We want to be grounded

By keeping a strong connection with the Earth (gravity, the floor), we protect our own and our partner's stability.

step1, connect, balance, grounded, stability

What and why

In tango, strong stability is what we call being well-grounded. It refers to the combination of body-structure, floor connection, partner connection, and how we place our movements to give us powerful stability that even onlookers can sense. It is an aesthetic look with a practical benefit.

Being grounded means using our body and controlling our movement to protect our Balance. If we or our partner misstep — step too far away, too close, at an unexpected angle, under or over-balanced — it can upset either or both partners' balance.

(P.S. Grounding our partner refers to a technique (to be covered in a future Step 2 of the Game) that leads our partner to stay with the legs in an open position, with weight on both of them.)

Video and transcript

English transcript

- Hola, friends. Please join us as we explore the idea of being well grounded. Being grounded is having a nice strong connection to the floor. And we'd like to give you a few explorations to figure out what does that feel like in our own body.

- Let's first head over to a wall where we'll have an interesting experiment. We're going to do an experiment with what we call our perfect partner. Just the way the floor gives us exactly as much pressure as we give it, a wall or a heavy piece of furniture can also give us exactly as much pressure. Now, first experiment, without energizing our body at all, not using my muscles, I'm just gonna press lightly and see how little energy it takes to be pushed off balance. If however, I organize my muscles and I activate them and particularly the ankle to connect me with the floor, I can press, I can even press hard, and not be pushed over. That's what we want in the tango because it is a dance that challenges our balance. We can build up our ability by using the everyday warmup that we've seen, and also by simply doing things on one leg. All of that is working our senses and our muscles to get better and stronger.

- Now that you've gotten a chance to explore what does it feel like to be well grounded with your solo or your perfect partner, if you are learning with a partner we have a few explorations for you to play around with that idea, as well. May I?

- We wanna become a perfect partner.

- We do indeed, so this gives us some ideas on what that feels like. So as we are just standing here, we're just palm to palm, nice and stacked, light tone. Notice nothing going on here. If we've just taken up the embrace or if there's a pause in the music, this is the level of our tone, very little. As we intend to begin traveling, we will increase the tone to let our partner know, and as the perfect partner, Archin' Argen is matching this energy to maintain being well grounded and connected with me. And then as I increase the tone, I'm giving Argen a chance to increase that tone along with me to maintain their own balance and stability. And then, as we come out of it, nice and easy, matching as well.

- We can also play with that at any time by testing our partner or ourself with a wall or a countertop by pressing at different angles. So I can say, “Hey, Tina, how's your balance doing?”

- Pretty good today, I guess.

- And different directions. Now be sure that we can test, yes, but we do not want to stress our partner. If I do something really suddenly like that, that's not fair. That's catching them by surprise.

- But we don't wanna catch our partner by surprise. That's not nice.

- Right. We're not having a nice conversation with each other.

- Absolutely. As you explore this, be thinking about how does this idea apply to your future concepts. And we look forward to seeing you on the next exploration. Click that next button, and until then…

- [Unison] Abrazos.

Transcripción en español

- 1. Fundamentos Queremos estar balanceados

- Hola, amigos. Por favor, acompáñennos mientras exploramos la idea de estar bien balanceados. Estar balanceado es tener una conexión fuerte con el suelo. Y nos gustaría darles algunas explicaciones para descubrir cómo eso se siente en nuestro cuerpo.

- Primero vamos a dirigirnos a una pared donde tendremos un experimento interesante. Vamos a hacer un experimento con lo que llamamos nuestra pareja perfecta. La forma en que el suelo nos da exactamente la misma presión que nosotros le damos una pared o un mueble pesado también pueden darnos exactamente la misma presión. Ahora, el primer experimento, sin energizar nuestro cuerpo en absoluto, sin usar mis músculos, solo voy a presionar ligeramente y ver la poca energía que se necesita para ser empujado fuera de equilibrio. Sin embargo, si organizo mis músculos y los activo y particularmente el tobillo para conectarme con el suelo, puedo presionar, incluso puedo presionar con fuerza, y no ser empujado. Eso es lo que queremos en el tango porque es un baile que desafía nuestro equilibrio. Podemos desarrollar nuestra habilidad utilizando el calentamiento diario que hemos visto, y también simplemente haciendo movimientos sobre una pierna. Todo eso es hacer trabajar nuestros sentidos y nuestros músculos para mejorar y fortalecer.

- Ahora que has tenido la oportunidad de explorar qué se siente al estar bien balanceado con tu solo o con tu compañero perfecto, si estás aprendiendo con un compañero tenemos algunas exploraciones para ti para que jueguen también con esa idea. ¿Puedo?

- Queremos volvernos una pareja perfecta.

- Queremos, y esto nos da unas ideas de cómo se siente eso. Estamos aquí parados, estamos palma con palma, con un tono ligero. Vean que no pasa nada aquí. Si acabamos de juntarnos o si hay una pausa en la música, este es el nivel de nuestro tono, muy poco. Al querer empezar a viajar, aumentaremos el tono para que nuestra pareja lo sepa y, como la pareja perfecta, Archin' Argen está igualando esta energía para mantenerse bien conectado y balanceado conmigo. Y luego, al aumentar el tono, le doy a Argen una oportunidad de aumentar el tono conmigo para mantener su equilibrio y estabilidad. Y luego, al salir de él, tranquilamente también lo igualamos.

- También podemos jugar con eso en cualquier momento al probar a nuestra pareja o a uno mismo con una pared o una mesa al presionar a distintos ángulos. Por lo que puedo decir, “Oye, Tina, ¿cómo está tu equilibrio?”

- Creo que está bastante bien hoy.

- Y diferentes direcciones. Ahora, para asegurarse de que podemos probarlo, sí, pero no queremos estresar a nuestra pareja. Si hago algo de la nada como esto, eso no es justo. Eso es tomarla por sorpresa.

- Pero no queremos tomar a nuestra pareja por sorpresa. Eso no está bien.

- Así es. No vamos a tener una buena conversación con el otro.

- Definitivamente. Al explorar esto, piensen en cómo es que esta idea se aplica a conceptos futuros. Y esperamos verlos en la siguiente exploración. Hagan clic en el botón de siguiente, hasta entonces…

- [Ambos] Abrazos.

How

We play with our strength of grounding in the “try to tip me over” experiment. We push against a wall or partner, using zero body energy to resist. We tip so easily! Or we organize our body to resist. So stable!

Grounding is the concept that we are so firmly rooted to the Earth that it will be hard for anything or anybody to upset our balance.
Our body can instantly organize to resist a pull or push trying to upset our balance. Some angles of force are harder to resist.
When we dance dynamically with another person, even with ourselves alone, it can be easy to lose balance. A misplaced step at any time can threaten balance.
Stability—balance in movement—is a skill we can make stronger and faster. When we have a strong grounding, we can support not only our own balance but also back up our partner's balance.
Experience the range of possibilities, from zero to strong resistance to being pushed over. We are always adjusting our body tone to match the needs of each moment.
Add in a range of speed changes in the pushing pressure.
In the experiment:
- Be sure to do it from all sides.
- You can do the same thing with a partner.
- Do it with odd angles.
- Do it as a daily life play.
- Do it with each step.

the Game of Argentine Tango

Everything is a range of possibilities

We want to be grounded

What and why

Video and transcript

How