Practica: The heights and lows of an abrazo!

Abrazo: Normal level

When you embrace your partner in the beginning of a tanda you are searching the connection to that person but you are also technically negotiating about the normal height for the abrazo. We try to find a comfortable level where to place the abrazo when walking normally and not doing any splendid tricks.

Abrazo: Higher level

If you are rising the abrazo above the normal level you will not be able to reach so far with your feet and as a leader you can in this way easily lead a series of shorter steps.

Abrazo: Lower level

When you choose to go in the other direction, lowering the body by flexing your knees, the follower's free leg starts to point out in a direction leader has suggested. Here the follower has a possibility to do something different. Ana and Diego will give you the details!

The leader has the same possibilities but here he is turning around in a slightly different position. Just as an example!
About 1.02min https://youtu.be/40j2yOaKXUY?t=59s

What is the difference between a callecita and planeo according to Ana and Diego?

Music for the practica - Please listen to these two several times and notice the differences!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nwQsd4LRQrY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nYMlzgbctDc


Backup list
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SvHVZTrH9BU

Practica: Abrazo testing lab

Please! 

Pay careful attention to these variations of abrazos presented below and try to find the one most suitable for yourself!

Try remember, to feel the most comfortable position for your arms and how high/low you can move them and still feel ok.

Another abrazo option is the position of your elbows - how far from the body and how much in front of the shoulder line they can be.

Let an intensive experimenting start!

Here some guide lines for you:

1. Are the bodies totally facing each others?
There is also a possibility that the bodies have an offset of a few cm

2. Are the bodies parallel?

3. Or maybe the bodies are in V-form?
An Embrace where at the man’s right side and the woman’s left side (closed side have a body contact but at the open side there is a slight opening.

         

Two more videos about how the abrazo is kept stable and when it is continuously changing.

If you are more a verbal person the link below is a endless basket of treasures for you! For the others please check the vocabulary in the end of the posting and some of the summaries!

Find all the stuff here!

https://youtu.be/KLY5izQng2o

https://youtu.be/f34FLD5s0KI

https://youtu.be/E2dIIWXIFyI

https://youtu.be/iZxTwu9PiFY

https://tangovoice.wordpress.com/category/el-abrazo/

Practica : Milonga rhythm

When you start to become friends with the milonga music you may find a musical structure coming up again and again!  Listen if you recognize the one here in the beginning:

 It is called habanera and as you notice the spaces between the strikes are different. You can follow the pattern with your fingers in this way!

  

 Milonga Sentimental has a lot of habaneras which you can follow  by your hand!

                                      

This stable structure makes it easier for us to place ur steps - the possibilities are there even if it sometimes can be difficult to hear them directly. Below you find two measures and the habanera rhythm is on the  blue line. Basic steps are placed on the red ones

The most common double step is created by stepping on H3 H4 H1. 

It is accepted to use   B1 c B2  or B1 k B2 for double steps.

Some more information and questions you will find on my other blog: Check the posting 

What is Chicho doing?
His milonga is a mystery for me - I do not know what he is doing differently compared to others. Therefore I am coming back to his dancing all the time.

If you are serious about tango music you should check Joaquin Amenabars book 

TANGO 

Let's dance to the music!

http://www.joaquinamenabar.com/