals timing vs. tango timing; really using the music to make the dance rock.
• Energy: What really makes a dancer intermediate or advanced is their use of energy and the clarity of that intention to the partner. We'll work on building energy levels to make your tango more sexy, powerful, more GRRRROWL in your dance.
• Improvisation: Tango is not just about set steps. We'll look at connecting steps, finding new patterns, and playing with the dance.
• Navigation: With Valentango coming up, we'll play some navigational games to make cool moves work in small spaces with less angst.

Milonga Traspie with Robert Hauk and myself

• Robert Hauk and I are again combining forces to offer a milonga class.
• New moves! This session, we'll be doing traspie/rebound moves, ocho cortado, saucy stuff I've learned in Bs As, mixed with Robert's horde of repertoire.
• Navigation: Learn to tailor the size of your steps to the room you have, not cut down your vocabulary just because it's crowded on the dance floor.
• Come get your milonga on for Valentango!

New classes start October 28th

Due to some family issues, I will not be teaching in Vancouver for the next six-week session, but I AM offering my Portland classes. I will be teaching beginning and intermediate tango levels, plus milonga traspie on Wednesday nights (see class descriptions below).

Location:

Interstate Firehouse Cultural Center
5340 N Interstate Avenue
Portland, OR

Cost:
$60/person for six-week session; $12/class drop-in
No preregistration necessary
No partner necessary

Wednesdays @ 6 PM: Beginning Argentine Tango/Tango Basics for all levels

This class covers walking in parallel system, walking to the cross, basic front and back ochos, basic turns; musicality; navigation; the embrace; energy, correct body alignment and basic exercises to build technique. It is perfect for a first-time dancer, an intermediate dancer who is polishing their tango fundamentals, or an intermediate or advanced dancer who is learning the other role (lead or follow).

I teach from a body-based approach. I feel it is important to find and use the body's balance, alignment and breath. I apply my anatomy and kinesiology training from my M.A. in Dance to help you find a body-efficient path to tango. Read my teaching bio for more of a taste of my approach.

I think that too many people forget that dancing (and therefore, tango) is supposed to be fun! We'll work on building an improvisational, playful, energized dance, right from the start.

Wednesdays @ 7 PM: Milonga Traspie (co-taught by Robert Hauk)

This session, Robert and I will focus on basic milonga traspie (a fast dance related to tango that has both elegance and groove). We will learn how to syncopate in milonga, building both dance vocabulary and musicality. This class is aimed at intermediate and advanced dancers.

Each week, we will focus on a set of related steps and movement information. By the end of the session, you will have a bunch of cool new moves and combinations to let you rock the dance floor!

Wednesdays @ 8 PM: Intermediate/Advanced Intermediate Tango

This class is for students who have reached intermediate level (or higher) in their dance, and are looking to learn new material. Each week, we'll work on new exercises, games and material that build your tango. Each six-week session will cover different material than the session before; the plan is to create a year-long course of tango study, whether you drop in from time to time, or make a commitment to weekly tango exploration.

I teach from a strong body-based model. Correct alignment, use of muscles and breath, are super-important. Also, learning to electrify tango through energy work, making your dance elegant and sensuous. Find your own style, experiment, play. Fun is a main component of tango for me. We'll play movement games to help build improvisational skills, new combinations and a new approach to the dance.

We'll be done in time for you to hop on your bikes, on the MAX, and into your cars to get down to the Wednesday night alternative milonga at Norse Hall.

Private lessons

Private lesson times are available  during the day (weekdays), and on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday evenings. These are at my house. Please email or call to schedule. The cost is $50/hr or five for $200.

Sharing lessons: The cost for private lessons is the same for 1-4 people. I have an intermediate couple who would like to share lessons with another couple. They learn quickly, are detail-oriented, and are a lot of fun. Currently, they are scheduled for 7 PM on Tuesdays, but there may be some flexibility. Please contact me if you are interested, and I will put you in touch with each other to see if you are a good fit for sharing lessons.

Fall classes with Elizabeth Wartluft

All new classes start the week of September 15th.

