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: Melodic orchestras / Planeos

In this class, we had a look at slow steps that would fit melodic orchestras or melodic sections of tango songs and we focused on planeos, these romantic steps where one partner, normally the leader, draws a circle around the other dancer. These steps are very beautiful and we saw a couple of variants, from simple to more advanced.

Summary video



 

Beginners & improvers: Corte and arrastre

Top tips

  • Leader: In the arrastre, make sure you keep your torso towards your partner and sweep her foot using your quadriceps. Try and not sweep using your inner thigh as it normally doesn’t look that good.
  • Follower: In this step, you need to tighten your core muscles and stay as still as possible. Keep your knees together and allow your partner to move your foot. Keep contact with your partner’s foot and don’t start moving on your own.

 

Beginners & improvers: Planeo from corte

Top tips

  • Both: In the planeo, you need to make sure you draw a circle that is as perfect as possible around your partner in order not to pull her off axis.
  • Both: In this step, once again, tighten your core muscles and stay as still as possible. It is much easier for the leader to draw a nice circle if you provide him with a strong and clear point of reference.

 

Intermediates & up: Planeo from Americana

Top tips

  • Leaders: To lead the adornment, you’ll need to move your axis slightly forward. For the planeo, make sure you keep your partner in her axis.
  • Followers: For the adornment, either really point or really flex your foot – no in-between please!

 

Intermediates & up: Planeo from sentada

Top tips

  • Leaders: To enter into the planeo, you’ll need a high sacada. Don’t put too much energy into it or you might knock your partner over – never a good outcome! 🙂
  • Followers: In this position, it is easy to end up with a curved spine. Make sure you are aware of how you stand so that you can keep your balance better.

 

Homework

Top tips

  • Leaders: Practice walking backwards in a perfect circle. If possible keep your dissociation active.
  • Followers: Practice the different positions we saw for the planeos: the corte, the adornment from the Americana and the sentada.