AT Syllabus

[Bordertangoman]

Ah, I've run out of time to edit the previous syllabus. Here's the new one. I've reorganized it a little too.


Connection/Balance:

Beg:
 Open embrace
 Close embrace separate axis
 Transition from close to open and back
add: one step aroundyou partners axis; take it in turns.

Int:
 Apilado
 Breathing to emphasize lead

Adv:
 Walk to volcada
 Mini-colgada to gain momentum


Musicality:

Beg:
 Use walk with emphasis on two basic rhythms, either Strong-Weak or Strong-Weak-Weak for waltz
 Syncopated steps on forward walks

Int:
 Change rhythm of giro to match musical phrase
 Syncopated steps on any movement to the rhythm
 Dance the melody or a part of the music other than the rhythm

Adv:
 Leader and follower on different rhythms


Walking:

Beg:
 Hesitation step
 Weight change in place
 Sidestep to unled weight change
 Forward step to unled weight change
 Cross-system (3 track)
 Walk on follower's right
 Walk on follower's left
 Walking in a tight circle
 Rock turn

Int:
 Rocksteps/hesitation steps in cross system
 Sacadas walking forward
 Cross-system sacadas walking forward
 Lateral grapevine leader mirrors
 Lateral grapevine leader sidesteps doubletime
 Back step to unled weight change (or leader's cross)
 Front or back ocho to leader and follower at 90 degrees, prevent follower collect and walk forward or backward with follower sideways

Adv:
 Maintain momentum/flow from interruption steps


Disassociation:

Beg:
 Walk to cross outside parallel
 Walk to cross outside cross-system
 Walk to cross in straight line
 Cross from follower's sidestep

Int:
 Sacada on overturned front ocho
 Rockstep to forward follower's cross
 Rockstep to leader and follower mirror parallel cross
 Rocksteps outside partner

Adv:
 Leader's back sacada
 Follower's back sacada
 Follower's front sacada


Rotation:

Beg:
 Cross-system walk to follower's pivot (ocho)
 Back ocho to giro
 Sidestep to giro
 Front ocho to giro
 Giro to back ochos
 Giro to sidestep
 Giro to front ochos
 Giro to cross
 Giro from pasada

Int:
 Sacada on front ocho
 Sacada on sidestep
 Sacada on back ocho
 Giro with enrosque
 Sacada to enrosque
 Enrosque to planeo
 Planeo to leader's cross
 Planeo to parada
 Pivot follower in place, leader walks in a circle (Calecita)

Adv:
 Back ochos with leader's double step
 Fast milonga front ochos
 Double pivots, follower front ocho, leader back ocho, or reverse
 Backstep into enrosque + giro


Interruption:

Beg:
 Parada interrupting follower's sidestep collect
 Parada on back ocho
 Parada on back ocho back foot
 Parada on front ocho
 Parada on front ocho back foot
 Pasada from parada
 Sammich from parada
 Pasada from sammich

Int:
 Overturned back ocho to backwards pasada
 Parada to leader's pasada
 Barrida from parada
 Gancho on back ocho
 Gancho on front ocho
 Parada to leg wrap
 Fake pasada to sacada

Adv:
 Barrida in giro to parada
 Boleo from back ocho
 Boleo from front ocho: front boleo to leg wrap
 Parada to colgada
 Colgada to leg wrap unnatural if impossible

The more i read this the more it puzzles me

[Subliminal]

I'm not sure that muscle memory is a good approach, to be honest - except in the form of the fundamental steps (side / back / forward / pivot).

I thought that is the intent.  

Muscle memory for techniques for steps, maybe.

Muscle memory for doing patterns, no. If you train your muscles to remember that a giro always starts with a sidestep, for example, you're going to have problems in social dancing.

Well, that's actually the point of this exercise. Every move here should teach you something about the way you move. That is why I put entering the giro from each kind of step. If you are working your way down through the list, first you'd try entering from a back ocho. Then a sidestep. Then a front ocho. Then you try the different exits. Back, side, front, cross. Though I suppose I could short-hand it like you suggested and still get the point across. I might just do that, it makes it a little more readable.

But again I ask, what in the list is redundant? Yes, everything in AT is made of 5 different steps. And given enough time, a beginner could work out every single possibility of those steps. Just like given enough time a 100 monkeys with typewriters will type out the collected works of Shakespeare. But why should we have to reinvent the wheel each time? As long as it's understood that the dance is improvisational, practicing each of these steps in turn should allow you to better internalize the dance. Without resorting to pure patterns. Basically, I'm trying to find the happy medium between "AT is made of 5 steps. Go figure out the rest." and "No, you always start a giro by going to 5 of the 8CB."

[Subliminal]

Revision 3!

