First off, my background and serious training is in ballroom tango. I used to compete in international style ballroom dance. I have also taken many social dance lessons in Argentine Tango. I believe we can take the best that each tango has to offer and combine them for dance fitness. The ballroom tango lends us the fitness aspect (large steps and pushing off with your legs) while the Argentine tango lends us some character and playfulness.
Tango is written in 2/4 time, meaning there are 2 beats per measure and each quarter note equals one beat. However, I count and cue in my classes in 8 count phrases because dance fitness students are used to counting in 8 count phrases. That just means that I count the tango twice as fast. When I count, one slow walk (S) gets 2 counts and a quick walk (Q) gets 1 count. I put the slows and quicks in any combination that adds up to 8 beats. It's easy to hear the 8 beat phrase in a tango song.
The character of Tango is about a man chasing a woman, but the woman isn't sure she needs to be caught. So, there are stealthy, slow moments and quick, staccatto moments. Imagine a cat stalking its pray; first, it quietly and stealthily moves in and then it suddenly attacks. Video describing moves below: http://youtu.be/fGjGp2RC5OU
Basic Ballroom Tango Walk
Move your right foot stealthily forward on 1, but leave your left foot in place until 2, when you suddenly bring it to meet the right foot side by side. Don't actually stop moving as the feet come together, but let them hover (barely stop) until your left foot stealthily goes forward on 3. Then quickly bring in the right foot to meet the left on 4, and so on. This can be done forward or backward. These are the slows in tango. The quicks don't have time for hovering and speeding up; they are just altogether quicker, more similar to how you would normally walk quickly.
Now, to get more power and exercise out of these walks, try pushing off. As your right foot is about to move forward on 1, you are actually rolling through your left foot and pushing off the ball of the left foot. Then you can take a very large step forward on 1. You will be engaging your thighs, calves and buttocks!
A typical combination of slows and quicks in tango is S S Q Q S. In a dance exercise class, you can do this forward for 8 and backward for 8; it will progress across the floor and take up room, but it will get everyone back to their original spots quickly.
A sequence that would require less floor space is S Q Q hold (for 4) forward and S Q Q hold (for 4) backward. For fun and variety, try hovering on the 4 count hold (by leaning slightly forward and then slight backward over the entire 4 counts).
Add Ons to the Basic Ballroom Tango Walk
After you do SQQ, instead of holding, you could do some optional add-ons that take up 4 counts. If SQQ is right, left, right, then counts 5-8 could be two brushes to the left. (left foot slides left on 5, in on 6, left on 7 and together on 8). Then the left foot goes backward for SQQ, and the right foot slides to the right on 5 and 7. You can do the same on the other side.
Alternatively, you could flick on counts 5-8. SQQ, left flick, hold. or SQQ, left flick twice. (One flick could be behind and one in front. Be creative.) When you flick your left foot, you are quickly lifting up your inner thigh and the inseam of your right foot, with staccato.
You could even try some Argentine flavor by drawing a circle or figure 8 with your left toe instead of flicking.
Basic Ballroom Tango Walk to the Side
If moving to the right, face forward and push off the ball of your left foot on beat 1, until your left toe is pointed and you can push no farther, causing your body and right foot to simulataneously move to the right. Keep your body weight over the weight of your right leg. Then, on 2, bring your left foot in next to your right foot without moving your body. Repeat.
Crossing Feet While Moving Sideways
Forward: Instead of bringing your feet together on 2, you could position your hips at an angle and let your 2nd foot cross and pass the 1st foot. If you are traveling to the right and moving forward, let your left foot take a big step and cross far in front of your right foot. Your inner thighs will brush together as your left foot passes your right. Make sure the body above your waist continues to face forward, not angled to the right or completely turned right. Only turn your hips diagonally to the right.
Backward: If you are traveling to the right and moving backward, angle your hips to the left. Instead of bringing your left foot next to your right foot on 2, let it pass behind your right foot, brushing your inner thighs together.
