Embellishments - Take 2 - In Honor Of Michael Walker - Embellishments At The Bar

There are certain things that classical dance teaches you that are really important for tango, also, but it is hard to learn them in tango. When we have created a very advanced tango dancer, it's almost always clear to us that the next step to making their tango better is to teach them some classical dance. Excellent classical dance training helps teach certain understandings into the body so they become visceral. These include:

Moving with your whole body
Having every movement, no matter how small, be generated from the center
Having a clear connection throughout the body to the tips of the limbs
Wrapping your core around the spine

Artist Name:: Lunfardia
Song Title:: Pavadita
Album Title:: Picada Pa' Cinco
Artist Website:: http://www.lunfardia.com/

From the artist's website: Lunfardia's members hail from Ireland and Argentina and perform a vibrant mix of new compositions and traditional song and dance music from Latin American countries. This fresh, dynamic and highly versatile quintet explores the classical, folk and jazz backgrounds of its musicians in exhilarating and virtuosic arrangements always building on the rhythms of South America.

00:06: We call this video, "In Honor Of Michael Walker", who was our first and primary tango teacher.
00:12: Because, with his advanced students, he would create these very beautiful, complex exercises.
00:19: Things that they could do on a counter or a bar to practice their leg work.
00:23: So that, when they came to embellish, it would... The execution would be really beautiful.
00:27: And, we've made one up that David's going to do for you. And you can practice it with him as you watch the video.
00:34: You don't have to have a ballet bar at home. You can use any counter.
00:38: Also, I want to add, that part of the reason we said this in honor of Michael. And we've said this for a few other people.
00:44: But he's the only one who's still living, who was our first major tango teacher.
00:49: Was because... Because of his classical training, he had beautiful leg work. Beautiful dancing.
00:54: D: And...
N: That's very true.
D: It really just looked wonderful on him.
00:57: Go ahead.
00:59: I'm just going to show once. Here's the whole thing. Let's hope I remember.
01:33: So, breaking it down. It's a little long. But, repeat it twice, actually, once for each side.
01:38: First side, I'm kicking up with the leg. Bending high, coming down.
01:44: In the kick up, you... I cheat a little bit, it's OK.
01:46: I go into my low back a little. But, you try to minimize this. You try to keep a flat back. I have short ham strings.
01:54: It comes in tight, crossing over to the toe. Slides through, ball of the foot.
01:59: Boleo, extending back through your thigh.
02:02: And then, here, I pivot the hips. And then, the hip pivot causes this circle in the foot. Beautiful.
02:08: We step again. Another hip pivot circles the foot. It flairs around. It cuts beneath.
02:16: Step, pivot. The pivot causes the bang. The pivot causes the bang. And now, we're going to collect, to go bang the other way.
02:24: So, we get the sense of the leg going both directions.
02:26: Even, though, it's actually, the same back ocho... Boleo. With the pivot of the hips.
02:31: Bang, bang. Collect, shift.
02:34: You do the whole thing on the other side.
02:36: Up, over, and down. Step, boleo. Hip. Hip, circle, cut. Step. Front. Back, back. Shift.
02:53: It's a big chunk. So, I would say pick small pieces. Watch it over and over, until that makes sense.
02:59: Go on to the next, especially, pay attention to form.

Series:: Embellishments - Take 2
Tags:: Take 2, Exercises, In Honor Of, Embellishments