Beginner/Advanced Beginner Argentine Tango

Thursdays, 7:15 PM
Riverside Performing Arts, 1108 Main St., Vancouver, WA
$72/6 weeks, $60 students, seniors and continuing students

This class will cover: walking, basic salidas, the cruzada, basic turns and front ochos; musicality, navigation, connection, energy, and the embrace. For advanced beginners, I will provide more complex variations and more focus on musicality and connection. As always, my focus is balance, alignment, efficiency of movement, to create an elegant, sensual and playful tango.

Intermediate Argentine Tango

Wednesdays, 8 PM
Dancing Soul, 4315 NE Garfield Ave., Portland, OR (or nearby: I'm in negotiation for a larger space)
$72/6 weeks, $60 students, seniors and continuing students

I design this class to be taken a minimum of three times before advancing to the next level, so I cover different topics each six weeks. We learn the technique from the ground up for paradas, sacadas, ganchos, adornos, quebradas, calesitas, planeos, etc. Continuing from my beginning classes, we will learn harder variations of turns and ochos, combining them with the new repertoire. As always, my focus is balance, alignment, efficiency of movement, to create an elegant, sensual and playful tango.

If you are unsure as to whether you belong in intermediate or advanced, please contact me for an evaluation.

Advanced Argentine Tango

Tuesdays, 7 PM
Dancing Soul, 4315 NE Garfield Ave., Portland, OR (or nearby: I'm in negotiation for a larger space)
$72/6 weeks, $60 students, seniors and continuing students

For those of you who knew my classes in Eugene, this is my Tango 3 class. Pre-requisite: you should already know the technique for the steps listed above in Intermediate class, and be ready to pull out the BIG guns: overturned ganchos, colgadas, volcadas, boleo combinations, shared axis turns, crossed system grapevines, leg wraps, etc. (one of my Eugene students called it "crazy sh**"). The focus will be integration: using these steps on the social dance floor safely and elegantly. Every week, you'll leave class with new material for your dance.

If you sign up with a partner, you may stay with that partner for the class, but you will learn more quickly if you switch around. If you come to the class without a partner, I expect that you will be flexible about dancing with any other member of the class, in order to best learn the material.

Milonga with Robert Hauk and Elizabeth

Wednesdays, 7 PM
Dancing Sould, 4315 NE Garfield Ave., Portland, OR (or nearby: I'm in negotiation for a larger space)
$72/6 weeks

Robert and I will be teaching a milonga class together. We're really excited about it! At this time, the class is full, but we will be able to open it up if we get a larger space, so let me know if you want to be added to the waitlist.

Beginning Salsa

Thursdays, 8:15 PM
Riverside Performing Arts, 1108 Main St., Vancouver, WA
$72/6 weeks, $60/students and seniors

I've been teaching salsa since 1993, but haven't had a chance to teach it in the Portland area yet.  By the end of the six weeks, you'll have enough material to go out and tackle the dance floor! Lead/follow technique, basic moves and improvisational extras will all be covered. Tango folk: come learn a dance that has that same improvisational possibility, but with hips and saucy music!

Private lessons: $50/hr or $200/5 hours

I strongly suggest combining private and group lessons for optimal dance learning. A group setting allows you to practice your technique and meet other dancers socially. A private lesson focuses on technique on a deeper level than a group class allows. Even one private lesson every few months will help your technique. For the serious student, a weekly private lesson plus group classes and/or time on the dance floor, is the most efficient way to learn tango well. If private lessons are not in your budget, consider finding someone to share lessons to split the cost, or contact me re: barter.

Boy, is it hot here!

Hi folks!  I've almost got the Salem review page done (up Wed.?) and the up-to-date reviews from Portland summer classes. My brain slows down when it gets this hot. I don't think I'm going dancing tonight: just TOO hot. I'm planning group classes for Wednesday night that don't require a lot of touching: definitely open embrace!!

Salem class: review and more on traspie tomorrow night (is it air conditioned?).

Portland beginners: more on turns and different kinds of ochos, but in open embrace; it's too hot to touch!

Portland intermediates: We'll work more on organic dance building: maybe the boleos we've done, paired with turns and something new?

