"Around the Floor in 80 Turns"

— Cycles, Circles & Syntax on the Social Dance Floor —

Debbie Edwards

+

Stephen Bauer

90-Minute Workshop + 30-Minute Práctica,

followed by Two Hours of Social Dancing

to "Golden Age" + Contemporary Tango Music

The Stonehouse

— 107 Sacramento Street, Nevada City —

Sunday — April 26, 2015

6:00 - 10:00 pm

All Levels Welcome — $15 / dancer

More on the Workshop:  Cycles, Circles + Syntax in Tango

Deeply rooted in human physiology, the familiar Forward - Side - Back - Side progression of steps is shared by folk and circle dances in many cultures — there are variants in Africa, Europe, Asia, the Mideast — and it has been incorporated into any number of partner dances as a basic "pattern" or sequence.

Unlike other forms and traditions, however, Tango adopts this simple and accessible idea ... and then reinvents it — transforming it from a repetitious elementary "figure" into the powerful basis for an ongoing and ever-unfolding improvisation between partners.

In some of its most common incarnations in Tango, the Forward - Side - Back - Side syntax might curve and turn into some kind circular shape — a vuelta ("turn") or giro (turn with the connotation of "spin").

		What is referred to as a molinete ("little mill" or "pinwheel") is just one of many examples of the Forward - Side - Back - Side cycle in Tango — a version that uses all four steps in sequence, all going in the same direction + all orbiting a single stable center — to create a full 360° circle.
Schematic diagram of a typical four-sided Molinete in Tango ...				A classic Molinete - the pinwheel toy on a stick ...

In "Around the Floor in 80 Turns," we will take a closer look at the Forward - Side - Back - Side cycle, exploring some its many incarnations + applications throughout Tango, and gaining a deeper understanding + appreciation of just how useful, creative and powerful this idea can be on the improvised social dance floor.

Along the way, we will aim to:

• Understand how the Forward - Side - Back - Side syntax relates to "walking" — how they are different, how they are same, why it matters ...

• Notice the variables at play in the Forward - Side - Back - Side cycle, then actively choose among these — applying them "at will" to create a more potent, innovative and personal Tango ...

• Learn how to blend + combine our conceptual knowledge with fluent technical mastery + execution to enchance the interaction, communication, and moment-by-moment exchange between partners ...

• Devise fresh strategies to balance the "familiar" with the "novel"— keeping everything smooth and readily accessible to both partners, no matter what their individual skill levels or background ... all as we shift + adapt what we do together "on the fly," to accommodate any kind of music, situation, embrace, and/or changing floor conditions ...

• Consider some of other ways that Tango takes special advantage of the Forward - Side - Back - Side cycle ... especially how this deeper syntax comes into play as the basis + foundation for any number of more complex movements, ideas and relationships — including ochos, ochos cortados, sacadas, boleos, ganchos, lapices, paradas, pasadas, enrosques, arrastres/barridas, planeos, calesitas, enganches, llevadas, cambios/alterations, volcadas + colgadas.

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Please join us at the Stonehouse in Nevada City on April 26 as we circumnavigate the possibilieis together, and discover new ways to go "Around the Floor in 80 Turns" ...

For more Information about Learning + Dancing Tango in Nevada City:

Tango Nevada County   (Facebook)