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: Grounding technique

The grounding technique is very useful to create a lot of steps, including barridas and planeos. Basically it is a technique used to stop the follower at a particular point in her transfer of axis. We used this step today in a pretty planeo, a 360-degree turn and a barrida. Variety is the spice of life!

Summary video

 

Beginners & improvers: Corte & pivot on two feet

Top tips

  • Leaders: To lead the follower to pivot on two feet, you need to ground her by applying a gentle pressure down with your embrace so that she stays on both feet. The grounding should happen when she has her weight on both feet, not once she has collected her feet together. This technique applies to all three steps we have seen today.
  • Followers: You start the pivot on two feet but as your partner turns around you, you need to transfer your weight on your right leg. If you feel stable, you can lift your left leg in an adornment – for the adornment, your foot is pointed and your left knee is tucked right behind your right knee.

 

Intermediates: 180 degree turn on both feet with enrosque for the leader

Top tips

  • Leaders: For the enrosque, pivot on the front leg. At the end of the pivot, transfer your weight on your back leg and uncross before pushing to step back.
  • Followers: Try and use your dissociation in this 180-degree turn, first twist your torso with him and then send your hips beyond your neutral position so that at the end of the turn, your torso is facing him but your hips are at a 90-degree angle to him.

 

Intermediates: Barrida from the cross

Top tips

  • Leaders: To create the barrida, you need to both ground your partner so that she stops her transfer of weight mid way and extend your leg to catch her foot. Make sure you are grounded on your supporting leg before extending the leg or you might lose your balance.
  • Followers: For him to create the rebound that leads into the barrida, you need to have a firm embrace, and not force your way forward to complete the forward ocho.

 

Homework

Top tips

  • Leaders: With your partner, lead a couple of forward ochos and try and ground your partner when her weight is in the middle. This is a good exercise to practise this technique.
  • Followers: Practise the exercise above with your partner, paying attention to your transfer of axis – make sure that on the beat, you have weight on both legs and the heel of your back leg is on the floor.

 

See you soon on the dancefloor,

Nati y Bruno