Level 2 Oct - Dec 2017

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General Notes

Good habits for tango dancers
  • 'Steel vs spaghetti': Your standing leg is like steel - dynamic, strong and grounded, your free leg is like spaghetti: light and loose without tension.
  • Your free leg hip is loose and down (this removes tension from your free leg)
  • Never lock your knees: You standing leg knee is softly flexed (not locked) - this gives you better contact with the floor.
  • 'Collection' - Thigh or ankle (as you prefer) connection as you walk
  • Push off the floor as you walk - to make your walk more dynamic.
  • Look forward as you walk (down diagonal is fine but don't look straight down at your feet as this distorts your posture.
Tango Music - for practicing 
Here's a link to help you better understand tango music for dancing. 

Spotify 
I recommend the following album on Spotify: 'Serie de Oro' by Carlos di Sarli. This album has good songs for practicing. Avoid the last song 'Tu Palida Voz' as it's a vals. 

Songs recommended for practicing
Traditional Tango
Songs by Di Sarli's orchestra:
  • Don Juan
  • Comme Il Faut
  • Cara Sucia
  • A La Gran Muneca
  • El Once
Alternative songs
  • Felino - by Sverre Indris Joner (Electrocutango)
  • One more cup of coffee - by Frazey Ford (Obadiah)
  • Take me to Church  - by Hozier
Link to 250 songs
The following link will download a fabulous collection of 250 of the most popular songs (tango, vals and milonga) played in milongas around the world! Focus for now only on the tangos. Also focus on instrumental songs as opposed to vocals as these are easier to find the beat. Di Sarli is one of the better orchestras to start with:
http://www.muraterdemsel.com/250TANGO.zip 

This link goes to a zip file (little less than a 1 GB file).

Week 6 (starting Nov 27)
As with Week 5 we reviewed, refined and linked all moves of previous lessons:
  • Sandwich
  • Medialuna
  • Giro to the Right from Parallel Cross
  • Change of Direction turn

Week 5 (starting Nov 20)
Reviewed, refined and linked the moves of previous weeks. Introduced a simple change of direction turn which is a great navigational aid:

Week 4 (starting Nov 13)
Continued reviewing and refining the moves of previous weeks.

Week 3 (starting Nov 6)
Reviewed the Mediauluna and Giro to the right from Parallel Cross.
Introduced the 'Sandwich':

This video shows an optional Parada inserted with the Forward Ocho at the end (4th repetition):

Here's an a new video of the Giro to the Right from Parallel Cross:


Week 2 (starting Oct 30)
Reviewed the Medialuna and introduced the Giro to the right from Parallel Cross. Please note that in this video the leader steps backward when the follower steps backward. We recommend that leaders instead step forward at this point in the move as it provides greater stability.  

Recommended footwork for leader is thus ( from Cross )  - Forward - Side - Forward - Feet together and turn torso to right to lead follower into forward circular step to his right and then forward circular to his left (torso turns to left).

Week 1 (starting Oct 23)
We introduced the concept of circular walking and the figure of Medialuna
It is entered from Backward Ocho and ends with Forward Ocho: