This Saturday 20th January 2024 class is on learning about and exploring rhythmical decorations. We teach examples of decorations and learn rhythms however also encourage you to explore and try your own rhythms and timings.

Decorations are a great way to spice up your dancing and add a cherry on top of your tango cake! However, to gain confidence and fluidity, practice and classes are recommended. Also to make sure you are not interrupting the flow of the dance as a follower and to be sensitive and allow your partner to decorate as a leader. However, this is debatable and up for personal opinion! We invite you to join the discussion!

Class on rhythmical decorations

When rhythm and timing go hand in hand with decorations, they are memorable and well executed. However, it is beneficial to practice the movements of the decorations first and after the next step is to layer on the timing and or rhythm. Decorations are suitable for followers as well as leaders. There are very many places, times or ‘figures’ you might be able to decorate. We aim to spend time on the following questions; what actions do we do as decorations? When to decorate? How do decorate and when to start and finish the decorations? For leaders how to be sensitive and what situations to allow for decorations to happen or when to disrupt or prevent them from happening?

However for today we will look again at some more straightforward situations, progressing from simple to more complicated.

Decorations for followers and leaders:

• Easy: at the start of your dance, followers as well as leaders can decorate before they even get ‘properly’ going or walking. We are thinking taps, lapis (circles) and change of level.
• A bit harder: Decorating during ochos is more challenging. The follower keeps moving and has to decorate almost unnoticed without hindering the lead.
• More challenging: is decorating during walks. This is widely practiced as solo exercises, but is trickier to apply in hold as you have limited time to do it whilst keeping the flow of the walk with your partner. Decorating in walking is done by followers as well as leaders and is more time sensitive. Here the practice of certain rhythms is beneficial.

Answering the first question about what typical decorations are:

The main categories of decoration we will look at today include taps (rhythmical), circles (lapis and planeos/ reverse planeo), crosses and flicks, kicks, leg wraps, hooks (ganchos) and flexing/ pointing of the foot and certain leg positions (e.g. bringing knee up and foot across knee of other leg). More advanced options are rulos, turning out the leg and developpes.

Decorations in specific figures

• How to decorate using planeos in obvious situation with a Parada and more advanced in ochos.
• In ocho cortado are moments where you can decorate using heel decorations, circles, taps, crosses, triplets, leg lifts, etc.
• One set of opportunities that arise are ‘Giros with decorations’: There are many apparently complicated or sophisticated possibilities here. We will look at some of the more straightforward possibilities as time allows. Now we are getting a bit trickier, and we are finding more opportunities for the leaders to decorate.

Private tuition available 

There are slots of an hour before or after this Saturday event for private tuition suitable for couples. If you are interested in booking a private class please ring Tony Lane on 02075383852.