| Basic
Step:
excerpted from Mouvet's Tango Book - 1913;
This new dance creation of ours is quite different from any other
dance we do. It is danced to a rather peculiar "Raggy"
rhythm, with the syncopation much the same as the rhythm in primitive
Spanish music. Properly to do this dance one should get that particular
piece of music written for me called the "Maurice Walk."
It is unlike any other walk that is being done. It has the versification
necessary for the figures of "La Habanera." To start the
dance you take the eight plain walking steps.
Figure One ...
A quick "One, Two, Three" movement of the music follows.
The interpretation of this is a decided marking of its accent. This
is done with the shoulders and body in unison to a quick advance
of alternating feet.
Figure Two ... You begin
with the right foot. The movement is then right, left, right, left,
right, left, etc., through sixteen bars of music. The shoulders
bend simultaneously. When the right foot advances, the bend is with
the right shoulder, slightly forward and sidewise. The left shoulder
bends as the left foot advances.
Figure Three ...
the time is broken from "one, two, three" and you go into
a two-step, starting with the right foot, for one-two, and then
with the left foot, one-two. This continues for eight bars of the
music.
Figure Four ...
For this you make a small skip and then go into a side step for
sixteen bars of music, sliding first on the right foot and then
on the left foot. You repeat this twice.
Figure Five...
you make a small circle, going right foot, one-two, left foot one-two,
for eight bars of music.
Figure Six... the
man folds his arms in front of him, putting his right arm over his
left. The girl folds her arms, right arm over left. Holding them
right on a level with their chests they continue the two-step time
and make another circle for eight bars.
Figure Seven...
with their arms still folded, the girl starts on the right foot
and the man on his left foot and they resume again the "one,
two, An interpolated step in La Habanera, much favored by Maurice.
This figure is as difficult to perform as it is graceful. The lady
dips backwards, being supported by the gentleman until her head
touches the floor. The charm of this figure is the grace and agility
with which it is performed. In ballroom dancing it may be omitted.
Fig. 10.--The large circle following the rise after the dip to the
floor. The lady accentuates the rise by raising here free foot behind,
three" times. They go right foot, one, two, three, and then
left foot, one, two, three, making a circle starting with the front
and ending in the front. They repeat this twice. At the end of the
second circle they go into figure eight:
Figure Eight...
This is a dip to the floor. The girl goes down on her right knee
in a genuflection. The man dips on his left.
Figure Nine...
They rise and resume again the one, two, three time for sixteen
bars, making large circles all around the room.
Figure Ten... Is
a large circle at the end of Figure Nine. This is one, two, three,
on the left, with the girl's left foot lifted in the back at the
end of their third count. Then one, two, three, on the right, with
the girl's right foot lifted in the back at the end of the third
count. Then, one, two, three, on the right with the girl's right
foot lifted in the back at the end of the third count. This continues
for sixteen bars of music. At that point the music changes to a
sort of cake-walk. This change in time makes possible
Figure Eleven...
This is what is known as the "Eight step" in the Tango.
If you will refer to my lesson on the Tango you will find this plainly
described, but you do it here to cake-walk time and you do it twice.
The knees are raised right up almost waist high, as was done in
the old fashioned cake-walk. The girl starts on her right foot,
and the man on his left. You go right, left, right, left for sixteen
times. Finishing, the girl is on her left foot and the man is on
his right foot.
Figure Twelve...
Finishes the dance. The couple shall do a plain cake-walk
step, but the girl is on the side of the man instead of facing him.
On the two final bars of the music, the man turns the girl squarely
around deep courtesy in. This dance is when danced once won its
way with positive that if you will give up the idea of the worked
one step and want the La Habanera .... end! |
Ballrooms