Reviews & Examples
of Rasche Notation
Notation system for Argentine Tango
of Rasche Notation
Notation system for Argentine Tango
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This page contains reviews and examples of Rasche Notation - the notation system to write down Argentine Tango steps. |
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Current version: Rasche Notation 2 Pocketbook NEW! 
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Example of Rasche Notation 2 Posted: 23rd August 2010 Dancers: Matias Facio & Claudia Rogowski, http://info.laboratoriodetango.com Performance: Comme Il Faut, Warsaw, December 2009 Video: video of Comme Il Faut Rasche Notation 2: Notation of Comme Il Faut [Discuss] Example of Rasche Notation 2 Posted: 18th July 2010 Dancers: Nicole Nau & Luis Pereyra, tangofolklore.com Performance: La Cumpersita, Apollo Varieté, 2007 Video: video of La Cumparsita Rasche Notation 2: Notation of La Cumparsita [Discuss] Example of Rasche Notation Posted: 12th June 2010 Dancers: Damián Esell & Nancy Louzán, damianynancy.com Performance: Derecho Viejo in Taipei 2009 Video: video of Derecho Viejo Rasche Notation: Notation of Derecho Viejo [Discuss] Return to top. |
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Current version: Rasche Notation 2 Pocketbook NEW!
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Review of Rasche Notation by Eran Braverman, June 2010. TangoInfo.com.au (a Tango information website). "It is the opinion of the owner of Tango Info that the Rasche Notation system succeeds in what it seeks to do: to record, simply and succinctly, the steps and body positions of the lead and follower relative to the music. It cannot, nor does it purport to be a, a substitute for lessons, nor can it record every subtlety and nuance of every movement. However compared to all other dance notation systems that I have seen (such as Labanotation) it is infinitely easier to use and understand." Review of Rasche Notation by Fred Bolder, January 2010 Het Dansblad (The Dance Magazine), read the article: Dansblad 116. The website has dance step software DcWin which uses Rasche Notation. "...Rasche Notation is quick to learn and the writing of steps does not take much work. Obvious information [within the dance] need not be included, so that a compact format remains..." (translation). Review of Rasche Notation and workshop by Ruth Zimmermann, March 2009 Tango Oblivion, Totnes, Devon, UK (www.Tangoindevon.co.uk). Ruth is the organiser of the very popular Tango Mangos. "Thomas Rasche - notation workshop: Where would you start if you had to write down Tango movements in a way that will enable you to do it fast, concise, containing as much information as possible in as few symbols as necessary? And once you have written it down, would other people be able to decipher it? Would you yourself remember what it meant some weeks down the line? These were the thoughts that went through my head prior to Thomas' workshop. As a Tango teacher, I have many note books full of long hand descriptions of my class preparations and movement ideas that I have collected over the years. My notes made sense when I wrote them, but often they don't anymore. I thought that from this perspective Tango notation would be of immense help. Another part of me was skeptical - how can you write down the feeling of Tango, why would I want to write down what is essentially an improvisatory dance for me? And if you managed to write down the movements, how much or how little does this capture of the essence of Tango anyway? Thomas Rasche has devised an astonishingly comprehensive and concise system, using easily understandable signs and reducing information down to the absolutely necessary. His presentation is equally pithy and to the point: within two hours he introduces the system in its entirety and people are able to start using it. I guess it will take some time of playing around with it to become proficient in reading and writing it, just like with any other language. Beside the advantage of acquiring a tool, people who will use his system will be challenged to gain insight into the precise nature of a movement that encompasses both the leader and the follower. The system also has inbuilt space for one's own improvements and additions. And what about the essence, the feeling, can it be captured by the notation? I don't think so, but then this is also the case with the written word or with music notation, and yet, with practice we find it possible to read feeling into a text or a piece of music. So maybe it is a good thing to stay away from trying to notate everything. The concise nature of the Rasche notation makes it userfriendly. I certainly bought one of his prepared note books and will start using it." Review of Rasche Notation by A.W., March 2009 attending the workshop at Tango Oblivion, Totnes, Devon, UK. "Quite an ingenious system -very useful for choreography- also very useful for 'improvers' like myself to have the movements broken down into parts- so that I remember all the individual components (techniques) of the steps." Review of Rasche Notation by Richard A. February 2009, UK. review of the book 'Rasche Notation'. "Thomas has produced a true shorthand that is very neat, clean and powerful for noting Argentine Tango steps. For anyone who's ever forgotten a move they loved in class, here is the answer!" Review of Rasche Notation (as originally appeared in the book 'Argentine Tango - Class Companion') by Damián Esell, (www.damianynancy.com) international teacher and performer. review of the book 'Argentine Tango - Class Companion' "...The author [of the Argentine Tango-Class Companion book] has...endeavoured to find a way to write down the dance of tango; with astonishment and happiness I can say that he has achieve it well: described with clarity at the end of the book, a system of notation to read-and-write which is usable with a bit of practice..." Return to top. |
