Chesbay Tango Announces
A CANYENGUE WORKSHOP
Taught by Ernest Williams and Linda Sutton
DATE: Saturday, February 25, 2006
LOCATION: Cook Residence, 4102 Faigle Road, Portsmouth,
VA 23703. (757) 685-3727.
COST: $25 per class or $6o for all three classes. Evening milonga, $10 per
person
PAYMENT: Checks payable to Mercedes Cook at address above. Please respond by
Friday, February 10.
SCHEDULE:
Noon - 1:30 p.m.: Embrace, Enganche and Corrida
The canyengue has a variety of embraces. Ernest and Linda will focus on a
unique embrace that offers a totally different framework and set of rules
from other tango forms. The enganche ("to hook or wrap") is the basic step
that is done often in canyengue. The corrida ("run") is a stylish - but not
as fast as it seems - way of progressing around the dance floor.
1:45 - 3:15 p.m.: Orquesta, Cunita and Caminar
The orquesta "orchestra" is a very interesting way of doing the ochos before
they were ochos. The cunita ("cradle") is a cute little pattern that is
simple yet very fun to do that involves familiar rock steps. The caminar
("walk") is another option for progressing forward. Linda likes to call it
the Camina de "Thriller" like a Michael Jackson video and Ernest likes to
call it the Cat Burglar Walk.
3:30 - 5 p.m.: Boleo, Gancho, Mario
This is not your ordinary boleo "boomerang " found in tango. It's a unique
way of walking in a tight circle with a little leg action. The gancho
("hook") has a very specific meaning in canyengue as compared to the many
ways of doing it in tango. Think ganchos mixed with rock steps. Mario
("some guy named Mario") must have been smoking one day when he decided to
put rock steps with an ocho-like movement that doesn't seem like they should
go together, but they do!
8 p.m. - midnight: Milonga
A LITTLE ABOUT CANYENGUE FROM ERNEST:
Canyengue is considered the precursor to the tango that we know today. Its
rise dates around the last decade of the 19th century and remained popular
until the 1920's. The word itself means "to melt [into one another or into
the dance] or "to be tired" according to Robert Farris Thompson. It can be a
very jovial dance. The style of dress of the era was mainly long dresses for
the ladies that made for short somewhat flat-footed steps.
The canyengue is the child of milonga which is a faster rhythmic dance
mainly attributed to the Afro-Argentines and Afro-Uruguayans of the 1800's.
Canyengue is also considered a dance of the blacks which caught on amongst
non-blacks as did milonga and candombe before that.
Canyengue music is very rhythmic and appears to sound like a slow milonga.
The musicians most noted for this style in this era was and still is
Francisco Canaro, Roberto Firpo, Juan de Dios filiberto y Juan D'Arienzo.
Watch out because canyengue is starting to make a slow come back in Buenos
Aires, and after the appearance of Robert Farris Thompson's new book on
tango that dedicates a whole chapter to canyengue, it's going to grow even
faster. You can get a jump on the masses that will start getting into it in
the next few years.
This is the second year of the Camicando festival in Buenos Aires. Check
out the website http://www.camicando.com.ar/home.htm
See you all in class!!!
Ernest
www.emotionldance.com
And remember, Linda and Ernest will be available for private lessons on
Sunday, February 26.
