El Tango Collective, Inc.
Newsletter
Practica Moderno
January 6, 2024
Independent Media Center (Stage Area)*
202 S. Broadway Ave, Urbana IL
2:00- 3:30p
$5.00 Donation
To Pause or not to Pause, that is the question?
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*This event is cosponsored by the Urbana-Champaign Independent Media Center, a grassroots organization committed to media, arts,and technology for social change. The UCIMC is supported in part by the Illinois Arts Council and by our membership. Please consider supporting the IMC by becoming a member or giving a donation.
Practica Moderno
At the turn of the last century, no one learned to dance tango by taking classes. There weren't any classes.
Instead, a "tango novice" attended a practica to problem solve with fellow dancers.
The goal of Practica Moderno is to re-create that sense of collaboration and collective effort while utilizing modern technology to maximize learning.
At this practica, you can make mistakes, take risks, "lead and follow" in a safe and supportive space.
Can students learn tango without teachers providing direct instruction at every step? Yes, they can and they should!
Here's another tango problem to ponder.
Argentine tango is the only partner dance to incorporate long pauses. You don't find extended pauses in salsa, waltz, swing, rumba, bachata, or hustle, and etc.
Without pauses a dance can become indecipherable like a run on sentence.
So, when do dancers pause in tango?
Does taking a side-step on beat one and slowly collecting on the next seven beats constitute a pause? Does standing still on one foot and very slowly turning the upper body ready for the next step count as pausing?
To pause or not to pause, that is the question!
If you enjoy problem solving and brainstorming, this practica is made for you!