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Previous version of Rasche Notation 
Rasche Notation was originally published in: Argentine Tango Class Companion 
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Rasche Notation symbols as previously published on this website. The symbols are left here for your information. The current version is 'Rasche Notation 2', as described in the pocketbook: Rasche Notation 2. What does Rasche Notation look like? Rasche Notation is written across the page using familiar text symbols. Each row of notation (stave) is made up of four lines. Here is a simple example (version: Rasche Notation 2): C A1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 D { walk } M L R L # W R L R # In this example, you can see: - The four lines that make up the stave, labelled C, D, M and W: The Compás line (top line) counts the music phrase, The Description line (second line) for the dance phrases and notes, The Man's line, for the description of his steps and movements, The Woman's dance line, for the description of her steps and movements. - The Compás counts 1 to 8 on the Compás line. - The phrase label A1 which indicates which section within the music this phrase occurs. - The step symbols of the man and woman, which describe the steps in detail. - The dance phrase summary, using the { } brackets. it is labelled as a 'walk' step. - The symbols are compared vertically, to describe timing. - The dividing line separates context and general descriptions above, and details below. Rasche Notation uses a series of assumptions to reduce the amount of writing further. This means that only essentials need to be written down, leaving the page uncluttered. The notation is a clear, efficient and powerful system to represent Tango dance movements. What syntax is used in Rasche Notation? Here's and example to describe 'the left foot goes to the left': Notice the syntax 'what goes where': 'the left foot (what) goes (goes) to the left (where)'. Abbreviating this, the left foot is L and to the left is in clock direction 9. Therefore, this step is described with: L9 NEW Rasche Notation 2 improves and simplifies the above (clock directions not needed)! Here's another example to describe the woman's cross step (her left foot steps across the right foot, so that the little toes touch). Notice the syntax 'what goes where': 'the left foot (what) does a closed step (it is placed and takes weight)(goes), in clock direction (in brackets so as she sees it)(where)'. Therefore, this step is described with: L#(3) Usually, this is reduced to #(3) , because it is clear that the left foot moves. NEW Rasche Notation 2 improves and simplifies the above (clock directions not needed)! The character of steps can also be described, if they are small or large, early or late or accented. This is useful when describing the dance phrasing. What symbols are used in Rasche Notation? Here are the essential symbols for Rasche Notation. Using these, you can reduce the amount of writing you would normally have used. The benefit of this is to keep your notes clear, as well as fitting neatly across the page, when you use the stave as shown above: M, W Man(-’s), Woman(-’s). L, R Left… (foot), Right… (foot). 1…12 Clock direction, as on a clock face. Relative to the inter-axis line, from the man's perspective. You can describe a destination, where you place a foot, accurately. NEW Rasche Notation 2, clock directions are no longer needed! (1)…(12) Clock direction (in brackets), from the Woman’s perspective (written on her dance line). This enables you to describe the destination from the woman's perspective. NEW Rasche Notation 2, clock directions are no longer needed! # Close step. The free foot steps to be next to the standing foot. NEW Rasche Notation 2 improvement: replaced with the symbol s S, F, $, B The four giro steps: Side, Forward, $ide and Back steps. NEW Rasche Notation 2 improvement: all side steps are written S, and $ is not needed! C+, C- Lower body pivots: clockwise and anticlockwise. NEW Rasche Notation 2 improvement: replaced with C and G. The symbols + and - now describe towards and away from the partner (in place of clock directions). T Torsion. Upper body rotates, above and from the hip. NEW Rasche Notation 2 improvement: ¥ describes embrace and torsion. % Step between partner’s feet (or inside of). You can avoid a small drawing, as this explains a step between the partner's feet. Π, ∩ These are parts of a step. They describe weight transfer (completely, or in part). You can describe a movement, even if it is not a complete step. NEW Rasche Notation 2 improvement: replaced with r and n Also: Rasche Notation 2 describes close crossed steps with symbols f (front cross close) and b (back cross close). For more information about Rasche Notation 2, including examples, see the pocketbook: Rasche Notation 2. Return to top. |
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Contact:
You can contact Thomas by emailing: thomas  tangolincs.co.uk
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More books (as well as CDs, DVDs and music scores) are available here: English (and Spanish) language items, German language items, and French language items. You can also use the Amazon search fields for more. Click here for other types of Notation, as well as other worldwide Tango links. |
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