Class video & notes – 08/04/2015

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.

Leaders

• To enter into the change of weight in a box, you need to first lead a side step shorter for your partner than your’s and walk on her inside lane.
• To indicate the change of weight clearly, you need to gently tilt your partner to amplify the move from your feet. In this step, because you are changing your own weight from your right foot to your left foot, you’ll need to tilt to the left, e.g. raise the right shoulder.
• When you go backwards, make sure you reposition your body at neutral, i.e. “untilt” yourself.

Followers

• Try and maintain a strong frame with your arms so that the lead can be transmitted directly to your feet, without any loss of energy. If your embrace is too soft, it will be difficult for you to perceive the lead for the change of weight and respond quickly enough, especially in double beat.
• You’ll be going backwards and forwards with the left leg.

Both followers and leaders

• When changing weight, make sure you transfer your weight fully from one leg to the other. Avoid keeping your axis in the middle of your body and shuffling your feet, as this is not a very clear lead for your partner.
• Always pass by neutral when dancing and collect your feet, or your feet won’t be rightly positioned for the change of weight.
• When changing weight, collect your feet. Always change weight with your feet neatly together.

Leaders

• The beginning of the step is the same as before but there is one additional change of weight when going backwards. Leaders, you’ll be going forwards and backwards with the right leg only.
• You can also add a pivot to the repeat changes of weight in a box.

Followers

• You’ll be going forwards and backwards with the left leg.

Leaders

• Before changing lane, you’ll have to step slightly diagonally back to the right, to reposition yourself in front of your partner. If not, it will be hard for your partner to go around you. From this position, you should find it easy to lead a pivot by dissociating, and then a parada.

Followers

• The most complex thing in a short step that repeats itself like this one is to exit the step! Normally, followers always expect one more and therefore exit slightly too late. Try and be sensitive to slight changes in the lead, that will mark the end of the routine.

Both

• One way to explore the depth of Pugliese’s music is to vary the density of your walk – sometimes lighter, or sometimes heavier. To create contrast, it is important to have a standard walk that is neither, that you can return to.
• Density can be linked with size of steps, lighter steps tend to be shorter and denser steps longer.

Leaders

• In the side step, ground a bit your partner to indicate that you’d like her not to collect her feet. From this position, you can interrupt her move with a parada.
• As you close your feet, transfer your axis onto your left leg, this should make your partner collect. If you lift her at the same time, this will suggest that she can adorn.
• To lead the cross, you need to use your dissociation, and to exit, some downward energy.

Followers

• If you choose to do the adornment, keep the knee behind you as long as possible and only step forward at the last moment.
• When you cross, make sure you immediately transfer your weight on to the front leg, or you won’t be able to exit the step as quickly as needed!

See you soon on the dancefloor,

Nati y Bruno