How To Read The Truisms

Important Word or Phrase. This part IS the truism. The salient factoid, the root of the truth. It’s the short bit of information you need. You could just read this part, but the fun parts are below!

This paragraph is usually a description of what was meant by the above important word, and truism its. This part is reflection, food for thought, usually a very long diatribe of what the truism is about usually with examples. There will be photo sometimes that goes along with it to validate or further back up the truism. Click on the LinkInBlue,Bold,&Underlined and you’ll be taken to a pdf document, you must be online to read that document. These are cached versions of online documents that I wanted to remain static versions. Sometimes you’ll see a BOLDED word, that emphasizes the importance (it’s usually the word ‘not’). Sometimes you’ll see an UNDERLINED word which again emphasizes the importance of the word, and sometimes you’ll see a ‘single’ quoted and ‘italicized’ word, again for emphasis.

Solution: Sometimes you’ll see a solution provided here to a problem that is posed in the description of the truism.

Link Type Name ➤ http://bit.ly/###Truism-SpecificNameOfLink

notation: when you see a notation, it’s usually about a very fine point that was brought up in passing about the truism and it’s description, or something that you may find to be interesting that runs counter to the truism’s description, or a fun factoid.

SAMPLE...SAMPLE...SAMPLE

This a sampling of the first few pages of Volume 2 of Tango Truisms. Enjoy, and consider purchasing the book. It’s an interesting read, so I hear.

Today’s Tango Truism 461

Noise. Tension is a form of noise (see vol 1, #258 - rev.). Resistance is a form of noise (see vol1, #14). Pressure (see vol1, #21) is a form of noise. Noise, as you can see, comes in many different forms. The most prevalent form of noise comes from the spinal column of your body. Specifically L1 thru L5, basically the Lumbar Vertebrae part of the spine where it connects to the Sacrum. As well as your hip joints, and knees! Anywhere where there is the opportunity for motion to occur there is an opportunity for unintentional, or erratic movement to occur and this is noise. Noise in this case is not just stray movement, but rather tiny, small, adjustments that we aren’t necessarily aware of until someone points it out to us. Still another form of noise (as indicated above) is holding ourselves in place through tension, etc.

Today’s Tango Truism 462

A better dance from a structural stand point is best defined as one where your posture isn’t in the way of the couple, your walk doesn’t impede the motion of the couple, your embrace does not interfere with the motion and movement of the couple in any way, shape, or form.

Part of the issue that happens on a social dance floor is usually 1 or all 3 of these issues gets in the way of your dancing, thereby causing more problems than it’s worth. Usually someone walks away with some level of back pain, foot pain, or arm/hand strain. In order to change that pain, so that you stop injuring yourself, and others, is you must address the underplaying structural issues so that it doesn’t interfere with your dancing. This requires positive & negative reinforcement, more than a few private lessons, weeks of diligent practice, and a holistic approach of your mind focused on the goal of better. They fact is that you really do have to want to change what you’re doing to something else. This isn’t idle fantasy, or wishful thinking. Your dance can improve by leaps and bounds, it starts with the will to do better, then taking apart your foundation, then restructuring that foundation, and then redeploying that foundation.

Today’s Tango Truism 463

Deliberate misquote coming ➤ Tango is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you’re going to get!. This is never more true than in milonga!

Today’s Tango Truism 464

(variation on a theme) Romance, Passion, Lust, Sexuality, Tango Fantasy get in the way of real kinesthetic communication between Lead and Follow...in short, they distort, and in a lot of cases contort, the message!

Putting the dance into these very limited boxes of understanding prevents something far greater from being achieved through the Lead/Follow dynamic.

Today’s Tango Truism 465

(variation on a theme) Just because you start taking private lessons, and cleaning up your dance, does not mean that instantly the mythological local ‘Kurt’ or ‘Lisa’ is going to dance with you. It’s just not going to happen. There’s something else that has happened that will prevent the local social Tango gurus from dancing with you: You have Tango baggage that has followed you for years. And all the private lessons in the world are not going to make these people dance with you. In order for that to happen, the ‘Social Baggage’ must get moved, and for that -- you’re going to need an intervention! (or in certain cases, several)

Today’s Tango Truism 466

Try this. Stand up. No, seriously, stand up, right now. Place both feet squarely on the floor, feet together (insider toe to inside toe) so that you’re standing over our heels AND the pads of your feet. Can you see the screen ? Comfy ? Good. Now raise both arms over your head, head up, now raise your arms up. No I said “UP”...UP! Reach for the ceiling! Lead/Follow: Hold and Count for 90 (a slow 90 please). Do not allow your arms to relax or to drop in any way, shape, or form. Count, Ill wait. This won’t work if you cheat. Count!!! Out loud!!! Ok, you can let the drop now. Breathe. Relax. Now you can sit down. Comfy ? You know that strain you were feeling while you’re arms were up in the air ? You had to struggle to maintain the up part ? Your shoulders hurt, your biceps were working to maintain things, you were starting to lose feeling in your fingertips, your quads were working hard, your knees there was a little strain here and there, your neck - ouch!, Guess what ? This is what you feel like when you’re hanging on someone, or as a Lead you’re compressing them to death and this is what it feels like (barely) to have that level of strain to put up with. The Truism ? Using your arms is not pleasant, not productive, nor it does it serve you in any way, shape, or form, and yet you keep doing it...why ?

Today’s Tango Truism 467

(variation on a theme) There will be towel throwing, gnashing of teeth, hair pulling, and lots and lots and lots and lots of swearing before you get to a point where you suck less than you did the last time you went out social dancing. Oh and probably a lot of money too.