Staccato Turn
After a basic walk to the right on 1, with your feet still apart, you can change directions and go back to the left by making a staccato turn. Keeping all your weight on the right foot, you will simultaneously turn your feet, knee, hip, chest and head diagonally to the left. The turn will be rapid, sudden and staccato: all of a sudden. You will usually turn on 1 and pause on 2. The pause lends some drama after your sudden turn.
Rock Step
After you've taken a basic walk to the right, leave your feet far apart, but shift your body weight back over your left foot and then again over your right foot. Repeat if desired.
Combinations of the basic side walk
1) An easy and common combination: Q Q Q Q
Q: basic walk to the right
Q: Bring feet together
Q: basic walk to the right
Q: Staccato turn to the left
(Repeat on the other side.)
2) The most classic combination is S S Q Q S:
S: basic walk to the right
S: cross forward
Q: basic walk to the right
Q: Bring feet together
S: basic walk to the right
(Sometimes you can take your basic walk to the right and do a staccato turn at the same time- on the same beat. Then you could do this combo on the other side and repeat it.)
3) My commonly used side to side combo is S Q Q Q Q Q Q:
S: Cross backward- to the right
Q: basic walk to the right
Q: Cross forward
Q: basic walk to the right
Q: rock back
Q: rock forward
Q: rock back
(Repeat on other side)
4) An easy combo with fast timing variety is SSQ&QS
S: big side step to right
S: left foot closes together
Q: side step to right
&: left foot closes together
Q: side step to right
S: turn and transfer weight to right foot (both feet turn at same time to face diagonal left)
(repeat on other side)
5) Q Q Q Q Q Q Q Q ( with crossing)
1) Q: right foot crosses back
2) Q: left foot steps to left side
3) Q: right foot crosses front
4) Q: left foot brushes to side (weight stays on right foot)
5) Q: left foot crosses front.
6) Q: right foot steps to right side
7) Q: left foot crosses back
8) Q: right foot brushes to side (weight stays on left foot)
( could scoop kick up and begin cross over on 4. could raise right knee on 8. same on opposite side.)
Tango is written in 2/4 time, meaning there are 2 beats per measure and each quarter note equals one beat. However, I count and cue in my classes in 8 count phrases because dance fitness students are used to counting in 8 count phrases. That just means that I count the tango twice as fast. When I count, one slow walk (S) gets 2 counts and a quick walk (Q) gets 1 count. I put the slows and quicks in any combination that adds up to 8 beats. It's easy to hear the 8 beat phrase in a tango song.
The character of Tango is about a man chasing a woman, but the woman isn't sure she needs to be caught. So, there are stealthy, slow moments and quick, staccatto moments. Imagine a cat stalking its pray; first, it quietly and stealthily moves in and then it suddenly attacks. Video describing moves below: http://youtu.be/fGjGp2RC5OU
Basic Ballroom Tango Walk
Move your right foot stealthily forward on 1, but leave your left foot in place until 2, when you suddenly bring it to meet the right foot side by side. Don't actually stop moving as the feet come together, but let them hover (barely stop) until your left foot stealthily goes forward on 3. Then quickly bring in the right foot to meet the left on 4, and so on. This can be done forward or backward. These are the slows in tango. The quicks don't have time for hovering and speeding up; they are just altogether quicker, more similar to how you would normally walk quickly.
Now, to get more power and exercise out of these walks, try pushing off. As your right foot is about to move forward on 1, you are actually rolling through your left foot and pushing off the ball of the left foot. Then you can take a very large step forward on 1. You will be engaging your thighs, calves and buttocks!
A typical combination of slows and quicks in tango is S S Q Q S. In a dance exercise class, you can do this forward for 8 and backward for 8; it will progress across the floor and take up room, but it will get everyone back to their original spots quickly.
A sequence that would require less floor space is S Q Q hold (for 4) forward and S Q Q hold (for 4) backward. For fun and variety, try hovering on the 4 count hold (by leaning slightly forward and then slight backward over the entire 4 counts).
