Part 2: Improvisational Infinity

In response to the previous post, Minh commented the following:

Pete! Please tell me the leader/follower dilemma gets resolved in part II! Don’t leave us hanging!

Fortunately and unfortunately, the leader/follower dilemma never really gets resolved, rather, it evolves. The evolution is slow and frustrating at times with moments of zen happiness in between. So, before I reveal how Allison and I differ in our musical interpretations, let’s do some homework, shall we?

Part 1 of your assignment is to read The Duality of Tango’s Musicality (1 of 2). When you have completed that, take 10 minutes to glance at Tango Orchestra Rhythms – Dos, Cuatro, and Sincopa. Now, you’re ready to work your ear holes! Pick one piece of tango music that always seems to be #1 on your iPod playlist and carefully analyze it for 3 days.

You read it correctly, 3 days slacker! Dig deep and get your discipline together because your tango depends on it, maggot! So, as you tune out your surroundings (headphones work nicely for this), listen closely to your musical selection and ask yourself questions like:

Which instrument is keeping the beat?
Can I always hear the rhythm or does it fade out in certain spots?
What parts of my body react to the music? Do my legs move twitch, feet tap, or fingers snap?
Which instrument(s) do I clearly recognize? Which ones are hard for me to hear?

Use the information from Tango Orchestra Rhythms – Dos, Cuatro, and Sincopa to categorize the different sections of the music. As for the instruments you have trouble hearing, make an sincere effort to recognize them in the music and follow the rhythms or melodies they express.

Afterwards, start dancing by yourself (forget your partner!) and see which parts of the music make your body move. For instance, I tap my foot while I’m walking when I practice all by my lonesome. Practice this alone and your tango lead will improve. Also, take time learning how to follow to increase your sensitivity as both a leader and a follower. Grab your partner and request the switch now!

Allison doesn’t like to lead because she feels her lead is weak, but I beg to differ. On the same token, listening to tango music when you’re dancing solo improves your musicality, which could, in turn, have a positive effect on your lead. I’m very sure you’ve heard others tell you that you have to listen to tango music in order to get better. Hopefully, you’re not like many all-knowing tango students and you won’t brush this advice aside. It’s very important to study the tango music you dance to.

What if taking my suggestions doesn’t make your lead perfect? Well, at least you’ll be fun to dance with because you boost your musicality. However, if you lack in both departments and refuse to keep an open mind about improvising and improving, I would be glad to welcome you to the Professional Seat Warmers Club of Tango (because no one will want to dance with you!).

So, without further ado, I present to you Allison and I both leading each other to A Fuego Lento. Revel the bad lighting and small room in which these two clips were filmed. Also note, we both just got off of work and are dead tired. I am wearing socks and her shoes don’t articulate well with the carpet. With that being said, enjoy and don’t judge us!

hardy har har!

Pete leading…