An Intro to Technique - Line of Dance
Leaders: If you are always doing your fanciest step, you don't have brain free to focus on anything else but the step. If you're in a circumstance where you have to worry about something else (for example, not hitting people), do something that is, for you, easy.
Followers: Keep your eyes open. If he's backing towards something bad, stop him. If he's leading you to do something bad, and you know it, don't do it. You are also responsible for your dance.
- Artist Name:
- Joe Powers
- Song Title:
- Mi Dolor
- Album Title:
- Amor de Tango
- Artist Website:
- http://www.joepowers.com/
(From the website): International harmonica sensation, Joe Powers is taking his instrument to new heights with his energetic and engaging performances that cover a full spectrum of musical genres.
- 00:05
- So we’re doing this chapter with
a bunch of friends. - 00:07
- Let me introduce you.
- 00:09
- This is Sally and Hugo.
They're college students. - 00:11
- They’ve been dancing tango a year and
they are very excited. - 00:15
- And here is Lorraine and Bob and
they just started tango. - 00:20
- Their children just left the home.
- 00:24
- They just bought a house at the beach.
- 00:26
- They’re very excited.
- 00:27
- And over here we have Albert and Linda.
- 00:31
- And Albert and Linda,
they’ve been wanting to dance their whole life... - 00:35
- ..and they’ve finally started,
only six months ago. - 00:37
- But they’ve been doing really well.
- 00:38
- And so we’re going to dance with them socially.
- 00:45
- Oh I’m sorry.
- 00:47
- Oh we should go.
I’m sorry. - 00:48
- That’s horrible.
- 00:49
- Yes, that's bad.
- 00:51
- Ah, oh.
No. - 00:54
- What do we do?
- 00:56
- We’ll wait.
- 00:57
- Let’s wait.
- 00:58
- Maybe they’ll move.
- 00:59
- They’re not moving.
- 01:01
- Right? So this is obviously about
line of dance... - 01:03
- and the instinct is - the reason
you go in line of dance, - 01:08
- Well actually it's like this.
We were doing the wrong way... - 01:11
- ..was because you don’t want to hit people.
- 01:14
- And so in theory
we’re all moving the same way. - 01:17
- But the fundamental idea is just that
you don’t hit people. - 01:22
- You look where you’re going.
- 01:23
- They’re all going to watch for a while.
- 01:25
- Yes, they don’t want to dance with us
anymore. - 01:28
- Yes, I think they’re mad at us.
- 01:31
- But, so stereotypically you’ll be here...
- 01:33
- ..and you can use weight changes
to navigate. - 01:36
- Right? So let's say we’re walking forward
and then we see... - 01:39
- ..“Oh, I guess we better weight change
and maybe we can find a new direction.” - 01:43
- While we wait for Albert and Linda
to move out of the way. - 01:46
- And we might just move ourselves,
but in this new direction. - 01:49
- Stereotypically you move for a while
and then you’re stationary for a while. - 01:52
- You might do something like the basic
which travels... - 01:54
- ..and then you might do something like
front ochos, which is basically stationary. - 01:58
- And always moving...
- 01:59
- D: This way around the circle.
N: ..that way around the circle. - 02:05
- So we, for example can walk
and you can see... - 02:07
- ..just by walking we can curve it.
- 02:10
- So just think you can walk forward
and you can curve it. - 02:13
- That’s one way to change directions.
- 02:16
- And likewise for the lady.
- 02:23
- Another way is with rocks.
- 02:24
- So you don’t have to rock linear.
You can also rock and turn. - 02:27
- So you can rock like this without turning.
- 02:30
- But we can also rock like this and turn,
until you can face the direction you like. - 02:35
- And then finally, my favorite way,
you can do weight changes and turn. - 02:38
- So we can just weight change from one foot to the other
and then slowly turn. - 02:47
- And that will let us avoid,
all these couples who are all around us. - 02:51
- Coming at us like bullets.
- 02:53
- Socially also, you rarely go backwards.
And when you go backwards... - 02:56
- ..you want to look backwards,
to make sure you’re not hitting anyone. - 02:58
- So for example when I went -
remember when I hit our second couple... - 03:01
- ..I hit them because I went back like this
without looking. - 03:05
- And it’s okay to go back.
- 03:07
- But make sure you don’t go back
a ton of times... - 03:09
- ..and make sure you look
to make sure you’re not going to hit anyone. - 03:12
- So you’ll be like this.
- 03:13
- "Okay, it's safe to go,"
and then you’ll take a back step... - 03:15
- ..or maybe you'll make it a smaller back step.
- 03:18
- Usually we go forward and to the left because
that’s where the guy can see. - 03:22
- So I can see over here.
I can see over here. - 03:24
- I can see over here.
I can’t see back there. - 03:30
- So you have three tools to avoid people,
to navigate. - 03:34
- You have this idea that you go
where there aren’t people. - 03:36
- So also if everyone in the room...
- 03:39
- ..there are 40 couples and they’re all over here
and there is no one over here... - 03:43
- ..I give you permission,
you may break line of dance and go over here. - 03:46
- No one will mind.
- 03:48
- If you go over here because
this is where line of dance is... - 03:50
- ..that's sort of silly
because you’ll just make it worse. - 03:52
- Generically though, that won’t happen.
- 03:55
- So think you do go around this way,
travelling and not travelling... - 03:58
- ..travelling and not travelling,
using these to navigate. - 03:59
- Here’s a demo using our three couples,
who after hearing us talk about this feel suddenly safe. - 04:08
- So here they are.
- 04:09
- They’re dancing blissfully ignorant of the fact
that we’re here. - 04:15
- So here’s our basic and I’m like
“Oh we’re getting close to them." - 04:18
- "Let’s just abort and change weight and
find a new direction.” - 04:21
- And then we can go on walking.
- 04:26
- Maybe here's" ochos and we say,
“Oh we’re getting close to someone.” - 04:33
- And so I can, for example rock,
til we face a direction that’s safe. - 04:40
- And now this is a safe direction,
we can carry on. - 04:43
- If they don’t move we might stay here
for a while... - 04:45
- ..and weight change or something.
- 04:45
- But if they don’t move,
then we’ll go around them. - 04:57
- Here’s media vuelta.
- 04:58
- One of the things with media vuelta,
it turns us so I'm going back to the line of dance. - 05:01
- So I look that way.
I make sure no one is there. - 05:06
- And so that’s how you would navigate around the floor.
