Levels: The 22 Techniques of Tango

A proposed framework to support growth and learning by Mitra Martin

"Chaos can't sustain itself. It's too easy, and it's too unsatisfying." ­ Jon Stewart

1. Introduction 2. Tango’s Techniques 3. How Is My Technique? 4. How to Improve: Technique and Movement 5. Tango Process 6. A Note to Teachers 7. Next Steps 8. Assessment Tool

1. Introduction

This text exists to provide help to dancers who want to know what they need to do in order to improve their skills in Tango, and teachers who want ideas o n how to help their students.

In the process of endeavoring to establish a Tango school we have noticed many students of Tango being confused about what to focus on, and as a result losing motivation.

In the absence of clear, objective, trustworthy frameworks for growth provided by experienced dancers, learners will often invent their own, which can be misleading or incoherent, and lead to wasted energy.

When we (somewhat hesitantly) instituted our first objective test of skills, the “200 level exam,” it was interesting to notice how productive, engaged, and curious learners became in the process of preparing for the exam. They would attend classes and take lessons more often, ask more thoughtful questions, ask people to practice with them, engage more deeply with teacher’s feedback.

Defining, maintaining and defending class levels has been a conundrum for teachers. Most students are not able to accurately self­assess, so they go to the wrong classes. Classes cannot be taught at an “Advanced” level if they are filled up with dancers who are beginners.

Over the long term, the result of this is that level labels have become meaningless, and used merely as jokes or marketing. Another side effect is that truly “Advanced” dancers may come to classes less, or may only attend classes with a partner and will not participate in the group learning experience.

We have found that instituting our “200 level exam,” and the frameworks it was built upon (the 12 Techniques rubric, and the 8 Contexts) gave us an objective, rational way to set the bar for who is allowed in a class. By applying it consistently, we are able to ensure that class levels are meaningful, and that students who attend a 200 level class will be with other students who they can work with productively.

However, this is not always popular. Sometimes, beginning dancers disagree with our definition of levels, do not wish to engage with it, and feel frustrated that they may not attend a 200 level class despite having put so many hours (or years) into Tango. Instead of participating in the leveling process at our school, they take intermediate or advanced classes elsewhere. This has certainly represented a loss of business for the school.

It is hard especially for dancers who stay in a local community to have accurate perspective on their Tango. They may lead very satisfying lives in Tango and be popular. They may dance socially with many teachers and professionals. But these things mean little if, for instance, they are living in a world where everyone around them has a low level of skill; or where there is an ongoing extreme role or gender imbalance; or there are so many teachers who need work, and who find that dancing with students leads to more work.

When teachers n eed students in order to make enough money to pay rent and buy groceries, teachers may be motivated to give students what they ask for instead of what they need. Adult learners have a strong need for autonomy, and will self­direct their learning in the absence of frameworks they can trust, in desperate attempts to improve and gain access to circles they want to be part of. An adult intermediate dancer who cannot spiral; whose embrace is uncomfortable; whose attention is scattered; who is not available for invitations that sync to the most obvious musical structures ­ may insist in a private lesson on “learning as many embellishments as possible” ­ since she sees proof that advanced dancers do embellishments. It seems like the most direct path. She has little patience to hear that embellishments come from core tone connection in the embrace, nor to learn all the subtle body skills that make embellishments work. Ultimately she will spend $100 on something that is nearly useless to her Tango, and engaging in this kind of learning over the long term will be expensive, may become demotivating, and will not be likely to increase skill at all. My hope is that, armed with a descriptive framework, this student and others like her will find more productive ways to direct their learning resources.

It is clear that many dancers and teachers confuse level of mastery in Tango with amount of instruction. However, it is easy to understand that someone may have participated in, say, 5 hours of instruction and still not have integrated the material in a way that is comfortable for a partner. Everyone learns at a different pace which is based on all kinds of different factors.

It is not “unfair” to exclude people from classes1, and it happens all the time. Often those instructional formats that a re exclusive are not marketed publicly or are created outside of the economy of tango (closed or invitation­only house practicas among friends). This creates efficient learning for high level

1 It is actually normal to exclude people from classes they are not yet prepared for and almost every educational organization does this. dancers. It would just be much better if lower level dancers had a more easy way to comprehend what they are missing.

At first we were afraid that testing people on their Tango would somehow destroy the beauty and mystery of the dance. In fact what we have found is that it provides a milestone that helps learners organize their efforts, and motivates those who engage with the testing process to explore the mysteries of Tango more deeply. The mystery of Tango is inexhaustible and cannot be destroyed.

However, it’s easy to understand why there has been no clear level framework in Tango: because developing one takes a lot of time which is not compensated in any way. Moreover, testing students is costly, requiring administrative work, contact time with the teacher, and rent.

We hope that by providing this framework it will become more economical for meaningful leveling to happen in Tango, so that there may be meaningful growth.

2. Tango’s Techniques

One of the first problems in creating a useable framework for growth is to distinguish between movements and techniques.

Many advanced Tango dancers exhibit impressive movements, like boleos, ganchos or colgadas. So, many new dancers think that focusing on acquiring those movements is equal to becoming advanced.

