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.

Theme: Planeos

Planeos are a beautiful, airy series of steps where the leader walks around the follower, whilst she pivots on one leg. They make it look like time suspended its course. Great for soft melodic tangos.

Summary video



 

Beginners & Improvers: Planeos from forward ocho

Leaders

  • As soon as the follower steps forward, make sure you slightly ground her with your embrace to make sure she doesn’t collect.
  • Before starting the planeo, you need to first swing your hips backwards to end in an americana position. From this position, it is quite comfortable to walk around your partner backwards. Try and not walk sideways around her: walking like a crab is always best avoided in tango! 🙂
  • Try and feel that your partner has put some weight on to your shoulder. It is easier to lead and control the planeo if your partner leans on you a bit. Don’t walk too close towards her, or you’ll push her off axis.

Followers

  • At the ocho, try and keep your leg extended at the back. Make sure it just doesn’t dangle, put some intensity and contract your muscles. Also, keep your big toe on the floor, not the small toe.
  • Contract your core muscles to make sure you are strong. It’s not easy for the leader to turn around a wobbly partner so try and be as strong as possible.
  • Try and lean a bit on your partner. In this step, the connexion at the shoulder is the most important point of contact.

 

Beginners & Improvers: Planeos from backward ocho

Leaders

  • After leading the backward ocho, change the embrace to go around your partner. Then, prepare for the planeo by swinging your hips to walk backwards (same as for the first planeo).
  • All other advices apply: make your partner lean on you and walk around her in a perfect circle (as much as possible!).

Followers

  • In this planeo, you are on your right leg and you have space in front of you so you can do quite a few adornments with the left leg. The most common ones are the “sentada” and little circles.
  • All other advices apply: have a strong core and lean a bit on your partner.

 

Intermediates: High sacada and planeo with adornment

Leaders

  • To lead the entry to the sacada, you need to open your shoulder away from your partner, to create space for her. Once she has stepped, take a step forward, seeking contact at the thigh. This is a thigh-level sacada (also called high sacada).
  • For the planeo, give your partner time to do her adornment. At the end of the planeo, change the embrace to create a volcada, from which you exit with a cross to come back in parallel system.

Followers

  • This adornment is a bit of a statement on the dancefloor! Go for it, don’t hesitate! 🙂 Make sure you always keep your knees together at the sentada and when back-crossing> Also make sure you keep your big toe on the floor, not the small toe.
  • Take your time in this adornment. It won’t look nice if it’s rushed.

 
See you soon on the dancefloor,

Nati y Bruno