In Video #8 in the Series of Exercises for improving your tango dancing, we continue the exploration of pivots: your pivoting privilege, your pivotability. Pivoting is your privilege as a follow in the dance. The idea again is that you must be pivotable. This doesn’t negate the question do I or don’t I pivot in the dance, it merely prepares you for all possibilities and hopefully makes you a better “receiver” or listener in the dance. With so many styles of teaching, and all the videos we can see of dancers and classes, it is sometimes hard to discern what is “correct”. And usually a lot of it is correct. But how do you make sense of it all? (Maybe that’s a different blog!)
In this video I am working on pivoting away from the barre, so back ochos, if you will. I encourage, while practicing these pivots, to take your time, go slowly, notice your feet caressing the floor both in no shoes and in your heels. I encourage you to work with your heels down, meaning heels facing the floor. Keep noticing the relationship of your upper body. Remember the upper body is your connection to your partner. And then working the lower body, notice how your hips move in relationship to your feet and to your “partner”. Remember the pivot happens on the WEIGHTED LEG, that strong stable standing leg. Remember your weight is towards, if not on the balls of the foot to make pivoting easier. Don’t forget all the other work you have done in your body up to this point. It all serves you. Can you see how? Can you feel how?
Much improvement in tango comes from taking the time after you “know the frameworks” (ochos, turns, cruzada) to find them in your body. By taking your time you make sure you understand how they work. You might also ask your instructor, if there is more than one way to do a particular concept (walk, pivot, turn).
The next video in the series will be a great exercise for molinetes or follower turns: that famous grapevine!
Traveling starts NOW! I'm looking forward to being in Alaska and then Arizona over the next couple of months. My flight plans are taking me funnily enough through Portland, OR at the time of Valentango and then through Tucson in time for Tucson Tango Festival. If you're interested in private lessons while I'm visiting please don't hesitate to reach out!
I'm looking forward to hearing from you and seeing you again!