But dancing impressive movements has only vague correlation, in Tango, with being advanced. Beginning dancers often do impressive­looking movements, creating great discomfort for their partners. They often do even very basic movements in ways that create discomfort for their partners. And extremely advanced dancers often use only basic movements in ways that create transcendence for themselves and their partner. The difference is technique.

It can be hard to talk about technique because it’s subtle. And, we are accustomed to lumping everything that’s subtle (i.e., anything that’s not an externally visible movement) under the catch­all word “technique.”

Also, “technique” is generally used to reference things that can be done or worked on individually in the dancer’s own body. Hence “technique classes,” where dancers do solo exercises in front of a mirror to practice awareness and coordination of their own body.

I think that technique in Tango is multifaceted, and includes more things than just how you coordinate your own body. I believe that one major chunk of “technique” in Tango is actually interpersonal and not individual. It is an aspect of technique that can be hard to talk about, not only because it is subtle but also because it can feel accusatory, e.g., “You’re rushing me, you’re controlling me, you’re not listening to me.” But it is an important aspect of technique that has an enormous effect on the amount of enjoyment both dancers might find.

I think there are twenty­two techniques, that fall into four main categories. Here they are:

The 22 Techniques of Tango

1. Alignment These techniques relate to s omatics, the individual’s use of their own body. 2. Extension A journey of increasing awareness of the different 3. The Pivot Before the Step parts of the body and how they relate to one another. 4. Spiral

5. Flow

6. The Whole Foot

7. Leader’s Invitation These important techniques relate to i nteraction, to how the dancers attend to and respond to one 8. Follower’s Power another’s movement contributions. Like somatic techniques, they can be described and cultivated. 9. Following vs Guessing This is a process of learning to improvise, to 10. Follow the Follower notice more and more about the other person’s 11. Choose Confidence mind and movement.

12. Floorcraft

13. Purity of Focus

14. Proximity These techniques relate to the couple’s u nity: how the dancers physically communicate 15. Tone information through embracing.

16. Frontality This is a journey of increasing subtlety and sensitivity in how the couple physically relates to 17. Matching each other through two bodies embracing. 18. Quality of Touch

19. Stillness

20. Rhythms These techniques are related to m usicality: how the dancers engage with the music. 21. Phrasing This is about becoming aware of more and more 22. Blending in the music, even before or as it happens, and choosing movements in reference to that.

A rubric is a tool that attempts to objectively describe different levels of accomplishment. I see value in having these levels parallel Noel Burch’s framework of the four stages of competence2. 1. Unconscious incompetence 2. Conscious incompetence 3. Conscious competence 4. Unconscious competence

I appreciate the clarity and usability of the level headings that describe these four stages of competence offered by the Self­Assessment rubric published by the CNVC3. From this I have developed these level headings: 1. Unconscious incompetence is U nskilled 2. Conscious incompetence is A wakening 3. Conscious competence is P roficient 4. Unconscious competence is I ntegrated

Here is an attempt to describe what is experienced and exhibited at each distinct stage of competence, for each of the Tango techniques I’ve proposed above.

2 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Four_stages_of_competence 3 http://external.pathwaystoliberation.net/Pathways­to­Liberation­Self­Assessment­Matrix­large­for­web.htm

The 22 Techniques of Tango

Unskilled Awakening Proficient Integrated

This is a journey of increasing awareness of the different parts of the body and how they SOMATICS relate to one another. Sustains body's Able to maintain a alignment with consistent minimum effort, even Dancer cannot relationship between when partner's work stand base, center of creates conditions that balanced on gravity, and ribcage challenge or disturb one foot. Able to stand straight with through a continuous easeful balance. Arching or spine organized above gentle lift in the core, Takes balance through collapsing base, often with some through all parts of choosing where will be through spine extraneous tension. Able to pivot and weight the most supportive or leaning share weight in close transfer (including the place to be. Able to backward or embrace. Core back step in the balance on different forward; hips engagement is present but molinete or back parts of the foot, and sway beyond inconsistent. Can stand on sacada), and through use both feet as standing leg; one foot, but exaggerated transitions into and needed. Can play with defaults to a distinction between out of off­axis asymmetries in body wide stance; standing leg and free leg elements. Negotiates without disturbing slackness may create off­balance tilt subtle changes in either person’s Alignment through core. in hips. weight sharing. balance. The free leg and the torso move at the same time when taking a step, instead Dance energy from a of the leg In either role, consistently toned embrace extending first. dances with extension extends through both The leg’s (uses a grounded standing partners’ free legs movements leg to extend the free leg Subtle changes of which are able to are not related before transferring the tone in the embrace explore the space to the partner’s body's weight onto it) and invite the follower's around the couple invitations and can vary step sizes in free leg to extend to freely without responses. forward, open and back different radii, at interfering with Back steps are steps in relation the different angles and alignment, with too small with partner’s invitations and speeds, with and harmonious gestures feet breaking responses. In back steps, without accelerations that have an economy contact with can keep feet lightly or decelerations in all of movement and fit Extension the ground. touching the floot. steps and embraces. with the music.