To get to that point where you suck less, several things all have to happen in sequence or near at the same: A boat load of private lessons, Working on your walk (constantly), Listening to Tango music constantly, Traveling to marathons & festivals (get out of your home town for the love of Gardel, please!!), and a lot of social dancing with other people...lots of other people.

Today’s Tango Truism 468

There is no THERE, you never reach a there because it doesn’t exist. Don’t even try. In short, there is no mastery of Tango.

To be certain there is comprehension and understanding, and the application of that understanding. However in the end there is only the floor, the music, and your partner, what you do with it. Or put another way, you’re never going to be perfect, better...yes, perfect ? Not going to happen.

Today’s Tango Truism 469

Your parents or grandparents probably used to say to you, “don’t shit where you eat!”. When it comes to Tango this axiom makes logical sense! Which is to say, that you don’t sleep with the people you are dancing with (unless you’re married to them).

Mind you there are exceptions to this, however as a rule we try not to engage in romantic or sexual relationships with people that were dancing with for a variety of reasons, drama being one of them, personal jealousies being another.

Today’s Tango Truism 470

In about 50 to 60 years, if you’ve been dancing that long, you might begin to have a clue as to what you’re doing but until then...not so much with the definitives of right and wrong.

Today’s Tango Truism 471

(variations collide) Taking private lessons is a good thing. Probably the single best thing that can happen to you from a Tango perspective. However, two things will come out of those private lessons (depending on the quality of the instruction)

1.) The people you dance with today, you’re not going to want to dance with anymore, because you’ve learned something else. You’ve had an experience of better that does not include pulling, pushing, squeezing, or anything of the like! (hopefully) Unless the teacher you’re studying with has a penchant to teach the fallacy of resistance, and then you’re in for a whole lot of wrong on multiple levels. In which case, your prospects are not going to change and not for the better, but you won’t know that until muuuuch later!

2.) You’re going to get a little snotty about your dance, while the snotty part isn’t a good thing...it’s egotistical, there is something about it that has happened that is actually good...you have started to care about what you’re doing, what you look like, how you feel, and more importantly how you’re doing it!

Today’s Tango Truism 472

Most women figure out, eventually, that a few private lessons can improve their chances in getting the dances they desire. And more than a few privates can dramatically change those prospects even more! However throwing money at the problem is not going to solve the problem completely, an intervention (see vol1, #465) will help, so will a trip to Buenos Aires! Now put the two together. However doing that won’t change the one thing that needs to happen, the Leads that they’re dancing with! They need private lessons too. Unfortunately, and heres the sad part, most men won’t take the lessons that they dramatically need to become better dancers.

Today’s Tango Truism 473

There’s one visual of the embrace where the Followers left arm should rest (ever so lightly, or not so lightly in some cases...ahem) on the Lead’s shoulders. This is an iconic image of the dance. Unfortunately the only thing that this form of the embrace does (especially if it’s the not so lightly variety), is cause pain, lots of it, and at the same time make the Follower work 10 times harder than they need to.

Fact: The Follower is losing kinesthetic information, lots of it! There’s virtually no information for the Follower at all in any, way, shape, or form with this form of the embrace. And yet because this is an iconic look of the dance, most people keep this form of the embrace throughout the entire dance even though it’s wholly uncomfortable, and painful, and that’s what their teacher taught them!

Better: There is another way, that isn’t painful, is actually beneficial to both Lead and Follow and actually makes the dance about 100 times easier for both, and actually addresses the iconic look (see visual on #474). Unfortunately it’s not taught in most tango schools, and only by a handful of teachers. Truth is that the embrace is always changing, you’re always looking for the optimal body position, body placement, and embrace. The embrace is never static!

this version of the embrace is not quite correct, there are issues with it, primarily that there is no kinesthetic information for the Follower in this arm position.

Today’s Tango Truism 474

(variations collide) All of the Leads turn information comes from T7, T8, and T9 vertebrae. The Follower’s palm of the hand wants to be over this position to receive a good chunk of information almost like a preview of what’s about to come.

video ➤ http://bit.ly/474-anembraceidea

notation: the technique illustrated in the link demonstrates a good default position for the follower’s left arm, left hand, and lead’s left arm and hand. note that in the case the follower, that her arm does not go above her shoulder, nor is her back crooked trying to get around the lead. also note that the follower’s left hand is over the 7th, 8th, and 9th vertebrae of the lead’s spine, which is where all of the lead’s turning information will come from. also note that the follower is not in the lead’s armpit but in front of him - a core-on-core, body-on-body, or square form of the embrace. when the follower is in the leads armpit, 3 things happen: 1.) the follower becomes an accessory to the lead. 2.) the follower is working 10 times harder than they need to especially in turns, 3.) all of the followers vocabulary that they’ve been asked to do, becomes linear, or oblong, and turned at an angle to the lead instead of being in front of them!

this version of the embrace is not quite correct, there are issues with it, primarily that there is no kinesthetic information for the Follower in this arm position.

Today’s Tango Truism 840

"I am a milonguero, I always was, in the best sense of the word. I was a good dancer and I worked accompanying the best ones, like El Mocho and La Portuguesa, and Casimiro Aín as well. But El Mocho was the best, he was elegant that had no need of a baroque choreography, he was the most authentic and polished representation of a milonguero. So I shaped my orchestras with two conceptions that I never gave up: respect for the melodic line and rhythmic emphasis to make the dancing easier. When the singer breaks into the scene and displaces the musician from the spotlight, the orchestra was structured in such a way that music and singing did not interrupt the possibility of dancing." - Angel D'Agostino.

video ➤ http://bit.ly/dagastinovargas-carcias