Vals Timing - Intro to Vals Rhythms
One thing to be aware of when practicing things that are rhythmic is to practice slowly so that the coordination is clean. Sometimes we practice too fast. Just trying to speed up, you may just be practicing tripping over yourself, which isn't terribly useful. Start practicing slowly and then you can slowly speed up.
With vals, that's a little harder because how do you practice falling in slow motion. But try to be aware of the use of the weight to go through, rather than grabbing and holding for control. Control, in vals, doesn't come from a tight holding in the muscles but from a clear idea of what you want to do.
- Artist Name:
- Ruth Roshan
- Song Title:
- P. M.
- Album Title:
- Tango Noir
- Artist Website:
- http://www.ruthroshan.com
From website: In Tango Noir's second all original album, "Darling ... Keep it to Yourself", Ruth uses the rhythms of the cabaret, the Tango, the Habanera, the Waltz, Ruth successfully infuses the album with an atmosphere of 1930s Berlin to create music which is new and nostalgic at the same time. It is a very listenable and beautiful album.
- 00:05
- There are a number of rhythms in vals, which are very typical.
- 00:08
- So, for example, if we count it: one, two, three; one, two three; one, two, three; one.
- 00:15
- We usually don't dance on every beat, because then, all of a sudden, we look frenetic, right?
- 00:18
- So, if we go: one, two, three; one, two, three - you don't have this sense of flow.
- 00:26
- And this sense of suspension.
- 00:28
- So, you can dance only the ones, stepping on every beat, so you can hover, and then go on.
- 00:37
- Which is a wonderful thing.
- 00:39
- Also, sometimes we'll do one, two, one. So, for example:
- 00:44
- One, two, one; one, two, one; one, two, one; one, two, one; where I'm stepping on.
- 00:53
- So, if we count it: one, two, three; one, two, three.
- 00:56
- I'm stepping on the one, and the two, and not the three, and then, the one.
- 01:01
- Not the two, not the three.
- 01:04
- The one, the two, not the three; the one, not the two, not the three.
- 01:09
- So that's one typical rhythm. Another is you can do one, three, one; one, three, one. So, for example:
- 01:22
- ...Three, one, one; three one. Which is sort of an odd rhythm, but for some tangos, it works really well.
- 01:28
- And, finally, sometimes, you step on all three beats, but you don't want it to look frenetic.
- 01:32
- So, if you look at the feet, you'll see that it's a very tight shot.
- 01:35
- They are tight, tight.
- 01:39
- So, it's really small, right? So I don't go: one, two, three.
- 01:42
- I'm keeping the feet underneath my body: one, two, three,
- 01:46
- So that you can still keep flowing.
