Re: [TANGO-L] ?-count basic

[Tom Stermitz <Stermitz @RAGTIME.ORG>]

> Philip Seyer wrote:
> "...
> One disadvantage is that the pattern doesn't match musical phrasing as well
> as an 8 count basic."
>
> Charles responded:
> Using an 8 - count basic or a 10 - count basic ( and how they fit in the
> music phrasing ) is really very relative when dealing with the
> music. You could
> just as well dance a 6 - count basic. It isn't always necessary to
> begin and end
> figures within the set musical structure or phrasing, either instrumental or
> vocal. Perhaps for a performance and choreography but on a busy social dance
> ...
> Cheers,
> Charles


So are you advocating NOT dancing to the music? That beginners should
not bother trying to hear the phrasing because the phrasing is
irrelevant? That on a busy social dance floor the phrasing is even
LESS important?

I would strongly argue the opposite. Musical dancing begins with
rhythm, and begins with hearing and moving with energy according to
the phrasing. Dancing to the melody is a bit more difficult, but a
beginner CAN very easily hear the beat and phrasing, even if they
don't yet hear the melody very well.


When I look around the typical milonga in the US, I see the
consequences of this lack of attention to the phrasing. Many people
are on the beat, but few of them are on the music. So many dancers
move with the same emphasis and energy to all
steps....walk-walk-walk-walk-walking, woodenly like a monotone
sentence.

The phrasing of virtually all tangos, milongas and waltzes is 4+4=8
count phrases. This is NOT a hard concept to teach...but using random
count basic fails your students.

The traditional 8-count basic may fit the 8-count phrase (how many
teachers actually focus on matching the phrase?) but it fails
students for a different reason: it is much harder to break up a
memorized sequence than to assemble 2 or 4-count sequences.


--

Tom Stermitz
http://www.tango.org/
stermitz @tango.org
303-388-2560