Able to manage all pivots, including up to Incomplete 360­degree pivots, pivots, while staying focused unnecessary and aligned. Able to overpivots, A balanced pivot with legs dance pivots with An economical pivot is stepping together that prepares subtle integrated, when before pivot is lower body for step. Able to micro­accelerations necessary, within the completed, consistently manage and ­decelerations whole movement from pivoting 180­degree pivots without while accomplishing one step to the next. without interfering with couple’s the pivot in tune with Dancers can adapt to balance (on an unity. “Collects” feet harmonious outcome unexpected amounts unstable part together too early and for partner and of pivot. Free leg The Pivot of the foot), stays attached to collected music. Creative uses dances in a way that Before the pivoting with shape in a way that can of free leg during relates to the nuance Step legs apart. interfere with what’s next. pivot. of the pivot. Lower body’s dancing follows, and sometimes leads, upper body via spiral. Dancer can direct his or her spine's articulation at several Dancer has the ability to different points, and Both dancers' Very little organize the aligned spine can offer different attention is focused on articulation of so that the ribcage and amounts of spiral, in the limits and the spine. pelvis face different response to tone in possibilities of the Stiffness in the directions, and to use this the embrace. followers' spiral as a middle of the dynamic to generate pivots. Follower is able to meditative point of body interferes Occasional experience of tune spiral to different focus from which the with spine's release of the free leg degrees depending dance's possibilities free resulting from spiralling on leaders' use of emerge and are Spiral movement. action. tone. released. Focus is on Leader keeps accomplishing continuous focus on one thing at a supporting follower's time (e.g., a continuous flow Leader and follower step or figure) Leader endeavors to including her are unattached to and the dance connect follower's present particular quirks, and habitual mental or appears to halt movement to the coming together the couple physical responses, in between invitation and sometimes is sustains dancing and maintain a levity elements and able to. In pauses or energy across that allows the during pauses, unexpected interpretations, transitions (musical unexpected to be or jerk from the connection between transitions and seamlessly one to the elements is sometimes changes in incorporated into the Flow next. interrupted. proximity). Follower dancing moment.

can flow and is able to bring leader’s attention to it. Feet are alternately frozen or Able to use the full slack/imprecis articulation of the e in shape. Articulation through the weighted leg’s foot, Surprising and Very little metatarsal allows for a including the toes, to harmonious articulation of more controlled and support a powerful, articulations, the foot balanced weight transfer. aligned step. Keeps inflections, and through the Weight kept mostly in weight distributed gestures of all the step and center of grounded foot appropriately across parts of the free leg weight with high heel on the whole foot and toes and foot emerge transfer. ground in pivots. Toes are of base leg. Able to apparently without Weight often sometimes pointed when stretch through the precedent or planning, lands on sides off the ground, and feet are ball of the foot with supported by or heel of foot. more energized with toes relaxed when awareness through The Whole Toes are shapings carried out by foot is off or partially the whole foot of the Foot gripping. rote. off the ground. standing leg. INTERACTI This is a process of learning to improvise, to notice more and more about the other ON person’s mind and movement. There is an attempt to move together without an delivering invitation first. Sometimes, leader uses extremities (hands, arms, legs), often working without connection to the torso, to attempt the invitation. Frequent disconnect between what Growing availability to Growing availability leader invites connect accurately through for micro­invitations Full availability for and what the full variety of leader's that occur between incorporating impulses follower reads. where/when/go invitations, weight transfers and that come from any Availability for including those motivated within pivots, and in locus of inspiration at Leader's connecting via after or before obvious anticipation of subtle any time. Who or what Invitation invitation not musical features. rhythmic changes. is the leader?

always simultaneous. Follower contributes Follower and leader Lack of energy micro­content that fits maintain focus on the arising from Some friction arising from within available time follower's full, precise timid, passive, leader's aim to control and space that is and authentic habitual follower's movement sometimes related to self­expression within movement combined with follower's musical features that the constraints of each from follower. efforts to find freedom of both partners are moment. Familiar with Leader cannot movement. Power seen aware of. Leader her ways, leader accurately and through the lens of reads and creates sculpts followers' free quickly read extensive embellishment, opportunities for movement. Whatever Follower's where follower often without reference to followers' particular her body does, it does Power is. music or moment. power. beautifully. Follower dances Both partners fully Low level of between weight follow the music within connection transfers and within constraints of the and flow as pivots without ; sensation that follower guessing the music dances the mentally completions, staying couple, with neither guesses what Follower dances to each open to partner guessing and to do instead new location without micro­invitations for both partners' focus of finding guessing. Guessing the free leg's on the expanded stillness to happens when leader's extension. Both are present moment as a Following kinaestheticall invitation is incomplete or available to be beginning on an ever vs y feel sources follower lacks familiarity surprised by how more fine­grained Guessing of invitations. with element. music lands. scale. The couple follows the follower into musically connected moods and emotions offered via quality of Leader often movement (in the does not lower body) and the notice the tone/quality of Interplay of follower's embrace (in the movement, emotion location or upper body). Both and interpretation of movements. partners incorporate one another’s Occasionally Able to notice and adapt to miscommunications responses creates can with effort precise location and tilt of with maximum dance in which time adapt to follower arrivals. Can adapt efficiency; follower slows and each situations to novel or surprising notices when leader micro­moment holds where situations when they occur, has misread where many possible invitation did often without making her weight is, and outcomes all of equal Follow the not land as follower aware of adjusts, usually value. Who is the Follower expected. accommodation. without making him follower?

