Tag Archives: tango heels

Argentine tango technique

Proper Alignment and Improper Alignment

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It all started from this short video on Improper Alignment:

Ido Portal, the importance of improper alignment

As Ido Portal says in the video, “improper alignment is a certainty not a possibility.”
Practising therefore for those moments of improper alignment is crucial for our progress but also for our understanding of our body.

Managing the weight transfer

As you can tell from the video when I first introduced this exercise, it was the first step towards better alignment.

Here though I want to invite you to change your focus…instead of looking for the perfect communication path between the different parts of the body, focus on feeling every little tiny bit of your foot; even to the expense of that communication.

For example, see how far out you can take your heels out before you drop to the floor. Notice how that improper alignment makes you feel. Or the reverse how far in you can bring your heels…and again notice how that makes you feel.

Don’t try to fix it! 
Only exaggerate as much as possible without, of course, causing harm to yourselves, and notice, make mental notes of the experience.

A yummy practice for our feet

In this video, we are exploring the limits of our base of our feet. We are creating and playing with improper alignment.

Because if you don’t know where the edge is, what improper alignment feels like. How will you find the centre, a safe place where you can just be without any tension or uncertainty?

And as Ido Portal says there is no proper alignment, but proper preparation… for misalignment.
We can get off balance any second of the day… lets prepare for THAT!

Feet: Alignment and Misalignment

This third video explores transitioning; changing our level, shifting our weight, and moving in space.
Personally, I don’t believe that standing on one leg or doing calf raises endlessly will make your steps steadier, smoother or more powerful and secure.
Becoming aware of the how your feet manage the transition from the right to the left and the front to the back, definitely will though.

Does that mean, that you don’t need to ever to do balance drills again..?
NOPE!
haha
It means that you will have to include them in a more holistic practice, one that focuses on the transition and not solely on the drill itself. One that focuses on improper alignment as a certainty. One that explores the edges and the limits as much as the centre

Posture, progress in dance, Tango practice, Tips on tango technique for leaders and followers, Uncategorized

A 20min Tango practice on posture, walks and ochos

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When we hear “tango practice” what is the image that comes to mind?
Most popular answer: “Hours in a studio practicing with and without a partner on things we suck at..!”

Does it have to be this way though? NO!

Tango Practice can be enjoyable and motivating!

Tango practice doesn’t need to be that painful.
It can be hard work, but if it is structured correctly and timed properly it can actually be short, sweet and fun!

As you will hear me say in the beginning of this video, a Tango practice can’t start before we identify what the problem really is… Going in a studio to practice just because someone said you have to, will only get you frustrated.

So before you start your practice, take a moment to:

  1. think of any struggles you might be facing regarding, posture, walks and ochos (or Tango in general if you are not following the video above)
  2. find what you are REALLY good at regarding posture, walks and ochos
  3. draw the connecting line between what makes you good and what makes suck…
  4. build your practice based on #3… like a story that builds on a narrative.

So even though most people will tell you to just practice to correct your shortcomings, I want to encourage you to do almost the opposite!
Double down on what makes you good.
Figure out what is that ONE thing that makes you good. And then see if you can use that to correct what you suck at it….

*Note: I said “if”…
 We all suck at something and we are all really good at something else. Nobody is perfect at everything. There maybe somethings you can’t fix… Accept them and bet on your strengths instead!

Tango practice can be short, sweet AND fun!

There is also another myth, around the length of practice…

For some reason most people think that the more the better. But really what is the point of practicing  for hours if you are going to be on your phone or on autopilot..?
And most importantly… what is the point of practicing when your technique is failing you?

As Terry Laughlin, swimming coach and founder of Total Immersion had said: “Stop when you realize your technique is failing you”
And Luis von Ahn, the founder of Duolingo suggests around 20mins of practice a day to avoid burn- out..!

So why do we think dancing is any different than swimming or learning a language..?
Going past a certain time- limit, just for the sake of being in a studio will offer zero results and bring only disappointment and frustration.

What should we do instead?

Remember step #2 mentioned above?
*find what you are REALLY good at regarding posture, walks and ochos*

After you go through the Tango scan in your mind on what makes you good at posture, walks and ochos, change ochos to pivots and then revisit ANY activity you are really good at.
All activities have some version of posture, walking, and pivoting.

Bring drills from those activities into your Tango practice.
Everything is connected… believe me! The only thing you need to do is identify the connecting path.

By doing that you are not starting from 0.
You are starting from something you are already good at, you are already confident with and you are taking the details you find are common to Tango, into your Tango practice.

Not to mention how much more motivating this strategy is…
You are not practicing in the dark, you can actually have a plan. Then you are not starting from 0, even if you are a beginner in Tango. And lastly, you start from a place of confidence, from a place of power and that allows you to explore more and at a deeper level.

Is this something super easy to do..? No, but it is totally worth it!

And if you need help, subscribe to bautanz and you can get videos just like this one weekly in your inbox… Along with other inspirational goodies every Sunday..!

