Having achieved the First Stage of Independence, we enter phase two of the rumba guaguancó development plan where the emphasis is on the quality of execution: increasing detail will be followed by cycles of repetition to achieve naturalisation, and then further to achieve hyper-learning. Hyper-learning is the basis of improvisation, a key skill spanning phases two and three.
The theme of this rumba guaguancó workshop is:
- to develop a solid understanding and feel for its basic structure;
- to be able to open spaces in the structure; and
- to learn how elements may be inserted in these spaces.
Section I - Basic structure of rumba guaguancó
Concept: Joint rhythm on the horizontal plane
The hip movement for women and the knee movement for men is actually executed to a new rhythm timeline, and it contributes to the composite time-code. In both instances the joints move to a "cha-cha-cha" rhythm with the first 'cha' co-incident with the foot-fall on the pulse (to a count of 1-and-2, 3-and-4). Women's accents are 'chá-cha-chá', whereas men's are the inverse 'cha-chá-cha'.
Practice: Male knee action for guaguancó
Solo, without music, then stepping pulse to rumba clave only track. Forward walks. The feet are placed on two parallel tracks, the gauge between the tracks is one important variable. The knee orientation for the 'cha-chá-cha' is 'straight-out-in' (relative to the centreline).
Practice: Dancing to rumba clave
Solo, to rumba clave only track. Performing in order of priority: stepping on pulse; clave vocalisation "pa, pa, pa-ún; pa, pa"; torso engine; chachachá hip/knee rhythm, clapping pulse (centre-left-centre-right-).
Practice: Dancing to rumba clave, full music context
Solo, to En El Malecón De La Habana tracks. As practice above but to timba music, same order of priority.
Discussion: Nature of the engine and gender movement differences
Women's chachacha hip action dissipates the lower stroke of the engine cycle, therefore the torso pulse can only be implied when it is deployed. Men's knee action does not interfere with the torso pulse. Hence women must be discerning as to the choice of application between the engine stroke or the chachacha hip action.
Practice: Female upper limb action in guaguancó
Solo. As per the above two practices, except the hand claps are substituted with holding two ends of a shawl or kerchief, or two folds of a skirt. Hands move centre-left-centre-right- on pulse beats.
Section II - Opening up rhythmic spaces in rumba guaguancó
Concept: 'Stopping' and 'starting' points
Ceasing the step rhythm i.e. stopping; and resuming the step rhythm i.e. starting, does two things: it
- creates rhythmic tension; and
- emphasises preceding and following movement through juxtaposition.
There are several potential stop-start points relative to the clave vocalisation. Given that previous learning was with instructors of European bias, we will begin by using two points which European find easier to comprehend:
- on the pulse beat after 'pa-ún' i.e. on European beat one; and
- on the pulse beat before 'pa-ún' i.e. before African beat one.
Practice: Stressing the first pulse beat of the European rhythmic cycle
Solo, to En El Malecón De La Habana tracks. Stepping on pulse; clave vocalisation "pa, pa, pa-ún; pa, pa"; torso engine; chachachá hip/knee rhythm, clapping pulse (centre-left-centre-right-). Emphasis is placed by a stronger step on the pulse beat immediately after 'pa-ún', and a louder clap (centre-left-centre-right-).
Practice: Stressing the last pulse beat of the European rhythmic cycle
Solo, to En El Malecón De La Habana tracks. Stepping on pulse; clave vocalisation "pa, pa, pa-um; pa, pa"; torso engine; chachachá hip/knee rhythm, clapping pulse (centre-left-centre-right-). Emphasis is placed by a stronger step on the pulse beat immediately before 'pa-ún', and a louder clap (centre-left-centre-right-).