Inspiration is coming!! Oscar and Georgina will be back soon

In the past two days, I've received requests for information about Oscar and Georgina's workshops here in Portland, from as close as the next neighborhood, to as far away as Canada! How exciting that so many folks plan to benefit from these wonderful teachers! The full, up-to-date, accurate workshop schedule is now located as a page on this blog (see the right hand column), but I'm posting it here as well:

July 17-20 @ Soma Space, 4050 NE Broadway St.
Directions & map:
http://www.somaspace.us/contact.html

Friday, July 17th
6:45 PM  Oscar & Georgina's Secret: Techique (all levels)
8  PM       Dancing in the style of portenos (all levels)

Saturday, July 18th
12:30 PM Magnetic movement and the embrace  (all levels)
1:45 PM   Traspie: what they are & how to do them (all levels)
3 PM         Quebradas, giros & enrosques, milonguero style (I/A)

Sunday, July 19th
12:30 PM Density and Elasticity (all levels)
1:45 PM   How to lead, follow & change directions (all levels)
3 PM        Tango rhythm and phrasing  (Int/Adv)

Monday, July 20th
8 PM        Creative Combinations: steps for fun! (Int/Adv)
Cost: $25/class, $66/3 classes, $180/9 classes 

Private lessons @ 4315 NE Garfield Ave., Portland
Cost: $100/hr + $8 floor fee
To schedule, call 541-914-4812 or ewartluf@gmail.com

Shoe information:  Soma Space has a lovely, pristine floor.  PLEASE clean your shoes carefully, and do not bring any shoes that have rough edges, nails sticking out, broken heels, etc.  We will be checking all shoes to ensure that we are not charged for damage to the floor.  You might consider bringing two pair, in case one pair is refused (sorry, this is a condition of the studio owner).

Tango New Year: now I'm REALLY on my axis

Oscar Mandagaran and Georgina Vargas delivered a kick-ass weekend of workshops for Eugene, OR. Every time I study with them, I am again both inspired to work hard, and amazed at how far I still have to reach for perfection. Wow! A new year of tango has started for me, and with it, New Year's resolutions.

The power of positive thinking

When I told them that I couldn't believe how bad my dancing was before, Georgina said, "Ya se fue, no exista ahora" (that's gone already, it doesn't exist now). "Don't think of the past and mistakes: focus on how good it is now, and how good it's going to be in the near future!" Oscar added. That will be my goal for this year, letting go of old stuff and moving on to great, new, fabulous things in life and tango.

The power of new shoes

One new part of my tango is: my Comme Il Faut, bumble-bee black and yellow, stiletto heeled tango shoes. I had put off buying new shoes for a while (say, oh, seven or eight years?!). Each time I thought about buying shoes, I'd say to myself, OK, the next time I go to Bs As, I'll get more shoes. Well, a few years of working a job with no vacation, then a child, then the move to Portland . . . and suddenly, all my shoes look shabby. Unable to buy NeoTangos in Portland, I caved in and bought Comme Il Faut shoes.

I love these shoes. My feet look sexy, flashy, NEW. They only go with some of my outfits, but who cares? I am now on a shoe-buying frenzy, with two more pair on the way from NeoTango.

I am not someone who spends money easily, so why all the new shoes? Because, after going to the milonga one evening, Oscar and Georgina looked at each other, nodded, and said, "OK, Ely, you must throw out all your old shoes. Your technique is so much better in your new shoes that you look like a different person. Your old shoes are worn down, and are pulling you off your axis.  They MUST go in the trash. Do NOT wear them."

As usual, Oscar and Georgina are correct. Suddenly, I have to be on my axis. With stiletto heels, there is no margin of error: either I'm on axis, or falling over. With these tiny little heels, all the information about relaxing my hips, stretching my solar plexus up, pushing off the floor, really ARRIVING on each step--all this instantly makes more sense. For the first time in my life, the initial wear on my heels slopes in a bit, allowing my ankles to collect, rather than rolling out into my old flat-footed stance. All my old shoes reflect ten years of my dancing. I've gotten better, but they are still fighting me to return to my old ways. Out they go into the trash.

The power of repetition

I am doing my tango exercises daily. Oscar and Georgina gave me exercises to work on. They come back in a month to teach in Portland (yay!), so I have a short-term goal of being able to improve my walks forward and back, lateral steps, pivots (lateral, pivot, forward; lateral, pivot, back) and shoulder blade placement. It's nice to be in a space in tango where I am happy to just make my walk perfect; I know I'll work on the other stuff later. I no longer have to do the "hard" stuff or prove my level. What is important is that I feel all the details in my body in order to help my students understand these elements.

