The Body, Our Musical Instrument The Body as Communicator and Receptor - Raul Cabral More from Raul: The leader in tango needs to familiarize himself with his body, his musical instrument, in order to dance. He must learn to move his body in a manner that affects his movements within his partner’s body. Given the importance we place upon the torso in tango, note I mention his body, not his extremities (feet, legs and arms). As well, his follower needs to learn to move her body by mimicking his movements, permitting her leader to effect his movements within her. By learning this and dancing frequently, each day they will discover new possibilities within the dance while uncovering the potential for effortless movement. A bit of advice; value the small accomplishments, do not pressure yourselves. Try not to burn away each stage of the process. The better you know your body, the more adept you will become at interpreting the music. You will be able to recognize your difficulties, the errors you commit while dancing. Most often, 80% of the time, your errors are not caused by mistakes in choreography. Instead they are directly related to your body movements or its improper positioning. It remains the responsibility of the instructor along with the decision of the student to affect change that ultimately will result in overcoming any obstacle. Correct posture facilitates the movement. Bad posture deprives our tango of its greatest charm, its most fabulous secret, and the mystery of two bodies becoming one. Correct posture converts the body into block formation, controlling its movements without contraction. Markedly evident, if you rigidly or harshly maintain your posture, it is not at all pleasant for your partner. While attempting to maintain this rigid posture, in fear of losing it, some do not even breathe. A body that does not breathe has no life. Contraction of the body is unnecessary. What must prevail is a sense of softness, of relaxation of the body, not of contraction. The body must be relaxed within a structured posture. A soft, flexible, elastic body dances in a manner that is pleasant within the embrace, naturally stimulating one’s creativity and fluid improvisation. A rigid body is able to dance, one step following another, choreographically even changing sequences, but the dance will be monotonous, boring and repetitive. To the followers; concentrate your energy within the torso, lean your body into his, and yes, lean forward with your chest. There is no need for euphemisms. Properly positioned with your torso, you will receive every minute message from your partner. Relaxation is more than necessary for the follower. It is only upon relaxing that her extremities, legs; arms and head become void of matter. Her torso becomes the main focus, specifically her chest. This allows her partner’s body to affect all of his movements within her body. Now she is able to feel it is her partner’s body leading her. Bringing her torso to him her legs will follow. This is the correct way. Contrarily, the legs move first and then the body. The incorrect example just mentioned is a sign she is anticipating, in other words, dancing alone. From her partner’s chest, she will feel connection, changes of weight, and be able to step in unison within his timing and length of step. It is the most exact way to measure the length of the steps and the most useful way to achieve synchronization of the timing. That which is described above is the principles and knowledge necessary for leaders and followers to respectively convert their bodies and become true conductors and receptors. Up to now, noticeably, the expressed fundamentals do not occur. The dancers are not fluid. I dare say they do not dance tango they only do tango steps. Everyone is interested in dancing better. By being more desired and/or attractive as dance partners we feel appreciated and our eventual partners enjoy dancing with us. Most believe they will achieve this learning more tango steps. You should know what we most appreciate as dancers has nothing to do with steps. Essential for the leader, is his musicality and his ability to drive and protect his partner, always cautious on the dance floor. For the follower, it is her ability to be weightless, her partner nonetheless able to sense her presence, the ethereal quality of her body and her synchronization.
Posted on: Sat, 29 Nov 2014 03:38:40 +0000