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Watching The Feet

(this thought is also discussed and seen in this video > Watching The Follower’s Feet)

Put simply – If you can see your partner’s feet while dancing with them…there’s a problem.

The problem ? Well actually there are several that you’re completely unaware of.

1.) We have this instinctive desire not to want to hit or hurt anyone, not to step on their toes, not to stub their toes or ours, for obvious reasons. And as a result we tend watch our feet and our partner’s feet so that we can avoid the dreaded ‘toe bashing’ that will invariably occur if we don’t keep an eye on things down there. Hence the desire to watch our partner’s feet.

2.) After a while watching our partner’s feet becomes second nature to us. While we will start the dance with our heads up, we’ll almost invariably droop our heads and then our shoulders so that we can focus on watching our feet.

3.) We have a fear of not stepping in the right places. We need to watch our partners feet and our own so that we can verify and validate that the step is in the right place at the right time. This is failure to develop proprioception. A very important skill that both roles must develop in order to dance well.

4.) We don’t realize it, but we’re actually breaking the visual vertical line of the couple each and every time we watch our partner’s feet.

and lastly…

5.) We will compromise our body position just so that we can watch our partner’s feet. We’ll turn our heads, and then our entire body, and further the Follower will move towards the Lead’s armpit (even more than they do already tsk, tsk, tsk) in order to watch the Lead’s feet. And the Lead will place them in the arm pit just so that they can watch the Follower’s feet.

Why does any of this stuff matter ? Honestly, several reasons –

a.) Visual: The visual vertical line of the couple is broken. We want to create a nice couple silhouette within the embrace construct. And each and every time we watch our partner’s feet we break that visual vertical couple’s silhouette.

b.) Position: The body position and placement of the couple creates an alignment issue that quite factually puts the Follower at a disadvantage that makes them feel as though they’re rushing to catch up.

c.) Vocabulary: At some point you’re going to want to do back sacadas, colgadas, volcadas, or any single axis turn just to name a few, and those movements require mastery over proprioception. 😉

d.) Navigational: While you’re watching your Partner’s feet, you’re not paying attention to what’s coming next, how much space you have to navigate, and the oncoming dancers.

Related Terms:

MORE REMINDERS

La Viruta

March 3, 2017 No Comments

Let’s get the details out of the way. The sight lines are awful. It’s dark, pitch dark in certain parts of the room. It’s crowded, and hot even with the A.C on in the ‘summer’. The drinks are expensive. The tables are small, assuming you can find one or have reserved one (which is recommended). The ‘hot’ area, meaning a place to ‘get’ dances, in the room is in front of the bar at the back left side of the room, and the entrance fee is on par with everywhere else (see end). There’s a restaurant upstairs, and on Mondays and Tuesday nights there is Salsa there. The rest of the week, it’s all Tango baby. There are classes nearly every night of the week, for different levels.

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Proprioception

February 20, 2017 No Comments

According to Webster’s Dictionary the word ‘Proprioception’ comes from the latin word ‘proprius’ meaning “one’s own” or “individual”, and ‘capio’ or ‘capere’ meaning to take or to grasp. The word itself means a perception of one’s own body in space and time, as in the awareness of one’s body in space and time, as it refers to bodily position in space and time.

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Age (Women)

January 15, 2017 No Comments

The fact is that the younger and prettier you are, the more physically attractive you are, the more likely you are to get dances. That’s fact. I mean we’re dealing with ‘men’ here so … well do the math! However just because said younger and prettier girl gets the dance does not necessarily mean that said Follower will keep it. A good number of better leads, will actually over look said younger and prettier girl because they know that said Follower can barely walk, turn, embrace, or for that matter breathe properly. That is, unfortunately, only about 10-20% of the available L/leads in the room.

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The ‘High Season’ in Buenos Aires

February 14, 2019 No Comments

What is the "High Season" in Buenos Aires ? It’s the period of time between December 15th and March 15th when several things happen all at once. 1.) It’s INSANELY HOT. It should be noted that sometimes this is called the ‘hot’ season. 2.) The traveling teachers return home to practice, and to build new routines. 3.) There’s a lot of tango touristas (you). 4.) There’s a lot of seminarios that happen. 5.) Did we mention there’s a lot of people ?

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Practice with Tango Sticks

June 9, 2017 No Comments

At some point along your tango curve, you have wanted 1.) to practice a step, a pattern, or a figure. Or 2.) you have seen something that you want to try out. Or 3.) you’re imagining an idea of how something might work and want to try it. In all three of these instances, you will need a practice partner. You’ll need to schedule their time against yours. And once you’re in the same room with them, balance their issues of how they do X vs. how you engage X. And once that challenge is overcome then it’s getting into the idea of what it is you had in mind to begin with. All told, this could be several hours or days between the idea and the actual doing of it.

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The Negative of Tango

May 1, 2017 No Comments

There is distinct negative side to Tango. Ask anyone that has done any level of work to improve their dance, and they’ll tell you that it is at once eye opening, again blistering, noxious and wholly demoralizing. Demoralizing to the point where they want to quit dancing altogether.

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Lethargy (Moving Too Slow)

February 10, 2017 No Comments

Lethargy is moving too slow for the intended lead’s request (‘lead’ is the action, and not the person). What this really boils down to is the reaction time of the dancer that is a.) a lag from the time at which a request was sent to the time it was received. and b.) way in which it is done (the real speed issue). Note what’s missing from this definition, the roles of the dance! There is no blame in this definition. None what so ever. However, that is seemingly about to change. It’s not, but your perception of it will until you get to the end.

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Rejection

April 5, 2017 No Comments

What follows relates to the verbal ask for a dance and the rejection, this thought does not talk about the reject from a failed cabeceo or mirada. Let’s lay out some facts before we get to the heart of this stuff. Fact: The ask, no matter how ‘sly’ you think you’re being, is going to be awkward.

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