Random comments about recent thread on musicality:
Like many, I have taken several "musicality" classes. I have not found them as
totally worthless as some have posted. I agree an individual's amount of
musicality in dancing is limited by the musicality they hear, which is like an
innate skill, which is difficult/impossible to teach. But that being said,
here's what worked for me and for other students I've talked to:
At the most basic level, learning/hearing that musical phrases in tango are
usually 8 or 16 beats, and putting a pause at the end of a phrase, or placing
the last step of a pattern (eg a 3-step molinete) on the very last note/beat of
the phrase, or starting a new phrase (esp if it comes on powerfully) at the
very beginning of a phrase, were all worthwhile techniques that can be taught.
For valz, because of the rhythm structure, check/rock steps (Q-Q-S), like
setting up an ocho cortado, then the follower's side-check & cross to finish it
(also Q-Q-S) fit very well if synchronized to the music, as does a 3-step
molinete. These are all musicality things that can be taught.
For dancing to something more variable, but very expressive, like Pugliese, it
does indeed help immensely to know the music well. Then you can be moving when
the music is moving, and quiet or pausing when the music is likewise.
Other things that can be taught:
Listening to milongas and learning to recognize/hear when it's appropriate to
do traspie.
Listening to lyrical tangos and learning to recognize the sections that are all
lyrical/melodic, ie have no bandoneon or pulsing strings to mark a beat, vs.
those sections that do have a discernible beat, and what steps work for each
type (eg slow turns for lyrical/melodic).
But I completely agree that the clapping to the beat thing doesn't seem to do
much at all.
J
TangoMoments.com
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