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: The embrace - Theme: Lifting technique
Lifting is a great technique to have the follower move their free leg, for example to go over in a pasada or a parada step. We can also use this technique in the cross to create cross/uncross effects or rebounds in and out of the cross. Very unique, yet very salon.
Summary video
Beginners & improvers: Pretty pasada and parada combination
Top tips
- Leaders: To lead the pasada, you need to lift your partner, open your shoulder in the direction you want her to go and then “drop” her. If you only lift her, she won’t be able to fully step forward. Imagine what you’d like her foot to do: go up, over yours, and down. Then draw it with your torso.
- Followers: Whenever you do a pasada or parada, you need to point our foot before lifting it. Also, you should try not to “straddle” your partner’s leg so try instead to have your knee pointing away from him.
Intermediates: Cross / uncross
Top tips
- Leaders: In this step, your partner is a bit off axis, so be ready to support her weight as she crosses / uncrosses. Never put your weight on your heels in this kind of step or her weight might make you topple over backwards.
- Followers: Don’t “fake” this step, as it shows! 🙂 Really let gravity help you instead. As he goes backwards, your front leg should uncross and as he steps forwards again, you can exit the uncrossing.
Intermediates: Cross / uncross with “dry” boleo
Top tips
- Leaders: We call “dry boleos”, boleos that don’t have any pivot. After the cross / uncross, you can lead both styles of boleos, but if you want a “dry boleo”, make sure you ground your partner as she steps on to her left foot to tell her not to pivot.
- Followers: For all back boleos, keep your knees tightly together and point your foot with your big toe on the floor. Let your free leg whip as far back as you can without compromising your posture.
Intermediates: Rebound in and out of the cross
Top tips
- Leaders: We call “dry boleos”, boleos that don’t have any pivot. After the cross / uncross, you can lead both styles of boleos, but if you want a “dry boleo”, make sure you ground your partner as she steps on to her left foot to tell her not to pivot.
- Followers: For all back boleos, keep your knees tightly together and point your foot with your big toe on the floor. Let your free leg whip as far back as you can without compromising your posture.
Homework
Top tips
- Leaders: Practice leading the cross / uncross movement on your own. You should be able to draw the movement with your torso by moving your axis slightly backwards and forwards in a circular motion.
- Followers: Practice your back boleos with no pivot to get the movement right. Get your knees glued one behind the other and from this position, only move the lower part of your leg in a whip motion. Your big toe should be on the floor, so don’t go so far that your posture is compromised.
See you soon on the dancefloor,
Nati y Bruno
