My cats like to Tango around the Christmas tree. Just like me, T.S Eliot likes to tell tales about practical cats at Christmas. So, for my line dance class, I put together a Cats Tango line dance.
Christmas airing of Practical Cats
Famous author T.S. Eliot had fun writing cat poems for his godson. In 1937 the BBC broadcasters approached Eliot to broadcast his unpublished cat poems for Christmas. In 1938 it was so popular that it was broadcast three times. By 1981 this collection of poems was released as the musical “Cats” and took the world by storm.
Cats Dance
Some say your house cat can dance. Studies have been made on their ability to move to music. Cats can dance and mine dance around the Christmas tree daily. That is why they made a cameo appearance in this production.
Tango Cat
Each ballroom dance has a character of personality. Waltz is ethereal, Foxtrot is jazzy. The most cat like ballroom dance is the Tango. Tango starts and stops abruptly like a cat stalking its prey. For this reason, I chose the Tango line dance for the musical “Cats.”
Cats Tango Line Dance How To
Tango Basic forward and back
Forward basic, begin forward left foot count slow (1,2), forward right foot count slow (3,4) forward left foot count quick (5), side right foot count quick (6) close left foot to right foot slow (7,8) You can use the rhythm slow, slow, quick, quick, slow. Or spell T, A, n,g,O.
Back basic, begin back right foot count slow (1,2), back left foot count slow (3,4) back right foot count quick (5), side left foot count quick (6) close right foot to right foot slow (7,8).
Progressive rocks forward and back
Forward rocks, begin forward left foot count slow (1,2), forward right foot count slow (3,4) forward left foot count quick (5), replace weight back to right foot quick (6) forward left foot count slow (7,8) forward right foot count quick (1), replace weight back to left foot quick (2) forward right foot count slow (3,4) ) forward left foot count quick (5) side right foot count quick (6) close left foot to right foot slow (7,8)
Back rocks, begin back right foot count slow (1,2), back left foot count slow (3,4). Back right foot count quick (5), replace weight forward to left foot quick (6) back right foot count slow (7,8) back left foot count quick (1), replace weight forward to right foot quick (2) back left foot count slow (3,4) back right foot count quick (5) back left foot count quick (6) close right foot to left foot slow (7,8).
Song–
Memory, ballroom dance tango version.
Credits
We filmed on location in the back ally of the Woodlawn shopping center home to Littleton’s first movie theatre. Special thanks to Jessica Virgo for her help and inspiration. Thank you to Aaron Virgo for filming assistance. Extra thanks to Craig Tomazin for filming our cats Sherlock and Mystery on the sliding green screen at home.
Cast
Narrator- Holly Tomazin
Cat 2 – Jessica Virgo
Extra cats – Sherlock & Mystery
Holly Tomazin
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