aware of accommodation. Consistent self­acceptance in Dancers diverse situations. distracted by Lack of self­concern Uses variables, self­concern. expressed in surprises or While moving, fine­grained physical challenges such as follower seeks Dancers increasingly able and mental curiosity partners' level/mood; external to exhibit a confidence from one social obstacles or validation that through surer choices and micro­moment to the "stakes;" musical Choose her movement habits that usually hold next in most dance situation to enable Confidence is correct. unnecessary tensions. and social situations. inspiration to flow. The constraints Little or no emerging from speed awareness of of the ronda and the other people in movement or stillness the room Both dancers are aware of of other couples within unless couple the way other dancing it becomes an exciting physically couples organize Couple actively source of inspiration. touches them. themselves and are able to participates in the Follower feels safe Follower feels keep their place in the line ronda, contributing to and protected unsafe and of dance, usually without its pace and flow. regardless of density anxious, disturbing others, Occasional contact of crowd, and can anticipating sometimes with effort. with other dancers is focus on free and possible Collisions create emotional briefly acknowledged wide­randing musical Floorcraft collisions. stress. and moved past. expression. Focus on the present moment is incomplete resulting from mental occupation with comparing (looks at Focus on present moment Stretches of pure Pure focus on being mirror, at other is becoming more solidly focus often anchored present in the moment dancers, at anchored through each by both dancers extends beyond the seated dancer’s attentiveness to close attentiveness to moment of dancing onlookers). techniques. Sometimes, music. Focus into social situations of Flashes of too many points of focus becoming all kinds, bringing out pure focus, results in overwhelm and contagious: there is the potential of each often while distraction. Comparing is an ability to inspire a interaction to become Purity of dancing with subtler, but still more undivided focus an attentive Focus more problematic. from partner. improvisational dance.

experienced dancer. This is a journey of increasing subtlety and sensitivity in how the couple physically relates UNITY to each other through two bodies embracing. Maintains consistent close Negotiates fine Dancers are distance between bodies gradations of not aware (around one tennis ball's proximity, including when the diameter) before, during, angle, to allow just distance and after extension, pivot, enough room for between the weight transfer. Able also to whatever movements bodies dance with continuous flat emerge from changes, or, frontal contact, and to improvisation, distance negotiate invitations to including those with between change to and from frontal high degrees of spiral bodies is contact to an embrace with Moves seamlessly such as back sacadas rigidly fixed. some space between the between at least or fourth sacadas, Dancers bodies, sometimes with three different while keeping an bodies are hesitation. Frequent degrees of proximity. intimate and focused often more disconnect between the Use angles, emotional tone. The than one arms’ location of the standing leg, increasing or couples' changing length distance compared with the distance reducing proximity on proximity is expressive from each afforded by the embrace, either side of the of the feeling in the Proximity other. creates misalignments. embrace. music. The use of the arms and hands is not connected to Dancers use just the use of the There is an information enough engagement Bodies operate core muscles. circuit between the leader's of the core and its functionally as a single Core muscles core muscles and the extensions to send continuous nervous are often not follower's lower body and receive system. Musical engaged, and mediated through the information thoughts are not utilized as engaged embrace. immediately. Dancers instantaneously a means of Invitations may be dull or quickly match realized in the form of communication noisy, expressions may be changes in degree of the lightly dancing Tone . dampened or exaggerated. engagement. couple. Dancers' bodies are often offset Each dancer stays from one focused on how the The whole range of another, and Dancer's hips are in directly changing relationship relationships between dancers may front of partner's hips, between the hips the hips are freely not notice this. returning to this orientation from frontal to lateral explored including the Front and after any pivots and spirals can generate a range spectrum of transitions open steps are that change the relationship of balanced, into and out of tango Frontality too large and between the hips. contrasting dynamics. "al reves."

often unrelated to partner’s invitation or step size. There is single­minded focus on moving as one, readily able to discard any idea or movement quality that interferes with the emergent fabric of the partnership. Free leg expressiveness is There is interest in complementary and noticing my partner's one's movements peculiarities of complete the other's movement and movements. Where discovering how he there is a disparity of Each dancer's or she enjoys levels it is invisible focus is on his There is effort to get my dancing, and some because there is total or her own partner to move the way I effort made to inhabit calibration as the more Matching movement. like to move. that way of moving. skillful partner adapts. There is little awareness of how and where the bodies' surfaces are in Dancers may explore physical different intensities of contact with touch always with one another or consideration of with the floor. partner's comfort. Contact points When a surface of tend to offer contact becomes alternately Dancers can include in stuck, dancers incomplete, their attention those change it. Modulates superficial surfaces where bodies are amount of pressure Each sensitive and pressure, or in contact, offering enough offered through the responsive touch or more pressure light pressure to activate ribcage when in close increment of touch than skin’s pressure receptors, embrace. Able to carries the quality of comfortable. calming the body. Hands soften into contact newness, discovery, Hands, fingers, sometimes mould to the and work with touch and care. Touch and toes are shape of the surface they from unexpected supports the dance alternately hold. Soft lower body joints places, including and may be called for Quality of frozen/gripping allow the dancer to feel and lower body contact at unexpected points Touch , or slack. use the floor. points. of contact.