Concept: Four combinations are possible
With these two points on the European timeline, four shapes of rhythmic space can be opened. These combinations are, in order of increasing difficulty for 'Europeans':
- Stopping on the pulse beat after 'pa-ún', Resuming on the pulse beat after 'pa-ún'
- Stopping on the pulse beat before 'pa-ún', Resuming on the pulse beat before 'pa-ún'
- Stopping on the pulse beat before 'pa-ún', Resuming on the pulse beat after 'pa-ún'
- Stopping on the pulse beat after 'pa-ún', Resuming on the pulse beat before 'pa-ún'
Practice: Stopping-Resuming to rumba clave, solo
Solo, to rumba clave only track. Stepping on pulse; clave vocalisation "pa, pa, pa-ún; pa, pa"; torso engine; chachachá hip/knee rhythm (optional). Stopping and resuming using Combination 1 above, one cycle pause, maintaining engine cycle. The pause should then be lengthened from one to two, three and four cycles.
Practice: Stopping-Resuming to rumba clave, partnered
Partnered, to rumba clave only track. As above. Partners are given the discretion to pause:
- asynchronously
- synchronously
- synchronously, as with a verbal/non-verbal cue from the leader (each partner taking turns being leader).
Practice: Stopping-Resuming to rumba clave, partnered, full context
Partnered, to En El Malecón De La Habana tracks. As above.
Practice: Learning the remaining combinations
Repeat practices sequence of the rumba clave, solo / rumba clave, partnered / rumba clave, partnered full context (above) for start-resume combinations 2, 3 and 4.
Section III - Inserting elements in rumba guaguancó
Concept: Filling the rhythmic space
Combinations are improvised to fill the rhythmic space opened up in Section II. But as we've learned in Section I, improvisation arises from hyper-learning. The strategy is therefore to emphasise practice-to-mastery of two elements so that a simple combination can be executed.
Element: Shimmy
The basic shimmy action is generated identically in both sexes; from the core muscles around the spine centred between the points of the shoulder-blades. The action is genderised:
- females - hands constrained by shielding the groin, 'shoulder-points' forward allowing the upper arm to partially shield the side of the breast. This results in a 'coquettish' upper-body action.
- males - hands upper and either side of the groin, elbows out, decreased distance between the upper shoulder-blades. This results in a 'bravado' upper-body action.
Practice: Shimmy, solo
Solo, rumba clave only tracks. Fast and slow shimmy, over one and then two clave phrases.
Practice: Shimmy, solo, to music
Solo, Ay Díos, Ampárame tracks. Fast and slow shimmy, over one and then two clave phrases.
Practice: Shimmy, partnered, full context
Partnered, Ay Díos, Ampárame tracks. Full basic guaguancó then stop, pause (with engine), fast and/or slow shimmy (over one and then two clave phrases, no engine), pause (with engine), resume guaguancó basic.
The simple version of a slow turn is achieved by:
- the placement of one foot behind (and to one side of) the other, resulting in a crossing of the legs; and
- the legs uncrossed though rotation of the pelvis, pivoting through the control points on the front of both feet.
Practice: Slow turn, solo
Solo, rumba clave only tracks. Slow turn over one and then two clave phrases.
Practice: Slow turn, solo, to music
Solo, Ay Díos, Ampárame tracks. Slow turn over one and then two clave phrases.
Practice: Slow turn, partnered, full context
Partnered, Ay Díos, Ampárame tracks. Full basic guaguancó then stop, pause (with engine), slow turn (over one and then two clave phrases, with engine), pause (with engine), resume guaguancó basic.
Case study: a basic combination, inserted into guaguancó rhythmic space
Partnered, rumba clave only track.
- guaguancó basic
- stop the basic (your choice of stop point), vacunao (lead)
- defense (follower)
- pause
- shimmy
- slow turn
- pause
- resume guaguancó basic
Practice: basic combination, inserted into guaguancó rhythmic space
Partnered, full music context of students' choice.
Additional materials
Ay Díos, Ampárame by Los Van Van
En El Malecón De La Habana by Los Van Van
Como Se Formó Una Rumba (DVD) film by Iván Acosta
Loo Yeo
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