Every week, you’ll find on our blog class notes and a summary video from our Wednesday and Sunday tango group classes.
These video and notes are meant to help our students remember what they’ve done in class.
Dimension: Interactions - Theme: Sacadas in ochos
We started our new term with sacadas which are steps where one partner (more commonly the leader) steps in between the other's feet. We started with a simple version from the ocho for beginners and improvers. For intermediates & up, we looked at more adventurous combinations using sacadas in overturned ochos.
Summary video
Beginners/Improvers: Sacada from forward ocho
Top tips
- Leaders: Make sure you take a clean forward step, without sliding or altering your posture.
- Followers: Make sure you always steps that are big enough.
Intermediates & up: Sacada with overturned ocho with exit in americana
Top tips
- Leaders: To make the follower pivot more, you will need to step behind her.
- Followers: Engage your cores and pivot using dissociation if you want to be able to complete this large turn.
Intermediates & up: Overturned ochos with sacadas
Top tips
- Leaders: Maintain your partner in front of you so that she doesn’t step too much to your right or you will struggle to do the sacadas.
- Followers: Make sure you always pass by the middle, e.g. with weight on two feet otherwise this step will be impossible to lead. First pivot your torso, then your hips beyond your torso.
Homework
Top tips
- Leader: Practice leading ochos with different angles of pivot using your chest lead.
- Follower: Practice developing your sensitivity to the lead to understand how much to pivot. Practice your ocho technique to be able to do overturned ochos without losing your balance.
