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: Directions - Theme: Giros with static axis

Embark on a beautiful journey to take your giros to the next level: media luna, lapiz and
enrosques are all lovely steps for soft music, such as Di Sarli. Learn the technique and musicality of giros with fixed axis.

Summary video

 

Beginners & improvers: Media luna

Top tips

  • Leaders: To enter into the media luna, you need to change weight as you lead your partner to pivot so that you’re ready to move forward on the next beat together with her. Your next step should be a bit into her space, which is what will lead her to step backwards
  • Followers: In giros, our feet draw a square on the floor in the following sequence (forward, side, back, side). Giros can start from any point of the sequence, in this case, it starts from the back step.

 

Beginners & improvers: Full giro

Top tips

  • Leaders: Dissociate and lead your partner the beginning of the giro. You should hold the dissociation and only pivot when the follower is completing her side step. She will help you pivot. If you try and pivot earlier than that, you will struggle.
  • Followers: In giros, you should continue the sequence until the partner stops you. Half way through the side step behind him, you will probably feel a point of resistance, simply collect and carry on with your giro. Don’t stop there.

 

Intermediates: Giro with enrosque

Top tips

  • Leaders: When you back cross to enter into the enrosque, immediately put your weight on your back leg and squeeze your thighs strongly together so that they don’t open during the pivot.
  • Followers: Try and take equal-sized steps around the leader not to pull him off axis.

 

Intermediates: Giro with enrosque and lapiz

Top tips

  • Leaders: You should start the lapiz in the follower’s back step.
  • Followers: At the parada, make sure you complete your pivot to have your hips at a 90-degree angle with the leader’s.

 

Homework

Togoether, practise the exercises we did in class.

Top tips

  • Exercise 1: Leaders stand on one leg with your feet together. Lead your partner to do 3/4 of a giro. Followers, do the side step, the forward step of the giro and then only half of the second side step. Make sure your side step is really in a square and that you’re not stepping away from your partner. About halfway through the side step, you should feel your partner’s “resistance point”, this is when he reaches the limits of his flexibility and he can’t let you go beyond. This is when you stop. The point of this exercise is for you both to learn to recognise this point. Repeat as many times as you want – leaders, don’t go too far, you shouldn’t feel pain in your back, just a stretch.
  • Exercise 2: When you have identified the point of resistance, followers, you can complete the 2nd side step. Leaders, this will make you turn 180 degree (and if your feet are in enrosque, will create the enrosque). Remember, in the enrosque, the follower is helping the leader pivot and giving him energy.

 

See you soon on the dancefloor,

Nati y Bruno