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: Dancefloor-friendly rhythmical steps

In this class, we saw a couple of very simple and versatile rhythmical steps that are ideal for orchestras like D'Arienzo or Rodriguez or to pick up on rhythm change in any tango song. We saw steps based on changes of weight. Very milonguero.

Summary video



 

Beginners & Improvers: Change of weight and side step

Leaders

  • For this step, you need to collect your feet, change weight and step with the other leg to the side. It works with both legs.
  • To lead the change of weight, you can slightly “tilt” your partner by lifting her gently on the back, on the side of the leg you want to free.

Followers

  • It is always a bit difficult to feel changes of weight so you need to build some awareness of how it feels. For all changes of weight, keep your feet and knees together.

 

Beginners & Improvers: Promenade with little step back and forth

Leaders

  • To enter the promenade, you need to pivot your partner as if you were to start a forward ocho.
  • For this promenade, you’ll be walking side ways, so changing your weight every time.
  • For the little back and forth step, you need to stop your partner as she steps forward with her left foot, and with your torso, lead her to do little rebounds forward and backward with her left leg. Her right leg is not moving, it is staying on the spot.

Followers

  • For once, you have space, as your partner is to your side and not facing you, so use it! To give style to your forward walking, try and lead the movement from the knee – as if someone was pulling your knee forward.
  • For the little back and forth step, see it as a double rebound forward and backward with the left leg. You can do an adornment and kick with the right leg as you go backwards.

 

Intermediates: “Cadencia” side step for the follower

Leaders

  • This step is similar to the first one we did in the beginners class except that now, the follower does the change of weight and the side step alone – you are staying on the spot. The lead is a bit more tricky as it needs to come from your torso only. First, make sure you are completely in your axis before leading the change of weight (or your partner may cross). For the change of weight, same technique as before: use a little tilt of the torso. For the side step, you need to tilt the torso a bit more.

Followers

  • When stepping to the side, as your partner is not coming with you, you’ll need to tilt a bit your torso to stay with him. Your torso needs to stay with his, whilst your hips are moving away from him.

 

Intermediates: “Cadencia” soft boleo with change of weight

Leaders

  • Start with a back step with the right leg. Before you arrive to your axis this time, tilt your torso – this should send the follower’s free leg behind her in a “soft” boleo. At the same time, as an adornment, you can cross your left leg.
  • Go forward, change weight and lead the same step on the other leg – it’s more difficult on the left side because there’s not as much space as on the right.

Followers

  • For the soft boleo, make sure you keep your knees together and your big toe on the floor, with no weight on it.
  • At the change of weight, make sure you keep your knees and heels together. If you press you inner thighs together as you change weight, you’ll be able to create more definition and do the change of weight more elegantly.

See you soon on the dancefloor,

Nati y Bruno