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: Embrace - Theme: Fundamentals

In this class, we has a look at how we build a comfortable and flexible embrace and how the whole body can be used to lead steps. We did a little sequence we call change of weight in a box, before moving on to a 360-degree turn in 2 steps and playful steps backwards with a stumble effect.

Summary video



 

Beginners/Improvers: Change of weight in a box

Top tips

  • Leaders: To indicate the change of weight, make sure you tilt your shoulders at the same time from left to right. During the step, bring your shoulders to horizontal again so that you can tilt at the next change of weight.
  • Follower: Change weight with your feet together. If the changes of weight are very fast, you can stay on the ball of your feet, it will help you move quicker.

 

Intermediates & up: 36-degree pivot in 2 steps

Top tips

  • Leaders: To lead your partner around you, you need to use the left side of the embrace and move your axis to the back of your body.
  • Followers: Keep your feet on the floor and slide around your partner; if not, you will find it hard to go all around him in only two steps.

 

Intermediates & up: Fun steps backwards in double time with stumble

Top tips

  • Both: At the mordida, try and move sharply to create a change of energy. You can also accentuate the effect by going on points and bending the knees at the same time.

 

Homework

Top tips

  • Beginners & improvers: Put some tango music on and practice changes of weight on the spot, first on the beat, then on half beat.
  • Intermediates & up: Practice the mordida effect on your own, both forwards and backwards as it can be led/followed both ways.
  • All levels: Practice the feeling of building a soft, rounded embrace like we did in class. you can do this on your own, of with your partner. If you are with a partner, stop frequently to check that you are still using the muscles around your shoulder blades and if not, readjust.