“El lengue” by Edgardo Donato y su Orquesta Típica, 1940.
Edgardo Donato
Violinist, leader and composer (14 April 1897 – 15 February 1963)
The orchestra of Edgardo Donato had a phrasing wrapped up in wide dynamics, where the showcasing of bandoneons and Donato’s frequent interventions as soloist was evidenced.
The leader was a true example of the style developed by El Pibe Ernesto, that is to say by Ernesto Ponzio.
This description is completed with the musical gymnastics that Donato performed, together with his famous pizzicati.
His was a dance orchestra, according to his merry absent-minded temper.
He was composer of over two hundred numbers, some of them true classics of the tango repertory.
We are happy to have a collaboration with the people from tangotunes.com from whom some of you may have heard, they do high-quality transfers from original tango shellacs.
It is the number 1 source for professional Tango DJs all over the world.
Now they started a new project that addresses the dancers and the website is https://en.mytango.online You will find two compilations at the beginning, one tango and one vals compilation in amazing quality. The price is 50€ each (for 32 songs each compilation) and now the good news!
If you enter the promo code 8343 when you register at this site you will get a 20% discount!
Thanks for supporting this project, you will find other useful information on the site, a great initiative.
We are happy to have a collaboration with the people from tangotunes.com from whom some of you may have heard, they do high-quality transfers from original tango shellacs.
It is the number 1 source for professional Tango DJs all over the world.
Now they started a new project that addresses the dancers and the website is https://en.mytango.online You will find two compilations at the beginning, one tango and one vals compilation in amazing quality. The price is 50€ each (for 32 songs each compilation) and now the good news!
If you enter the promo code 8343 when you register at this site you will get a 20% discount!
Thanks for supporting this project, you will find other useful information on the site, a great initiative.
Everything good about Tango dancing is the result of practice.
Regular exercise of walking, change of weight, pause, pivots, turns, “paradas” (stops), “calecitas” (merry-go-round), and embellishments create the foundation of your freedom while dancing.
You don’t need a partner to practice.
Many essential elements of Argentine Tango require being practiced alone.
Another aspect needing your attention is musicality:
The way to improve your musicality is to engage in active listening to Tango music, knowing what you are listening to.
Pauses are among the most important elements of Tango.
When you practice your elements, search for opportunities for pauses.
As examples:
You can make a pause when you do a salida to de side, also called “salida in 2”.
You can make a pause in position 3:
After change of direction:
4- Pivots:
To practice pivots, you can start with bar exercises.
If you do not have a bar, use a chair, preferably with a tall back, helping yourself placing your hands on the back of the chair to practice forward and backward ochos.
Then, challenge yourself to practice ochos without the help of the bar or chair.
Practice forward and backward ochos with displacements and without displacement.
5- Turns:
The best exercises to improve your turns are chair exercises:
and 1-2-3 exercises.
Practice all exercises in both directions of turning: clockwise and counterclockwise directions.
Practice chair exercises but without the chair.
Other elements used in turns are “rulo”:
and “enrosques”:
6- “Paradas” (stops):
Another very important skill to develop to dance Argentine Tango is the control of your inertia and the couple’s inertia.
A great way to work on this skill is to propose yourself to be able to stop at any movement from the 1 to 5 already listed.
A classical example of stops is the “sanguchito” or “mordida”:
7- “Calecita”:
This element requires that the follower aligns her axis on the top of one of her feet, allowing the leader to pivot her continuously on one direction.
See an example:
8- Embellishments:
A good foundation in your dance makes it beautiful.
Think about embellishments as a natural projection of your good technique, not as a kind of plug-ins movement.
If your walk is deficient, no matter what extra moves you add to your walk, it won’t look good.
Embellishments should arise seamlessly from the work you do on your dance.
“Cepillo” (brush):
“Rulos” (circles):
“Cross and go”:
9- Musicality:
The way to improve your musicality is by engaging in active listening to Argentine Tango music.
Practice regularly and consciously, taking care that the practice provides nice sensations of joy to you.
By doing so, you are making yourself generous in extending this joy to your partners and the other dancers that share with you the dance floors of the classes and milongas.
That’s not all:
Dancing shouldn’t be your biggest challenge.
It should rather be the time of amusement, of creativity and exploration of yourself, socializing, relaxing, and releasing stress in a calm and friendly atmosphere.
However, in other to be able to dance with such sensation of freedom and confidence, you will need to expose yourself to a challenge that is greater than dancing Tango, and that is the class and practice.
Also:
Take care of yourself, with stretching and regular exercising.
Healthy habits of eating and sleep will positively influence your dance.
In sum:
Dancing Argentine Tango presents itself as a way for you to organize your life towards empowering yourself, helping you to achieve your life’s goals, and even provides you with such goals:
“La uruguayita Lucía” by Ricardo Tanturi y su Orquesta Típica with Enrique Campos in vocals, 1945.
Daniel López Barreto
Pianist, composer and lyricist (8 April 1903 – 21 December 1982)
Pianist, composer, musicologist and lecturer.
At the age of nine he began to study music and at twelve he had already sketched some compositions.
He registered about a hundred works.
His tango “Cuna de los bravos treinta y tres” was very popular in Europe, and Gardel picked it up there to record it with a changed title, “La uruguayita Lucía”, a title with which he became famous.
We are happy to have a collaboration with the people from tangotunes.com from whom some of you may have heard, they do high-quality transfers from original tango shellacs.
It is the number 1 source for professional Tango DJs all over the world.
Now they started a new project that addresses the dancers and the website is https://en.mytango.online You will find two compilations at the beginning, one tango and one vals compilation in amazing quality. The price is 50€ each (for 32 songs each compilation) and now the good news!
If you enter the promo code 8343 when you register at this site you will get a 20% discount!
Thanks for supporting this project, you will find other useful information on the site, a great initiative.