Both partners experience the ground of the dance as a deep stillness from which micro and Bounciness as macro possibilities hips move arise and transform. noticeably up Couple's each step and down Step has power while has a quality of through the creating experience stillness in the joined step. Forward of flotation for upper bodies that is and side steps partner. Still, stable regardless of may have breathable embrace what the lower bodies exaggerated takes precedence are doing, including lunge. “Noisy” Uses soft lower body joints over movement between steps; when embrace: to keep hips the same ideas, from the very dancing at high moves parts of distance from the floor first moments of the speeds; or with great embrace in throughout the extension dance. Active pauses contrast such as in a ways that don’t and weight transfer. A stiller with small dance traditional variacion. relate to embrace is sometimes internal to embrace Extremely subtle communication stuck in fixed shapes and may span whole relaxed rise­and­fall in Stillness and comfort. sometimes too mobile. phrases. walk, "cadencia." MUSICALIT This is about becoming aware of more and more in the music, even before or as it Y happens, and choosing movements in reference to that. Able to inflect the downbeat arriving late or early while still meeting the downbeat. Able to express regular rhythms with movement elements Steps land on the other than weight downbeat. Able to land changes (e.g., weight changes on regular boléos.) Able to land accelerations and weight changes on decelerations (double time irregular Footfalls land and half time), although syncopations in all at times when often without exact genres: Tango's Able to highlight any the downbeat reference to these rhythms sincopa and rhythm through any is not in the music. Able to land quattrune; Vals' 12, 1 body part or sounding, weight changes on a as well as 1, 31; movement element, without the regular traspie (double 's irregular manifesting this only dancer's time) when dancing traspie. Able to land when called forth from awareness or Milonga, and 123,1 in Vals on some musically poetic or connecting Rhythms control. with occasional 1, 31. highlighted offbeats. necessity.

Draws partner's attention to major breaks and section transitions which are shared together in a Deep structure of the mutually satisfying dance has resonance way. Phrases of with deep structure of movement relate with the music, though may phrases of music, not share its formal with movement ideas features literally. When initiating at phrase there is a narrative Occasionally, movement beginnings; sharing structure to the music, choices mirror the song's some aspects of the the dancing embodies internal micro­endings and accent patterning of this with some micro­beginnings, and the phrase; and manifestation of dancer notices when this suspending, opening, tension, happens. Dancer may flourishing or climax, denouement. notice breaks and pauses transforming at When there is a folk or Sometimes after they sound, phrase endings. ballad­like structure, able to stop distinguish them by ear, Movement may the dancing may moving when and echo them with a step change when vocals incorporate elements Phrasing the song ends. or weight change. enter. of repetition or refrain. Dances Vals with amplitude and horizontality; Milonga Couple experiences its with compactness and Finds different ways whole improvisation as Dances the verticality. Dances more of dancing (variations emerging from the same way on rhythmic music with more of tone and quality) fabric of the music as every double times; more lyrical that are appropriate if the unit is a orchestra and music with more half times, to the different functioning instrument in every although these are often musical families sounding within the subgenre of not in sync with music’s (orchestras, eras, ensemble and Blending . actual rhythmic patterning. groups, subgenres). governed by its logic.

3. How Is My Technique?

How does a dancer find out where they are in the world of Tango, so they can structure their learning efficiently?

Self­Assess Looking at this automatically invites a dancer to self assess in a more granular way than one normally does, and with a fuller sense of what’s possible. Instead of just sighing, “I have such bad technique,” I can see that my personal strengths are Interaction and Musicality, and that I need more work on Somatics and Unity. With this insight, I can then create or choose a program or teacher that can help me develop awareness in the areas where I’m lacking, probably starting with getting my Alignment to a Proficient level so I can tackle off­axis work consistently.

Peer Assess

But, there are definitely limits to self­assessment and if you are serious you will ask dancers you like, respect, dance with a lot, or even those you disagree with to give you a serious assessment.

For starters, you can go through the rubric with someone you dance with often, that you like and trust and can communicate well with. Each of you could do a self­assessment and also an assessment for the other person, then talk about it. I just did this today and it led to an interesting conversation that I probably wouldn’t have broached without the help of this.

Consistency It occurs to me that intermediate dancers could unwittingly use this framework in such a way that would result in their assessing their skills as being higher than they actually are.

For instance, having a moment of connected transcendence with a partner one night might invite the conclusion that you have fully integrated all the Interaction and Unity techniques. This would be a superficial application of the rubric.

Certainly, two people dancing Tango together are working so intimately together, each can affect the other one enormously. So it may be easier to exhibit certain techniques with certain partners, and less easy to exhibit them with other partners.