Each time Oscar and Georgina come back (this will be visit #4 in two years), I can feel how my understanding of the dance has deepened. The repetition feels good, and each new level is built upon a strong base, always improving, always becoming more elegant, always becoming more enjoyable for me, with ANY partner. So I will repeat my exercises and get used to my new, improved shoes and my new, improved balance.

The power of community

This year, I am going to collect about me people who are good, positive, lovely folks, and share tango with them. The energy I see and feel in tango seems to be lacking in big chunks of the tango community. I look around, and many people seem to have forgotten that tango is FUN. I see frowns, blank stares, slouchy postures, walled-off energy. Let's get rid of all of that!

I am starting to teach group classes in Eugene again sometime this year. We've got an exciting plan to boost the tango energy and the level of dancing there. I am teaching group classes in Portland, and I'm going to start a milonga or practica this year, somewhere fun (I'm looking at a cool cafe right now): somewhere to come have a cup of coffee, dance, talk to people, build community. I've got some plans for another town or two nearby: a little chain of tango satellites to Portland, connecting communities, creating dancing spaces and people to make even more tango happen in this area.

Community to me means house parties and potlucks. It means coffee outings and going salsa dancing with tangueros. It means going tango dancing with swing dancers. It means telling my neighbors and the people at the playground about tango, and encouraging new dancers to try a turn around the floor. The tango community needs to reach out to not-yet-dancers (I don't believe there are actually non-dancers in the world, just folks who haven't had the opportunity to learn yet). Imagine: the whole city dancing!

The power of beginning another cycle

New classes:

Portland:

Beginners: 7 PM Wednesdays, starting this week! $80/10 weeks, @ 4315 NE Garfield Ave.
Intermediates: 8 PM Wednesdays, starting this week! $80/10 wks, @ 4315 NE Garfield Ave.

Salem:

Beginners: 6:30 PM Tuesdays, starting this week! $65/6 wks, @ The IKE Box, Cottage & Chemeketa
Intermediates: 7:30 PM Tuesdays, starting this week! $65/6 wks., @ the IKE Box, Cottage & Chemeketa

Private lessons: Every third Tuesday, Eugene; every Tuesday evening, Salem; M, W, Th, F, Portland.

Coming soon: classes in Eugene (Mondays) and Vancouver (probably Fridays).
Coming soon: advanced class in Portland, (probably Thursdays)

New attitude, new shoes, new technique, new classes, new focus. Now I'm REALLY on my axis!

A new tanguera experiences Oscar & Georgina--and you can, too!

Oscar Mandagaran and Georgina Vargas are not just for the advanced tango dancer.

After only a few months of tango, one of my students and friends in Portland, Sarah, told me she was headed for Buenos Aires. "You MUST study with Oscar and Georgina!" I told her, and connected her with them. Here's some email she sent me this spring from Bs As:

Email #1: I'm studying with Oscar and Georgina!!!!!!!!!!!! (I think her original version had more exclamation points than that, but I can't find the email to cut and paste)

Email #2: After that first email, I asked her to comment on studying with Oscar & Georgina:

"I´m in BA right now studying with Oscar and Georgina three times a week. Oscar and Georgina are exceptional, and if I could I would insist that anyone learning Tango must learn from them. They exude the essence of tango in their own bodies and dance (it really takes your breath away to see them), but are the most delightful and enthusiastic teachers that I have met.  I am a beginner, but they not only have patience and give me excellent instruction, but they genuinely seem to care about me. In teaching they combine the ability to give highly skillful and timely instruction, demand a high level of participation ("no holidays!", as Oscar loves to say while smiling at the beginning of class), while somehow making you feel like what you are doing is important and good. And to anyone who is intimidated by how completely mouthwatering and delightful and passionate their own dance is to look at, you might take comfort in knowing that I was at a Milonga last night with them where they dance among all the other Milongueras to refuel and be at home. I highly recommend grabbing the opportunity to study with them in Eugene or Portland, with the only reservation being that I will have to share them with you!"