Connection/Balance:

Beg:
 Corrective Posture Arc exercises - Move weight from the heel to over the arch of the foot. Bend forward at the ankles, not the
   waist, find the balance point over the arches. Be able to hold balance in this position without partner.
 Open embrace
 Close embrace separate axis
 Transition from close to open and back

Int:
 Apilado
 Breathing to emphasize lead

Adv:
 Walk to volcada
 Mini-colgada to gain momentum


Musicality:

Beg:
 Use walk with emphasis on two basic rhythms, either Strong-Weak or Strong-Weak-Weak for waltz
 Syncopated steps on forward walks

Int:
 Change rhythm of giro to match musical phrase
 Syncopated steps on any movement to the rhythm
 Dance the melody or a part of the music other than the rhythm

Adv:
 Leader and follower on different rhythms


Walking:

Beg:
 Hesitation step
 Weight change in place
 Sidestep to unled weight change
 Forward step to unled weight change
 Cross-system (3 track)
 Walk on follower's right
 Walk on follower's left
 Walking in a tight circle
 Rock turn

Int:
 Rocksteps/hesitation steps in cross system
 Sacadas walking forward
 Cross-system sacadas walking forward
 Lateral grapevine leader mirrors
 Lateral grapevine leader sidesteps doubletime
 Back step to unled weight change (or leader's cross)
 Front or back ocho to leader and follower at 90 degrees, prevent follower collect and walk forward or backward with follower sideways

Adv:
 Maintain momentum/flow from interruption steps


Disassociation:

Beg:
 Walk to cross outside parallel
 Walk to cross outside cross-system
 Walk to cross in straight line
 Cross from follower's sidestep

Int:
 Sacada on overturned front ocho
 Rockstep to forward follower's cross
 Rockstep to leader and follower mirror parallel cross
 Rocksteps outside partner

Adv:
 Leader's back sacada
 Follower's back sacada
 Follower's front sacada


Rotation:

Beg:
 Cross-system walk to follower's pivot (ocho)
 Giro - starting from any point, and stopping at any point.
 Giros and ochos - mixing and matching pivots and rotation.
 Giro exit to cross
 Giro from pasada
 Walking turn in LOD - sidestep into LOD, lead follower in quarter pivot to step outside leader and step back, back step, quarter
    pivot and sidestep into LOD continuing rotation, quarter pivot and continue walking forward in LOD

Int:
 Dynamic giro
 Sacada on front ocho
 Sacada on sidestep
 Sacada on back ocho
 Giro with enrosque
 Sacada to enrosque
 Enrosque to planeo
 Planeo to leader's cross
 Planeo to parada
 Pivot follower in place, leader walks in a circle (Calecita)

Adv:
 Back ochos with leader's double step
 Fast milonga front ochos
 Double pivots, follower front ocho, leader back ocho, or reverse
 Backstep into enrosque + giro


Interruption:

Beg:
 Parada interrupting follower's sidestep collect
 Parada on back ocho
 Parada on back ocho back foot
 Parada on front ocho
 Parada on front ocho back foot
 Pasada from parada
 Sammich from parada
 Pasada from sammich

Int:
 Overturned back ocho to backwards pasada
 Parada to leader's pasada
 Barrida from parada
 Gancho on back ocho
 Gancho on front ocho
 Parada to leg wrap
 Fake pasada to sacada

Adv:
 Barrida in giro to parada
 Boleo from back ocho
 Boleo from front ocho
 Front boleo to leg wrap
 Parada to colgada

[Subliminal]

You dont seem to have a walking turn;
or other kinds of turns that are travelling in the LOD.
Its good to have a few of these and see what works in parallel and cross-system.
some get half a turn with a giro to bring the woman back in front of you
others allow a full 360 turn.
other exercises are to get the followere to call out back or forward ocho on the fifth step
so whereever you are whichever foot, you lead her into a b or f-8

ok, I threw in a dynamic turn. I think that's a common phrase for a walking turn, right?

Those are some neat ideas for exercises, I will have to try them. I think between all of the comments, I have a better section for giros.

What kind of turn do you mean specifically for traveling in LOD? Is there something that doesn't fall under the existing headings?

Also, I added the boleo to leg wrap suggestion and took out the colgada one. I honestly don't practice these enough to know them very well, but I figured I would put some in for completeness. I might want do to that show someday.

[Subliminal]

Sorry I have been gone so long. CPA....Corrective Posture Arc (the slight forward lean to center). Also, yes, I know the move that you are referring to.

Ah ok! I think I understand now. I think I read one of your posts on that a while back. Yes, just did a search, found it. Good stuff. My teacher did something similar, though we did it as a partner exercise, combining it with connection. (Finding the proper balance point without partner, then finding it in open, palm to palm, or close, chest to chest.)

[Bordertangoman]

ok, I threw in a dynamic turn. I think that's a common phrase for a walking turn, right?

What kind of turn do you mean specifically for traveling in LOD? Is there something that doesn't fall under the existing headings?


[/quote]

okay its going to be hard to describe;
sidestep together to leaders right but in the LOD
quarter pivot then do backstep leading follower to step outside your riight
do another backstep and bring follower in line with you
quarter pivot and do sidestep to your left (in LOD)
quarter pivot and you should now be facing back in LOD
walk and bring follower back in front of you

[Subliminal]

ok, I see what you're talking about. I like it... it is a full fledged pattern, but one that teaches something about navigation and rotation. I think I'll add it in.

[TangoDancer]

Yes, this is a very common way of teaching to rotate the basics.

[phoenix13]

Wow.  This is an incredibly informative thread.  Question:  Is this syllabus similar to the order in which many teachers approach tango with their students?   I ask because I was actually quite surprised to see the words tango and syllabus in the same phrase.  If you were to say that on *ahem* certain forums around *ahem* certain people, you might run the risk of being taken out and shot at dawn. lol.

[elisedance]

I miss TD, he has a lovely spirit... Used to live in Hawaii I think - I wonder where he is now?

[QPO]

well lets hope he can sense he was spoken about and missed and will come back and pop in.

[phoenix13]

That would be lovely.  I'd also love to see Subliminal talk a bit more about what he chose for his syllabus and why.