Also, many Tango dancers are extremely sensitive to their environment, and may find that they are able to manifest those techniques at certain kinds of events, or in certain “crowds” ­ and not at other kinds of events.

Finally, naturally, expression of these techniques will likely be different when the dancer is leading vs following.

So, it’s likely that as these techniques are starting to stabilize in the dancer, they will manifest inconsistently. Overall, though, fully acquiring and integrating a technique means that it can be exhibited consistently across situations.

What matters most in this endeavor is not whether you have had the experience that “Integrated” describes one or two or a few (even very memorable) times. What actually matters is which level of experience are you able to c reate, consistently, in the full range of situations you find yourself drawn to participate in. Is your “level” extremely fragile and context­dependent? Consistency is what really matters when speaking about level.

I hope that some dancers may find that closely and deeply engaging with this material may help them find a better way forward. And I wouldn’t have published this if I didn’t think that might happen, based on our experiences at Oxygen making a technical rubric available to learners.

Honesty, sincerity, humility, and curiosity will be central to this endeavor, as these qualities have always been in the pursuit of Tango.

4. How to Improve: Technique and Movement

Naturally, dancers may choose what’s important to them. There are dancers who may do little beyond the first movement family, and deeply integrate these, bringing deep joy to many tandas.

I think people g row technically when they are focused for a sustained period of time on moving from o ne level to the next w ithin o ne technical cluster i n a whole c onnected family of movements.

E.g., from Awakening to Proficient in UNITY using, for instance, t urns with leader’s sacadas E.g., from Unskilled to Awakening in MUSICALITY using c ompact turns in close embrace E.g., from Proficient to Integrated in INTERACTION using w alking with the cruzada and ochos

Any of these would be a meaningful place to spend several months.

I don’t think you will improve very fast if you are trying to “simultaneously” work on all the techniques while also learning all the movements, which is what I tried to do for years. If your learning inputs are essentially random (e.g, you are taking group classes and workshops and private lessons with many different teachers who you trust different amounts; or you are studying inconsistently with a teacher; or even consistently with a teacher who does not have a very well­elaborated curriculum.)

5. Tango Process

The above rubric isolates specific skills in an attempt to provide neutral, objective descriptions of what it means to manifest these skills at different levels of mastery. The suggestion is that it would be possible for a practitioner to select any one specific skill, focus on deepening it, and find that through that its development the practitioner becomes an overall “better dancer” ­ e.g., is able to have and create a richer experience of the dance more consistently.

But, when we actually dance Tango, our experience is holistic: the sum total of all of the skills we have been able to acquire are connected together as one unified gestalt. And it is this totality that our partners experience: the totality of ALL of my skill strands in the particular role I am dancing: ● my body awareness and precision ● my partnering attentiveness and responsiveness ● my embrace toning ● my musical attunement ● the vocabulary I have been exposed to or mastered ● my awareness of the possibilities and resolutions of each moment ● my ability to access all of these in the situation I am in ● my ability to pay attention to the subtle

All of this: this fuses together into a signature which is “my dancing at this moment.” Certainly, I might be able to dance “above my level” on a fantastic night with my favorite partners, when the music is perfect and the atmosphere feels very supportive, or “below my level” if some of those things are not there. But my o verall dancing, as a whole, changes slowly.

What causes it to change? Are there certain processes, or ways of engaging with the practice, that are characteristic for different stages of growth?

Becoming a more skillful improviser is a very particular thing that doesn’t follow the same growth process as becoming a more skillful, say, classical dancer or classical musician. Instead of staying narrowly focused within the discipline, growth as improviser requires a continually broadening focus. In his

groundbreaking work, I mprovisation, Creativity, and Consciousness, jazz theorist and educator Edward Sarath proposes a framework for the growth of the improviser.

It is a map that identifies “four developmental stages, or levels, in creativity and consciousness growth within a given field.” (Figure 2.2, Chapter 2, “Improvisation­driven Growth of Creativity and Consciousness,” p. 52), adapted here for Tango:

Tango Process: Four Levels of Exploration “Who is right? What is important? Am I doing well? Do people like me?” This practitioner is focused within the world of . ↓ “How else can it be done? How do I factor that in? What are the trends and options and possibilities? What am I interested in? What is my path?” This practitioner is exploring improvisation more broadly ­ dance, music, and beyond. ↓ “How does this activity, Tango, fit into the world outside of it? What do I want to say, Now, Here, Today? How can I organize my life to serve my emerging voice?” This practitioner is exploring life practices and how these support or undermine connection. ↓ “What wants to come through me? How much more available can I be for that?” This practitioner is exploring their connection to contemplative approaches to connection.

Argentine Tango

I have noticed that many new practitioners are very anxious to get the “right” Tango. It is understandable to seek quality especially in this world where clear standards are missing. But sifting every piece of information through personal, often incomplete and faulty filters that beginners make up about whether it is (or sounds) “right,” “authentic” and delivers “real Tango” has a paralyzing effect on the new dancer.

Moreover, it invites promoters to define their “real” Tango ever more narrowly (“Salon Style,” “Milonguero Style,” “Villa Urquiza Style,” “Club Style,” “Close” or “Open” Embrace, “Estilo Campeonato,” etc.) in order to get an edge, and to subtly or implicitly undermine those who dance a different “style.”

