Level 1 Sep - Oct 2017

Good habits for tango dancers
  • 'Steel vs spaghetti': Your standing leg is like steel - dynamic, strong and grounded, your free leg is like spaghetti: light and loose without tension.
  • Your free leg hip is loose and down (this removes tension from your free leg)
  • Never lock your knees: You standing leg knee is softly flexed (not locked) - this gives you better contact with the floor.
  • 'Collection' - Thigh or ankle (as you prefer) connection as you walk
  • Push off the floor as you walk - to make your walk more dynamic.
  • Look forward as you walk (down diagonal is fine but don't look straight down at your feet as this distorts your posture.
Tango Music - for practicing 

Here's a link to help you better understand tango music for dancing. 

Spotify 
I recommend the following album on Spotify: 'Serie de Oro' by Carlos di Sarli. This album has good songs for practicing. Avoid the last song 'Tu Palida Voz' as it's a vals. 

Link to 250 songs
The following link will download a fabulous collection of 250 of the most popular songs (tango, vals and milonga) played in milongas around the world! Focus for now only on the tangos. Also focus on instrumental songs as opposed to vocals as these are easier to find the beat. Di Sarli is one of the better orchestras to start with:
http://www.muraterdemsel.com/250TANGO.zip 

This link goes to a zip file (little less than a 1 GB file).

Week 7: starting October 16
We reviewed and refined Week 5 and 6 combinations and linked these together in improvised dancing. We also focused on musicality - and how to move on to single, double and half time. Here's a display at the end of our Week 7 class at Bondi - using all Level 1 moves and playing with the music:


Week 6: starting October 9
We reviewed and refined the Week 5 combination and introduced the concept and rules of floorcraft / navigation / improvisation.

Here's a sneak preview for Week 7 move - an alternative entry into the Backward Ocho: 

Week 5: starting October 2
We reviewed the combination from Week 4 and added two Backward Ochos:

Week 4: starting September 25
We reviewed the Parallel Cross and introduced the Forward Ocho. The Forward Ocho consists of two Forward Cross Steps.

Here the Forward Ocho is entered from the Parallel Cross: 


Week 3: starting September 18
We introduced the Parallel Cross:

Step 1 : Leader angles his torso to his right to lead follower to under-step him.
Step 2: Leader walks outside (but close to) the follower, maintaining his torso angled to his right.
Step 3: Leader walks outside the follower, maintaining his torso angled to his right.
Step 4: Leader steps forward with his right leg.  Follower crosses (her left foot over her right foot - changing her weight to her left leg) as the leader changes his weight to his right leg. 
Optional resolution - Leader steps forward with his left leg, then side with his right leg.


Week 2: starting September 11
We introduced the C-Step and the concepts of :
  1. 'Blocking side step': In Step 1 leader angles his torso to his right to lead follower to under-step him.
  2. 'Inside and outside lines' of connection. In Step 2 the leader walks outside (but close to) the follower. In Step 3 the leader walks inside the follower.

We also worked on walking technique. Tango is known as the 'Walking Dance'. 

Week 1: starting September 4
Today we focused on:
  • Synchronising with a partner
  • Walking technique (back and forward)
  • Leading from the torso
  • Open embrace
Here's our end of class display - using moves that we cover in our Levels 1 - 3:


Good habits for tango dancers:
  • 'Steel vs spaghetti': Your standing leg is like steel - dynamic, strong and grounded, your free leg is like spaghetti: light and loose without tension.
  • Your free leg hip is loose and down (this removes tension from your free leg)
  • Never lock your knees: You standing leg knee is softly flexed (not locked) - this gives you better contact with the floor.
  • 'Collection' - Thigh or ankle (as you prefer) connection as you walk
  • Push off the floor as you walk - to make your walk more dynamic.
  • Look forward as you walk (down diagonal is fine but don't look straight down at your feet as this distorts your posture.

Tango Music - for practicing

Here's a link to help you better understand tango music for dancing.

Spotify
I recommend the following album on Spotify: 'Serie de Oro' by Carlos di Sarli. This album has good songs for practicing. Avoid the last song 'Tu Palida Voz' as it's a vals.

Link to 250 songs
The following link will download a fabulous collection of 250 of the most popular songs (tango, vals and milonga) played in milongas around the world! Focus for now only on the tangos. Also focus on instrumental songs as opposed to vocals as these are easier to find the beat. Di Sarli is one of the better orchestras to start with:
http://www.muraterdemsel.com/250TANGO.zip

This link goes to a zip file (little less than a 1 GB file).