Email #3: Sarah emailed me to say that she had more to say:

 

"Georgina and Oscar developed a way to dance tango that creates a pain free, organic, and natural feeling dance. Since I didn´t realize that about their teaching method before I came to Buenos Aires, this was not why I chose to study with them.  So, it came as a surprise to me to notice over the last three weeks that the pain in my feet and my low back have slowly disappeared.  Because I´ve back pain for years I had no expectations of relief from it.  But I find that I feel more freedom in my body, and well as I said...very suprisingly.. no pain at all when I dance."

Salem review sheets! New Portland and Salem classes start next week

Salem students: if you look at my list of pages on the right hand column, you will see the review sheets for the January-February classes that just finished.  If something does not make sense, please let me know and I'll update the page with clarifications.  See all of you next week for the new classes!

Portland students: I'll post the Ankeny workshop reviews of the milonga and vals classes (Sunday Specials for February) ASAP. See my last post for the navigation games we played.

New Portland classes starting February 22nd:

6:30-7:30 PM Sundays
Fundamentals (beginners or review)

7:30-8:30 PM Sundays
Continuing tango studies (intermediate & advanced)

I am limiting the size of these classes so that everyone gets one-on-one attention each week.  Especially in the continuing class, I'd like to work on using known material to improvise, to make the dance more interesting and energized. As usual, the class content will be tailored to fit the interests and levels of the dancers. Classes are filling quickly, so if you want a slot, please contact me ASAP at 503-284-1411 or ewartluf@gmail.com.

On the benefits of chaos: Tangofest!

I've noticed that many beginning tango dancers avoid Tangofest. Dancing at events like Tangofest can feel as scary as Boston at rush hour. Some dancers plow around the dance floor, running poor beginners over. There's almost no room, and when you find it, someone else takes it. And some crazy person is leading their partner into leg-flying, death-defying stunts, right in the line of dance.

In reality, leading at Tangofest is what prepared me for normal dancing in Buenos Aires. I learned to dance many steps almost in place.  I learned to use turns as a line of defense when people cut me off. I learned to give the follower room to play in the pauses between traveling forward. I learned to keep an eye out for the space I occupied, and stay moving behind the leader in front of me. You will not learn those skills when you only dance in practicas with tons of space!

Dancing at Tangofest taught me to enjoy subtle, small, musical moments in the dance, both as a leader and a follower. As a leader, I felt no need to try to think up difficult sequences to wow my follower: I was too busy trying to stay alive! As a follower, I learned to close my eyes and trust the leader. After all, if I tightened up when someone got close, the leader couldn't guide me out of harm's way. I relinquished my backseat driver behavior and had more fun. I have some of my best tandas in crowded spaces because it forces me to tune in and focus on the important parts of tango: connection, breath, music, my partner.

Take classes at Tangofest!

One approach to Tangofest is the linear path. Just take classes with one teacher and get one viewpoint and one set of rules for tango. Follow one set of teachers around and take any classes they teach, no matter what level (don't tell ANYONE I said that! The advanced dancers will kill me.). I'm going to do that with Oscar and Georgina this year because I am preparing to teach their style. I want to hear EVERYTHING they say about tango this weekend, including in beginner classes (see you there?).

Another way to approach Tangofest is to embrace chaos. Take all the classes in your level. Accept that, in every class, the teachers may tell you the opposite of the teachers in the last class (stand up straight! Lock ze knees! Never lock ze knees! etc.). In each class, I try to follow the teacher's advice. I ask for clarification and reasons, but I try not to argue. When the class is over, I have almost always learned something new or useful. "Take the best and chuck the rest."

By the end of the weekend, my brain is stuffed full of information that is conflicting and quickly dissipating. I try to take notes and then practice with someone else who was in the class. If I do the sequences or exercises I learned, I will remember them longer.  I assume that only about 10% of what I learned will stick. I also assume that my dancing will get WORSE for a few weeks or months as I incorporate new ideas into my tango.

A few months after Tangofest, I have integrated the new information that I like and have improved my dance. Instead of a linear progression to perfection, I find tango to be little clouds of chaos that clear and leave me in the middle of a gorgeous, sunny day for a while, blinded with the beauty of tango.

GO TO TANGOFEST!