Overemphasis on “style” obscures the real context of Tango as a social dance, and shrouds the reality that the more narrowly one approaches one’s dance, the narrower one’s circle of potential partners.

I think it is healthy for new dancers to explore a variety of influences and ways of dancing, with a whole bunch of different people, and include everything until they develop their own internal compass on what Tango’s truth is for them, which I think usually emerges after about 10 years of passionate, soul­searching work. Dancers in their first few years can explore the whole range of Tango contexts, from local milongas to regional and national marathons and festivals, from championships to stage performances, in all different parts of the world. They can familiarize themselves with all the important contemporary and historical dancers, musicians, and thinkers, in Tango and develop a breadth and fearlessness that will provide the fertile ground for their own “take” on Tango to emerge.

Improvisation practices

I hope it will be an exciting and freeing surprise for many dancers: to understand that deeper levels of experiencing Tango is often correlated with interest and growth in explorations beyond the discipline itself, whether these be drumming, boxing, horseback riding, singing, surfing, yoga, contact improvisation, salsa, NVC, meditation, theatre arts, or other improvisatory worlds to which the individual may be drawn.

There has been, in my opinion, a strongly conservative bias in the Tango community over the past several years. There has been a sense that being creative is correlated with bad or at least questionable quality and probably bad “technique” (in the limited sense of the term). I believe this is really limiting.

Life practices

I have also witnessed a self­destructive tendency in the Tango community which does not serve the maturation of the individual improviser. Many Tango dancers, amateur and professional, get inadequate sleep and have chaotic relationships and life practices. In fact, in many social circles this can be a way to acquire status through demonstrating passion and devotion. However, Sarath notes that at Level 3, activity “..involves the routines of life ­ adequate rest, exercise, proper diet, positive relationships, among others ­ that most individuals regard as essential to success in their work and well­being. Csikszentmihalyi helps dispel the notion of the creative individual as ‘tortured genius’ as a myth (stemming) from Romantic ideology,’ noting that creative innovators in many fields attribute stable life circumstances as important to their work.” (p 60). Lack of stable life circumstances limits a practitioner’s growth.

My opinion is that our whole community is largely focused on the wrong things, because there has not been any authoritative, trustworthy guideposts that suggest more effective ways of trying to organize one’s attention, nor have there been any economic incentive for providing such guideposts. On the contrary, there has been an incentive to tempt students to do more Tango than they can physically or intellectually accommodate. And there have been no credible structures to suggest any alternatives that might work better.

A huge factor in stable life practice is communication. I believe a treatment of Tango that doesn’t address communication between partners is incomplete.

Tango requires two human beings to operate as a single cooperative unit. Sometimes, two human beings become involved in developing together consciously and intentionally, over a long time frame, and with a public component ­ e.g., to create a partnership. There may be different motivations: creating work, winning a contest, sheer curiosity.

I would say that most, if not all, of the people I know who have been involved in this type of endeavor, have at some point experienced problems communicating with each other.

Having problems communicating with a partner is, in itself, stressful to experience. Additional stress comes from the implicit belief that these problems need to be hidden from others, creating a tension between who we are publicly vs privately. Hiding problems tends to make it difficult to solve them because it is harder to discover the helpful resources that others may be able to connect you to. I believe that many potential­filled partnerships have been derailed because the talented dancers did not know how to communicate their needs without creating stress, and the stress became unbearable.

Communication problems also crop up between casual friends who dance together socially, possibly causing social disruptions or causing our community to lose promising members. Further, between teaching colleagues or community organizers, communication problems can cause unnecessary drama and waste for the whole community.

I believe it is time to embrace this problem as a community. To acknowledge that working together in an intricate, physical way can trigger difficult emotions, that this is normal, and that part of discovering Tango is discovering how to work together. Learning how to communicate is not trivial; it is a project that can be supported by educational resources. I believe that learning basic principles of Marshall Rosenberg’s Nonviolent Communication early on in one’s Tango career will save many hours of pain later on, and that organizers who champion and help create awareness of this work will be contributing to more peaceful and durable communities.

Contemplative arts

It is definitely encouraging that we see more Tango dancers exploring and integrating contemplative practice in their work, in the form of yoga classes at festivals, personal meditation practices, and more Tango teachers becoming trained yoga teachers. However, teachers tend to be cautious about integrating this layer because it can feel not relevant. However, Sarath’s work definitively demonstrates the value of meditation practice for developing as an improviser.

I hope more Tango dancers come into contact with his groundbreaking work in jazz and consciousness and explore applying it to Tango like I am trying to do. And, I would be curious how many Tango dancers have a private meditation practice already.

To summarize, here are helpful places to organize one’s attention that may be enlivening depending on the practitioner’s level of development: 1. Tango practice 2. Exploring other disciplines related to improvisation 3. Making your life more healthy and stable 4. Meditation practice

8. A Note to Teachers

Level assessment is extremely delicate, all the more in an adult learning context, all the more in an art so personal and subtle as Tango. Also, every community is unique and what works in one may not work in another. As we develop and evolve assessment methods at our school, the emphasis is on the iteration of each tool with understanding, use and feedback from teachers and students.

