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Tangoblitz 2015

Ladies Technique

- Extension of leg represents the maximum movement that the woman can reach on her own from a distinct and settled point, what therefore creates a move and the distance travelled is the energy given by the man
- Both legs are actively engaged but the functions change as you shift the weight from one to the other, the free leg is always the 'man's leg', the moment it transforms to your grounded root, is where the move is cut off
- Think of the molinete as a right angled line with an arc, this makes sure you do not interrupt the circular movement of the guy, after all you are moving with lines around a circle, the shapes already provide a challenge for a smooth movement
- Keep the upper torso strong, the legs can do what they like, but never let the core collapse because it is where the information is received
- As an exercise, stick out your right foot to the front, then pivot 180 open toward the left, collect and do the same for the left side; in the same manner, stick your right foot behind and pivot toward the right; remember that rotation is always happening from the chest

Old Style (aka restricted hip rotations) - Analia y Luigi

Intro
- Keep the lady locked in the embrace above to restrict hip twists, movement is linear in feeling (think walking in a straight line)
- Treat the movement like a rebound and individual, distinct steps that are disjointed rather than 'flowy'
- To execute a very tight tuck of the leg behind one another, step forward and send the energy backward linearly, then rock back, both legs can maintain the same location (no collecting), however the energy shift is from back leg to front leg back to back leg

Inward linear sacada
- Lead starts the movement with a parada on the inside of the ladies foot (left), then walks his way across to her right foot with his right foot, changing her weight and stopping any collection (90 degree angle)
- Lead invites lady over (her left foot) where once she plants her weight, he swings her around so they are back to being parallel (his weight on his left, her weight moving to her right foot (but does not land), before shifting his own weight back to his right foot so that her right foot crosses over into an inner sacada against his right foot
- To exit, she does an ocho and both walk out

Milonga & Rhythm - Claudio y Helena
- Practice the rhythm of whole and half time with footwork

Forward & Backward
- two sets of whole beats and 3 sets of half beats- right leg forward on one, left leg back on two, right leg cross tight in front on three, repeat for second set with left leg, then half beat for forward-back-cross forward

Linear
- Lead starts with back, left, forward diagonal then side-&, side&, side (left on main beat, right to collect on the + and left again)

Grapevine
- Same as above except that on the side-&, the lady is doing a grapevine movement aided by the movement in the leads chest to rotate and her steps are on the main beat not the half beat

Circular
- Lead a rebote (left leg back then right leg front) then a side step (left parallel to shoulders then right) then rebote to the front; can repeat in circular fashion - the guy is always doing a forward one, but the girl can be doing either a forward or backward

Enrosques - Claudio y Helena
- Tango nowadays teaches too much in the methodologies of 'steps', and that is an issue because when it comes to 'steps', the guy and girl are often doing very different things, yet are expected to dance as one; when a lady learns a step, the guy can also end up being 'lazy' because he does not make his intentions 100% clear, rather initiating 10-50% of the movement while the lady finishes it with the other 50% because she is 'trained' to do so. Listen to your partner, it is a mutual creation of a movement so when an enrosque happens, the female should feel the male as is vice versa, use each other to make the movement clean and work together
-Enrosques happen from the top, spin until the thighs restrict the movement and keep on moving with the top half, the back foot will naturally spin inward and collect, creating that twisting movement, it is not the legs forcing their way into the position


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