To decorate or not to decorate ...

Decorations, embellishments, adornos ... call them what you will.

Inevitably ladies ask for them to be taught. After all they can look pretty, if done well. Most tango videos of performances feature amazing decorations by both men and women. But I reckon this fervent desire to decorate comes about primarily because some ladies seem to feel that only by embellishing, are they able to contribute something to the dance in which their partner has a greater say - well, that's my theory anyway. Perhaps it's a product of liberated women, feeling somewhat awkward in this traditional dance which has fairly clearly defined male and female roles. Although some would argue that this is an attraction of tango. But I digress from my topic...

In my humble opinion, adornos are best done intuitively, organically and genuinely, when the emotion of the music and the moment produce a small, almost unconscious, flourish. A decoration is just that ... not something which disturbs the partner or the dancers around you. Beautiful adornos are a natural expression and response to the music, flowing from what has been led and often a sign of appreciation from the woman to her partner. I love those elegant and understated decorations which add to the enjoyment of the couple dancing, and are scarcely noticeable to observers.

However, as we all know, subtlety of movement requires a high degree of physical control. So there's no getting around the fact that fundamental technique - axis, balance, timing, dissociation, weight transfer, etc. - needs to be mastered first. After all, a decoration is the extra little something for the couple dancing, the delicate extension of the movement, a little icing on the cake, perhaps.

It is important to work on tango technique and practise decorations privately, in class and practicas many, many times. But to be quite honest, I find that repeated and predictable embellishments during a milonga look utterly contrived and overdone - a bit like a woman wearing her entire jewellery collection on the one occasion. Doing adornos in social dancing is definitely a case of less being more.

Jennifer Bratt has developed an excellent website on adornos, including video clips with various types of embellishments, important advice on technique and exercises for the feet. So for ladies bursting to develop tango decorations, go for it ... but elegantly, please!

Pat.

BTW Here's Jennifer performing with her partner Ney Melo.

Aurora and Hugo

Just found this stunning video of Aurora Lubiz and Hugo Daniel dancing to one of my favourites by Carlos Di Sarli with Alberto Podestá: Junto a tu corazón
Enjoy!
Pat

PS. They're fabulous at milonga, too. I love them dancing to Canaro's Despues de quererla tanto (see video links).

Tete @ Practica X

Here's Tete Rusconi, a true milonguero who feels the music in every cell of his body, having a great time performing a vals for his birthday at one of the "nuevo" venues in Buenos Aires.
Looks like he and his partner are having a blast.

Enjoy,
Pat.

"A feeling that is danced" Discépolo

I've noticed an interesting phenomenon in our tango community of late - there's an increasing level of interest in and sensitivity for the music played in practicas and milongas - in particular the Golden Age music.

In the space of just a couple of days various comments were made quite independently from each other, and came, it seemed, out of the blue from several dancers. One person was saying that they didn't used to "get" Golden Age music until recently, but now the modern stuff just doesn't interest them much. Another was visibly annoyed when a tanda of tango - all Golden Age - wasn't coherent in their view. They felt that one of the tangos simply jarred when combined with the other three in the tanda.

These comments bring me back to an earlier posting in February: Two angles on the tanda. Let's face it, the music evokes a physical and emotional response. For most of us, that's why we feel like dancing, or for that matter .... sitting out a tanda. Hopefully, the DJ will generally be able to sense what the crowd needs at various stages of a milonga ... and respond to that so that the dancers feel they have engaged in a satisfying emotional experience, rather than a roller-coaster ride. Equally, too much of anything - music that is energetic, romantic, intense, etc. - simply leads to desensitisation and boredom.

Creating a mood at the start of a tanda, only to jolt dancers out of it within the very same tanda can feel like a slap in the face. Try this pair of Di Sarli tangos as an example: Nada followed by Shusheta. Lovely - but not together, please! Singers can make a huge difference, too. The orquesta of Ricardo Tanturi with the romantic voice of Enrique Campos, creates a totally different mood to Tanturi with the voice of the streets, Alberto Castillo.

Want to know more?
Guides to Tango Music developed by Stephen & Susan Brown
Heroes of the Silver Disc by Melina Sedó
ToTango DJ Forum
Tango DJ

Pat.

A fabulous Biagi vals danced by Julio Balmaceda & Corina de la Rosa

Delightfully playful footwork and damn good turns!