Skip to main content

Maxi y Karina

It's been a fair while since I've taken any lessons, and not even foundational, lets break it to its lowest denominator type lessons. As a lead.

Just watching the ease of execution, the degree and quality of movement was astounding and this, ladies & gentlemen is what we work for. Also getting to dance with the teacher on my own merit *faints*

Plenty of notes!

Lesson 1 - Walking
- Start by feeling the weight transfer from left to right - transfer should be 100% of the weight
- The lead stands more vertically with the intention forward, while the follow has a slight angle to reach
- As a lead, watch the neck forward and shoulders up, intention is an internal action and not an actual lean, watch the shoulder sway and move linearly instead
- Lift the toes so that you are aware that the weight is further back and on the heels
- Stretch and separate the two half of the torso from the legs; ground downward to push the floor, but lift upward to transfer momentum & direction
- Send the intention forward and delay movement as a lead
- As a follow, watch the hip angles and stretch beyond your partner as a follow
- Paramount above all, adapt to your partner, be comfortable
- As a lead - chest up, head up, pelvis back on heels, project and delay

Lesson 2 - Disassociation
- Move in opposite manners - right foot forward, left shoulder inward (like a crunch); right foot to the side, left shoulder outward (to open and expand to the edges of the body)
- Side walk exercise - start with right shoulder facing direction you want to move in, transfer weight to right foot while twisting to the right, pivot and collect; repeat on the left
- Ocho forward as a lead; let the follow collect half a second ahead before rotating yourself
- The follow over-rotates on a forward ocho, creating an obtuse triangle, while the lead does forward ochos as sacadas (to the foot that has just left)
- Feel the back and spine to counter the centrifugal force and movement

Lesson 3 - Preparing for giros
- Start with the follow close to you on the right (same line)
- Follow moves in a 3 sided square (back side front) - moment the follow steps on the 3rd step (front), lead transfers weight to left foot, using torsion (twisted to the left by this point); and taking energy from the 4th step of the follow (unravel from back to side) - follows the energy to rotate 360
- Follow start perpendicular to the lead (forward, side, back step); lead mirrors, but stays in position and just rotate upper body, keeping hips forward (moving from 12 to 9); chest is twisted toward the follow who has moved 180 degrees from 12 to 6

Lesson 5 - Milonguero turn
- Practice momentum of rocking (Forward - L, Back - R, Backstep - L, Back - R, Forward - L, Together)
- Send the energy outward, but then pullback immediate (energy is on a plane rather than an arc); follow crosses ont he outside of the leads right
- Small angles at the shoulder lead to large angles at the hand - same concept for the ocho cortado, lead needs to open very slightly for the follow to move to the right and back; as a lead, keep the back foot stuck out, rather than shifting weight with the follow - lead from the chest only
- Rebound front and ocho cortado, follow for a follower cross, send her to the left while starting a sacada with your right foot to her left foot which is leaving the side stel (follow transfers weight from left to right foot)
- Take the space with your right foot and pivot around so left foot is in a parada situation, follow will have moved to aback step and now leads left foot inner is against the follows right foot outer
- Follow then does a weight transfer to the left foot and moves to side step with right foot while lead anchors on the left foot (weight on left!), sticks out the right foot (like an outward twist furthest left shoulder from right foot); lead then pivots the follow to end on a parada (360 rotation outside his left foot) -while tucking the right knee behind left.

Lesson 6
- Follow does a forward ocho to the leaders right
- Leader steps forward with right leg to sacada follows left leg (taking the space), then continues to sacada her right leg with his left (in the side step of the molinete for the follow); change of front in the first steps is crucial
- Leader then steps right across the follows left foot as the follow does a back-site movement; lead then sacadas follows left foot as she does a forward step - overturning her and Americana out (lead on right and follow on left)
- Always take the space and keep the movement going on the top so the follow knows where to go 

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Recap 2019

Well well well, here we come again to the end of another Tango year in 2019. Granted, this year was a lot more muted for me, just one Tango Prelims Championship, one Fame Tango Weekend extravaganza, one Tango marathon (shit, just one?!). This years tango centered very much around home, no crazy travels (thanks to change in job), no multi-country tango events (thanks to no budget + no time), a smattering of lessons. But internally, centeredness, duende. Next year, Taipei Tango Weekend, Singapore Tango Marathon + Lisbon for food, travels and Tango. Where is my tango this year? 10 years since that fateful day running to Michigan Union in shorts and t-shirt with flipflops, hair wet from a swim on a balmy end of September day, 3 to 4 weeks into the new semester. Not knowing this would kickstart one of my greatest passions in this life. The one that brings me into the world of friendships, arguments, travels and meetings. All sorts of people, friends, acquaintances, annoyances. The ...

Taking classes as a lead

Tangoblitz wrapping up this weekend with Alejandra Hobart and Adrian Veredice, good sessions, always refreshing to see the level that professionals get up to. Notes, notes, notes! Parallel vs Cross Systems The L shaped lead-linear - Leader leads on dual track system (to the left and to the right of him) -Follower crosses across this track using a back step, side step and a cross over front ocho-forming L shapes zig-zagging back and forth -Leader strides forward on the beat while follower is on a 1+, 2 beat-option to twist the hip into a front boleo for the follower, leader must change weight with every 1-2 step -Leader starts on right foot and follower on left foot   which is the foot further away-Mirror start=parallel system-sacada happens to the cross over track (guy left, girl right) -Variation is to have leader start on left foot and follower on left foot-non-mirror=cross system-sacada happens on the parallel track (guy right, girl right) The L shaped lead-circu...

Buzzed

Chalk up another Tango memory for the ages. Dancing. In the Rain. On Pavement. And a Speedbump. With a Crowd. The rain was the best part even though we all looked like drowned rats by the end with broken ankles and destroyed shoes, but wow. Gave life to the saying "Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass, it's about learning to dance in the rain." Been immersing myself in the Sg scene since I'm down and I must say that it's different and much as I'm missing home, so am I missing the KL scene with my wonderful female followers and crazy banter and milongas with S. Sigh. Truly home. But it's refreshing not quite knowing anyone and being surprised in this dance again. That has been nice. That and the mamak sessions post Tango where I pay 2.6x more the price of KL and have seemingly MSG-less maggi mee goreng (NOOOO). Healthier I guess and a lot orangier for some strange reason! I like this plateau I'm on. Granted my feet still aren'...