Add Ons to the Basic Ballroom Tango Walk
After you do SQQ, instead of holding, you could do some optional add-ons that take up 4 counts. If SQQ is right, left, right, then counts 5-8 could be two brushes to the left. (left foot slides left on 5, in on 6, left on 7 and together on 8). Then the left foot goes backward for SQQ, and the right foot slides to the right on 5 and 7. You can do the same on the other side.
Alternatively, you could flick on counts 5-8. SQQ, left flick, hold. or SQQ, left flick twice. (One flick could be behind and one in front. Be creative.) When you flick your left foot, you are quickly lifting up your inner thigh and the inseam of your right foot, with staccato.
You could even try some Argentine flavor by drawing a circle or figure 8 with your left toe instead of flicking.
Basic Ballroom Tango Walk to the Side
If moving to the right, face forward and push off the ball of your left foot on beat 1, until your left toe is pointed and you can push no farther, causing your body and right foot to simulataneously move to the right. Keep your body weight over the weight of your right leg. Then, on 2, bring your left foot in next to your right foot without moving your body. Repeat.
Crossing Feet While Moving Sideways
Forward: Instead of bringing your feet together on 2, you could position your hips at an angle and let your 2nd foot cross and pass the 1st foot. If you are traveling to the right and moving forward, let your left foot take a big step and cross far in front of your right foot. Your inner thighs will brush together as your left foot passes your right. Make sure the body above your waist continues to face forward, not angled to the right or completely turned right. Only turn your hips diagonally to the right.
Backward: If you are traveling to the right and moving backward, angle your hips to the left. Instead of bringing your left foot next to your right foot on 2, let it pass behind your right foot, brushing your inner thighs together.
Staccato Turn
After a basic walk to the right on 1, with your feet still apart, you can change directions and go back to the left by making a staccato turn. Keeping all your weight on the right foot, you will simultaneously turn your feet, knee, hip, chest and head diagonally to the left. The turn will be rapid, sudden and staccato: all of a sudden. You will usually turn on 1 and pause on 2. The pause lends some drama after your sudden turn.
Rock Step
After you've taken a basic walk to the right, leave your feet far apart, but shift your body weight back over your left foot and then again over your right foot. Repeat if desired.
Combinations of the basic side walk
1) An easy and common combination: Q Q Q Q
Q: basic walk to the right
Q: Bring feet together
Q: basic walk to the right
Q: Staccato turn to the left
(Repeat on the other side.)
2) The most classic combination is S S Q Q S:
S: basic walk to the right
S: cross forward
Q: basic walk to the right
Q: Bring feet together
S: basic walk to the right
(Sometimes you can take your basic walk to the right and do a staccato turn at the same time- on the same beat. Then you could do this combo on the other side and repeat it.)
3) My commonly used side to side combo is S Q Q Q Q Q Q:
S: Cross backward- to the right
Q: basic walk to the right
Q: Cross forward
Q: basic walk to the right
Q: rock back
Q: rock forward
Q: rock back
(Repeat on other side)
4) An easy combo with fast timing variety is SSQ&QS
S: big side step to right
S: left foot closes together
Q: side step to right
&: left foot closes together
Q: side step to right
S: turn and transfer weight to right foot (both feet turn at same time to face diagonal left)
(repeat on other side)
5) Q Q Q Q Q Q Q Q ( with crossing)
1) Q: right foot crosses back
2) Q: left foot steps to left side
3) Q: right foot crosses front
4) Q: left foot brushes to side (weight stays on right foot)
5) Q: left foot crosses front.
6) Q: right foot steps to right side
7) Q: left foot crosses back
8) Q: right foot brushes to side (weight stays on left foot)
( could scoop kick up and begin cross over on 4. could raise right knee on 8. same on opposite side.)
I love Zumba too and enjoy it a lot.. here's the link to my blog about Zumba
ReplyDeletehttp://thetimesofmanyphases.blogspot.in/2013/02/zumbaaaaa-my-favourite-workout.html#links