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: Axis - Theme: Pasadas/paradas

To start our new term, we focused on paradas and pasadas, these steps where the follower steps over the leader's leg. We started with a simple combination for beginners and then explored a pasada in backward ocho followed by a single axis turn for the intermediates and up. Challenging but also beautiful!

Summary video

 

Beginners & improvers: Pasada/parada

Top tips

  • Leaders: At the pasada and at the parada too, make sure your foot touches the follower’s foot.
  • Followers: When going over the leader’s leg, always first point your foot and then try and keep your knee away from him.

 

Intermediates & up: Pasada in backward ocho

Top tips

  • Leaders: Make your life easier, make sure the follower steps close to you in her backward ocho.
  • Followers: Make sure you pass by your axis when you go over the leader’s leg. It will make you stable and also you are less likely to kick him on the way!

 

Intermediates & up: Repeat pasadas

Top tips

  • Leaders: To lead the follower’s back cross/sandwich, make sure you’re going in a back diagonal.
  • Followers: This is a strange move, but if you follow the lead, you’ll realise the only place your foot can go is in the back cross/sandwich.

 

Homework

Top tips

  • Beginners: Leaders: practice your footwork on your own. Followers: in front of a mirror, practice going over a pasada or parada on your own. Make sure your foot is pointed.
  • Intermediates: Practice the back ocho pasada together until you feel comfortable and you both feel you have enough space.