For any teacher or community organizer interested in promoting leveling within your community, I would advise to begin by creating a diverse collective of 4 or 5 teachers, and working to establish a common language around levels. The first step is to build a common understanding of what must be grasped in the “first level” in order to pass to the “second level.” ● Which techniques should be displayed? How will you describe what is minimally needed for each? ● Which movements should the learner be able to accomplish, while embodying these techniques at a minimally competent level? ● Which concepts must the learner understand?

● Are there other requirements? (e.g., related to hygiene, safety, etc.) ● How can this be documented so that learners can access it and understand it? ● How can this be implemented consistently across different teachers and schools? ● How will this approach be evolved and refined with feedback from the community?

Because of the passionate and personal nature of a teacher’s relationship with Tango, and how unusual it is to articulate subtle aspects of the dance, it is important to be patient and focus on the process and on understanding each other instead of on the outcome. Many interesting things will emerge. I think allocating 1­2 years for this project, with regular meetings, might be sufficient, depending on the dynamics of your team and community. And you will know if you got somewhere if you have personally learned something or been surprised. Once the first level is built, the second level can be built.

One of the first problems you will most likely face as a team will be related to roles, and the decision of how to handle the fact that there are two roles in Tango, especially in light of the fact that m any Tango teachers have surrendered this choice of “whether to learn both roles” to students who are not qualified to decide it.4

Movements in Tango are built around what the follower does. So, a leader has to understand the flow and structure of the follower’s movement in order to lead it. Often, this is achieved through dancing the follower’s part first. This is not different for people of different genders.

I have definitely found that those who specialize on just one role are the most likely to stagnate; and least likely to understand Tango and be able to engage in serious conversation about it; and are most likely to feel disempowered, as though their growth in Tango is dependent on others or on social skills.

I am confident that other teachers will also discover how much incredible dance potential and friendship is released when all dancers explore both roles and when a grasp of both roles is built into the approach to leveling. Good luck!

7. Next steps

I sincerely welcome feedback, criticism, and engagement and I plan to continue to revise and update this e­book.

I especially welcome feedback from those who are actively engaging with this material in an effort to refine their dance, and I will pay more attention to your feedback if you include a self­assessment and a peer­assessment of your own dancing (or mine).

I would be interested to see an articulate framework related to music in Tango.

I would also be interested to see or participate in a framework related to teaching.

I would also be interested for there to be some frameworks related to community emergence and growth, which I am probably going to make next.

Tango Assessment Tool

4 Some teachers have also probably thought this through, and settled on one role for a reason.

Dancer: Role: Date: Evaluated by: Technique Movement

Which things can I do?

Alignment ❏ The Structure of the Tango ❏ The Structure of the Turn: Grapevine and Salida Extension ❏ Side Steps The Pivot Before the ❏ Weight Changes Step ❏ The Cruzada from Parallel System ❏ Forward Ochos from the Cruzada Spiral ❏ Backward Ochos from the Side Step ❏ The Cruzada from Cross System Flow ❏ Travelling Backward Ochos The Whole Foot ❏ Rocking back and forth ❏ Leader's Invitation Turn to the Right from the Cruzada/Forward Ocho ❏ Turn to the Left from the Cross/Open step Follower's Power ❏ Parada of the Backward Ocho Following vs Guessing ❏ Boleo: Changing the Direction of the Ocho

Follow the Follower ❏ Close Embrace Survival Elements ❏ Rock Turn Left Choose Confidence ❏ Rock Turn Right Floorcraft ❏ The Cruzada from Crossed System ❏ Backwards Ochos to the Cruzada Purity of Focus ❏ The “Dark Side” … to the Cruzada Proximity ❏ Ocho Cortado ❏ Compact Turn to the Left, “Milonguero Turn” Tone ❏ Small Open­To­Open Sacada Frontality ❏ Compact Turn to the Right, “Media Luna Turn” /“Dark Side Turn” ❏ Vaiven / Corrida Matching ❏ The Follower’s Tuck from Backward Ochos ❏ Salida cuarenta Quality of Touch ❏ Milonguero Dip

Stillness ❏ For the Changing Embrace ❏ Fixed Axis Turn Left Rhythms ❏ Walking Turn Right in Crossed System ❏ Walking Turn Right in Parallel System Phrasing ❏ Back boleo ❏ Forward boleo Blending ❏ Alteration F to B: From X ❏ Alteration B to F ❏ Alteration O to O ❏ Leader’s Back Sacada ❏ Follower’s Back Sacada ❏ Walking Turn Left in Crossed System, End Barrida ❏ The “Pugliese” Turn ❏ Fixed Axis Turn to the Right

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Mitra Martin is dedicated to developing the resources to facilitate new learning communities where 21st century literacies can be extended and shared. She is an improviser and Argentine Tango expert. Mitra is a graduate of Princeton University. She lives in Los Angeles.

Connect with Mitra: http://www.mitramartin.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/mitramartin/ https://www.facebook.com/mitra.martin [email protected] (310) 854­2466

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May all needs be met May we each be free May we all shine together

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