Making Space

Dimitri (The Curious Tanguero - CT) is a popular and prolific European Tango blogger, commentator and author. Most, or all, of his advice relates to Post-modern International Tango [The old teachers called it Export Tango (X-Tango)], learned from the many Post-modern Tango teachers and performers from around the world. X-Tango has already become a more popular dance in Europe and other Western and Asian cultures.

It mirrors the change 100 years ago, when Tango was introduced to European and American audiences, quickly changing the dance and the music to become what we know as "Ballroom Tango".

Classic and post-modern genres of Tango separated into two distinct dances soon after the resurgence of Tango in Argentina and around the world from the early 1980's, much as Tango did over 100 years ago when it evolved into competitive Ballroom Tango, now Dancesport. The two dances, Classic and post-modern, emerged from different backgrounds, and the style and objectives of each are quite different, even though teachers often use the same language to connect the modern dance to the famous dance of the milongas.

This is not a criticism of X-Tango. It is no less legitimate; it is just a different, new dance that has emerged from the blending of Stage/performance Tango with classic social Tango.

However, mixed messages are not helpful to students of Tango. The two dances should be clearly differentiated to avoid confusion when learning to dance. There is not a single truth.

Our preference, and advice, relates to Classic Social Argentine Tango (AA-Tango) refined and distilled in the famous milongas of Buenos Aires between 1935 and 1950, still danced there today, though, from what we hear, that is also changing with the influx of international tourists and teachers of X -Tango.

Making Space

Whilst Dimitri's advice on making space may be reasonable for X-Tango, popular worldwide, we have consistently advised students of Classic close-embrace Social Tango (AA-Tango, the dance of the milongas), that each of these options are bad habits to avoid.

CT: This is just a quick reminder that when you want to create more space for your legs to move, there are four main options:

Parallel to V.

This photo illustrates the dancers positioned at 90 degrees to one another. He is dancing on different line from his partner. Hi focus is diluted.

CT: You can change from a parallel embrace (where the distance between your shoulders and your partner’s shoulders is the same on both sides of the embrace) to a V-shaped embrace, where the distance between the shoulders on the close side of the embrace is less than on the open side. This causes the hips on the open side of the embrace to move away from each other, creating space.

TL: The V embrace does not work well in close-embrace for the following reasons:

1. I want to give my partner all my focus and energy; the V embrace does not allow this.

2. In a V embrace, the lady will be walking backwards on an angle, "crab-like". Apart from being uncomfortable over time, it dissipates a lot of shared energy. It is difficult to maintain a centred balance when walking at an angle.

3. It allows the man to "cheat" when walking outside. As above, 50% of their shared energy dissipates as he walks away from her. The lady will end up "under his wing", a common complaint.

4. Close-embrace giros to the lady's right are more difficult to execute - often, you will see her breaking the embrace to step forward. A left-side giro is more comfortable in V embrace, but it is also towards the blind side.

Slide

CT: You can slide your chest in relation to your partner, moving either more to the left or the right. In other words, your breastbone is no longer directly in front of your partner’s breastbone, but to the side (left or right). This, again, increases the distance between the hips, this time horizontally, parallel to the chest, thus creating more space.

TL: This is a common "cheat" for men to open space to walk into at the side of the lady. It reduces the man's energy and focus on his partner, essentially walking past her. Again, it leads to the lady ending up "under his wing". It is neither respectful nor comfortable.

Close Embrace to Open Embrace

CT: This simply means your chests no longer touch, and there is now some distance between them. As a result, the hips move further apart, creating more space. At this point, let me share something for those who are hardcore close-embrace lovers and think that’s how tango was always danced. One of my teachers once told me: In the past, women always attended milongas with their parents. In this environment of respect, leaders were extremely careful not to offend the parents. Touching a woman’s chest with your own was not considered appropriate in those times. They danced closely but without the chests touching. You may choose to believe this or not—it's up to you.

The dress indicates this photo was likely taken around 1920. Whilst the central couple are posing for the camera, the other couples are definitely in a Tango embrace (except the outstretched arm)

TL:  Popular history indicates that the chaperoned dances were the local suburban milongas. Whilst there is almost no film of social dance from the Golden Age (1935 - 1950) there is little doubt that the remaining milonghueros were dancing close-embrace at at the re-emergemence of Tango, Open embrace and the "flexible" (come and go) embrace is specific to modern Tango, and Tango performance/demonstration, from which the dance emerged.

Breaking the embrace breaks the "spell". The intimate conversation is lost in a "come-and-go" embrace.

Whilst there are many stories and myths surrounding Tango, it did develop into a recognised peak, the Golden Age, through the 1940's. Our observation is that Buenos Aires milongas, including Sunderland, that we attended from 2000 to 2015, were all danced in close embrace (except for the obvious tourists). We understand it is changing with the tourist market following the success of "Tango Mundial" and the many people, both from Argentina and internationally, teaching the new dance.

Apilado

CT:This means that both partners lean toward each other, so much so that if one partner wasn’t there, the other would fall. This causes the hips to move further away from each other, creating more space.

TL: Apilado is specific to Tango Viejo, the old pre-1930's dance, that was popularised by the Cieri's and others in the early 2000's. It is also a common element with long pauses, calesitas and similar figures in slower non, or variable rhythm Tangos (Pugliese). You may see an apilado embrace in modern Tango when performing extreme volcadas and similar figures. You will also see apilado, fleetingly, in classic Tango to create or emphasise a pause.

And of course, Gavito used exaggerated apilado as his signature, to great effect in his performances.

So how do you (the man) create space (for the lady) in close-embrace?

Walking forward - walk forward, body first, pushing from the back foot, strong core, not bending at the waist. Allow your front leg/foot to swing freely, pass your feet at the mid-beat, then drop your foot under your body on the next beat. You will find you are replacing the lady's step that she has just vacated. Because you are not leading with your feet, you can not step on her feet as she moves away. This is the look that is often described as a cat-like walk.

Walking backward - The reverse of walking forward - Start moving your body back, push with your front foot, pass your feet at the mid-beat and drop your foot under your body on the next beat. She will feel, and walk into the space you vacated.

Giros - Stand upright, not leaning forward. Open the space you are inviting her to walk into by turning your torso, following her as she moves, marking the time (single or double) as you turn, being careful to pivot, on the spot, without stepping forward or back. You can pivot on either foot, though pivoting on the right required less technique. To stop, close the space by centring your torso. The flow of communication is continuous - direction and timing are passed back and foward through every step.