Ana Maria's class at Canning; I always enjoy these classes. Two hours with a break, it's relaxed, nothing difficult. There's a lot of initial emphasis on walking, and it's valuable practice, as it's easier to notice and correct bad habits in class than while dancing in a milonga. Part class, part practica. In particular, this evening I pick up on what Ana Maria says about flexing the knee before stepping, a slight lift of the flexed knee which results in the foot coming down firmly without the hardness of the heel hitting the floor as in normal walking. I think this is clearly visible in any clip of Ricardo Vidort's walk, and I think also in El Flaco's walk in the video of Muma above. Like stamping, but a lot more gentle; putting the foot down firmly perhaps. I think it's something all the older dancers do, and to some extent the younger ones too. I've been aware of it for a long time and I find that in walking it results in a clearer lead, but the problem is getting it to feed through into social dancing, making a new habit. It completely eradicates that old bad habit of stepping forward with a bent knee; something Cacho Dante pointed out to me last time I was here.
My last evening at Canning; and it's a really good evening when the castellano, the cabeceo and the tango all work well, good memories of meeting a succession of friendly local partners on the floor. There's no experience quite like this: the moment of agreement in a look at a distance, the embrace between strangers, the dance, the brief conversations. In general, I've never found the people of any city quite as welcoming as BsAs, and these brief encounters, and the embrace, and the dance make evenings that are worth coming back here for. But it's taken a few weeks to get this far.
I know Canning only from Mondays and Fridays and both evenings are a good mix of young and old, mainly local people and some visitors as well. It feels like a powerhouse of meeting. Unfortunately it's also turned into a bit of a photo opportunity, and on Fridays there's at least some poor dancing. But most evenings at El Beso can feel just a bit unforgiving by comparison.
"It completely eradicates that old bad habit of stepping forward with a bent knee"
ReplyDeleteBad habit?? Bent knee surely is the way just about everyone dances, necessary to keep feet near floor. I recall Gavito demonstrating it, explaining it as important for a smooth walk.
If you stepped with a straight knee, you'd be lifting your foot, as in a goosestep, albiet a low one. I don't see how that could work in a comfortable embrace.
Chris, you might have misunderstood what I wrote. '...a slight lift of the flexed knee ... results in the foot coming down firmly without the hardness of the heel hitting the floor as in normal walking. I think this is clearly visible in any clip of Ricardo Vidort's walk.' Check out, perhaps, Chrisjj's great clip of Ricardo, which you may know... Ricardo's leg is almost always dead straight as his foot hits the floor. This is achieved by the 'slight lift of the flexed knee' before stepping, right?
ReplyDelete'Bent knee surely is the way just about everyone dances' -- in London! But it can result in a slouched walk, tipping the upper body forwards, very unlike Ricardo's upright stance, and probably uncomfortable for the follower.
"Ricardo's leg is almost always dead straight as his foot hits the floor. This is achieved by the 'slight lift of the flexed knee' before stepping, right?"
ReplyDeleteRight. But then I don't understand why you are saying stepping forward like that is a bad habit.
"'Bent knee surely is the way just about everyone dances' -- in London!"
Throughout the first and second tango world too, in my experience.
But it can result in a slouched walk, tipping the upper body forwards, very unlike Ricardo's upright stance"
I don't agree that bent knee results in those bad effects, and since yes it doesn't do that on Ricardo, why should it do that on anyone else?
Cacho Dante objected to the leg being bent as the foot makes contact with the floor, which tips the body weight forwards: it's a slouching walk, very unlike Ricardo.
ReplyDelete"Cacho Dante objected to the leg being bent as the foot makes contact with the floor"
ReplyDeletePerhaps that makes sense in his style but no sense e.g. in the smooth style wherein foot stays in contact with floor.
What would clarify is a video of the bad kind of "stepping forward with a bent knee" you're referring to. Even better, you dance it to me :)
I'd guess the truth behind what these three teachers are saying is the walk cycle has one point at which the knee should be bent and another at which it should be straight. But different teachers are talking about different points and/or the same points differently identified.
This underlines the pointlessness :) of trying to teach body motion through words. In only takes a few passings in chinese whispers to produce the total nonsense that ones hears from many class teachers in London.
Tangocommuter: Are you perhaps describing something like that shown in this series of videos?
ReplyDeletehttp://www.tangoandchaos.org/chapt_6school/14walking5.htm
I'd agree with your main points if that's the case. I think one of the main 'problems' is not whether the knees are bent/softened (some confusion if how people use these different words to mean same thing?) but when this happens.
By the way, did you see Cacho (Dante) during your trip? Heard that he's been out of tango for quite some time.
ps. The real work starts once you are back from BsAs...
Hi Anon, something like, yes. But I'd much rather go back to any Ricardo Vidort clip. His stepping is very emphatic, the knee lifts (the 'flexed knee'), then as the leg straightens the foot comes down. It's a kind of 'stamping lite' and I'm sure it gives a very clear lead.
ReplyDeleteWhat Cacho Dante objected to was the knee still bent as the foot hits the floor. That's a slouched walk, it throws the torso forwards, and it's likely to be uncomfortable for a partner.
Yes, I mentioned Cacho in a post a week or two earlier, but I can't navigate away this page to find it.