😉
Chrisa

P.S: Did you know we have an online course based on these very principles?
Check it out here: Intelligent Tango

 

 

 

 

 

ochos, Posture, Tips on tango technique for leaders and followers, Uncategorized

From Flats to Heels–Exercises for Happy Feet

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happy feet
Cuba, Varadero

We have been talking about heels and ochos and practicing…at all but coming back from this I am tanned, energized, and sooo ready to fly back! haha
I loved Cuba! I guess it is rather obvious when you check my recent Instagram posts…

Salsa party in Cuba  and the Havana and The real people of Cuba
And guess what I have more…haha
But what I realized while I was there, was how my walk was different walking on sandy beach.

Yes that was usually before the mojitos..!

Happy Feet can be happy in heels

What happens when we walk on a rather unstable surface, like a sandy beach?
Our feet adjust and almost reform to hug around the surface. On the sand specifically, if you don’t run or wear flip-flops of course, you will notice your whole foot attempts to hug the sand, from the outside edge to the baby toe and towards the big toe. The ball of the foot active but not straining and all toes spreading.

https://www.playea.es/7-estrategias-infalibles-para-enfrentarse-al-cooono-como-quema-la-arena/

Aka…Happy Feet!
Walking on the sand therefore not only made my feet happy at that moment but it made me rethink my walk in general, as this is a more efficient way of walking.

I send my mind consciously to my feet, examining not only the shape of them on the sand but also the way my walk had adjusted.
Coming back to Toronto I just couldn’t wait to apply the details of that experience to my tango in heels…

And YES! Happy feet can be happy in heels too!

So next time you are on a sandy beach walk on it with a conscious mind, preferably before any mojito consumption, and you will start to notice that your feeling of relaxation is not coming only by the fact that you are in an amazing warm place or not having to go to work, but also from your feet being happy again.

How can all this be applied to prepare us for our Tango heels

If you can’t be on beach right now you can instead do this: From flats to heels video

Going up to a “releve” as ballet dancers call it, will not only strengthen your legs but it will also make you aware how the weight when transferred forward changes the form of your foot.

As you will in the video, there are two common mistakes that can really throw you off balance and cause strain in your body. Work against but at the same time, feel that every time you are lifting your heels off the floor, the ball of your foot in massaging the floor instead of pressing into it. Like you would do on a sandy beach.
If you have no sandy beach experience, cute kitten paws can do the job:

happy feet in heels
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/210050770092350474/

Have fun you all!

Chrisa

P.S: See the two previous videos and tips here: Tango heels… Own them don’t just wear them and Intelligent tango–5min practice on rotation (ocho focused)

Posture, Tips on tango technique for leaders and followers, Uncategorized

Tango Heels… Own them don’t just wear them

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I am not sure where you stand on Tango heels… I hope I am not laughing on my own here..! hahaha
Heels and generally shoes are super important, not only in Tango but in our everyday life.
Shoes protect our foot from the environment. They shouldn’t though, at the same time, restrict the foot from properly moving, and perceiving the environment.

Heels are they that evil?

Personally,  I don’t want to get into the conversation of whether heels are healthy for us physically and psychologically– I won’t even comment on the latter–for 4 reasons.

  1. In Tango women wear heels, that is how the dance is danced– they don’t have to be stilettos, they don’t have to be high, they just can’t be flat. When you are attending a milonga, you need to look that you are part of the party… If you are showing up in jeans, a star-trek t-shirt and all- stars and then you are wondering why nobody is asking you to dance… It is because they think you are NOT there to dance
  2. Bio-mechanically heels are not considered the best of shoes, but a heel in the dance actually helps the dancer find the forward alignment required for Tango
  3. Tango shoes, if they are of good quality, provide support, protection and flexibility, that you can hardly ever find in a street shoe and especially in flats.
  4. I don’t see how wearing-flats-and-dancing-on-your-toes all night is a better alternative… It is actually a lot worse, because there is no support for your heel and your toes take all the load

Extra, ultra personal reason that is secretly admited by almost everyone: They look good!

How can make our experience in our Tango heels as beautiful as the shoes themselves

It is funny but we make many mistakes when it comes to buying shoes and especially our Tango heels.

If you are a little bit like me you probably buy with two criteria:

  1. How it looks and
  2. Whether you can afford it

Then as you will hear me saying in the video, the shoes arrive and it takes you two years to actually feel good dancing in them because you overestimated your abilities and they were actually too high.
Yeah..! To my defence it only happened once, they were really beautiful and now I wear them all the time! haha

I even have proof: Milonga practice in the sun..!

In the video following you will find a few tips on how to choose the right pair, in terms of quality,  size and height. Tips on how to align yourselves over heels without hurting your back and a fitness sequence to get those legs a bit stronger, because the stronger they are the better you can handle heels.

Heels…Own them don’t just wear them!

Have fun!
Chrisa

P.s: If you want more detailed tips for the exercises presented in the blog, subscribe to the newsletter for a bunch of Tango goodies!

P.P.S: If you want a program that has deconstructed Tango to its essential elements–posture, balance, walks and ochos. If you are interested in a program giving you all the tips on making the right selection of exercises, recipes on how to sequence these exercises and suggestions on how to scale your practice and anchor it to things you already know, check out Intelligent Tango at: https://bautanz.com/programs-and-courses/
I put Intelligent Tango together based on my own practice. My intention though is to give you the freedom and the responsibility to make this your practice. To build the dancer you want to be on the dance floor.
I would like to hear your comments and thoughts to make this a great class!