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: Speed - Theme: Speed fundamentals

In this class, we set out the basics of changing speed, e.g. going faster and slower, using side steps, the caminata and a simple change of lane, which lands itself beautifully to playful and musical variations.

Summary video



 

Beginners & improvers: Change of speed in side step

Top tips

  • Both: To change speed, it is quite convenient for the leader to use the embrace to either ground your partner to go lower and therefore slower or lift her gently to go higher and therefore faster.

 

Beginners & improvers: Single and double rebounds

Top tips

  • Both: In the rebounds, remember you should only transfer your weight partially. Also remember that the energy is not outwards but towards yourself otherwise your rebound will be too heavy and you will struggle to do the next move.

 

Intermediates & up: Change of speed in the caminata

Top tips

  • Leaders: To achieve this, you need to be very clear with your own movement. Push into the floor to ground yourself and adjust your speed.
  • Followers: Always make sure you pass by the middle when walking which is the fundamental technique to allow changes of speed.

 

Intermediates & up: Changes of lane and speed

Top tips

  • Both: The basic step (which we call the 2-1-2) is really simple. From this structure, you can play with the musicality and speed of the step.

 

Homework

Top tips

  • Beginners: Practice single and double rebounds side-ways, backwards and forwards.
  • Intermediates & up: Practice walking very slowly (ideally on 4 beats) to have a clear muscle memory of the individual movements that make up one step. This will then enable you to play with changing the speed in the caminata (harder than it looks!).