--- On Sun, 12/21/08, Michael <[email protected]> wrote:
> Good explanation. My explanation is based on how a man sets
> up ochos. He does a double time step to get onto the SAME
> foot as the woman. In syncopated rhythm, instead of ONLY the
> man dancing double time, BOTH partners dance double time so
> there is no change between parallel (same foot) and cross
> (opposite foot) dancing.
That's just both partners dancing double-time, not syncopated. I believe your
usage reflects the different uses of the word "syncopated" in the dance and
music worlds. I've found it much more useful to use the music definition
instead of a dance definition that I think comes from ballroom. I've noticed
that teachers with ballroom backgrounds tend to use syncopated as synonymous
with double-time, perhaps because ballroom music isn't as complex as tango
music (to my ear, anyway).
Let's imagine a clock with the rhythm going in a continuous circle around the
clock - around and around it goes. If the rhythm only strikes at the 12, then
it is single-time.
If the rhythm strikes at 12, 6, and 12, then the rhythm is double-time.
Suppose the man changes weight at 12 & 6 for backward ochos (stepping out for
the ocho when the rhythm strikes 12 again), then he is doing double-time.
If, however, the man changes his weight at 12 & 3, and steps out for the ocho
at 12, then he is dancing a syncopated rhythm.
Trini de Pittsburgh
_______________________________________________
Tango-L mailing list
[email protected]
http://mailman.mit.edu/mailman/listinfo/tango-l
