Level 3: July - August 2017

Week 7: starting August 28

We focused on Giros to the right from Parallel Cross and Cross System Cross.

Parallel Cross - Giro to the Right

Cross System Cross - Giro to the Right

Alternative footwork is that the leader crosses his right leg behind his left leg as the follower crosses.

Week 6: starting August 21

In North Sydney we:

• Reviewed 'Standing Start' Giros (from Week 5)

• Focused on dancing in small spaces and the importance of circular moves (such as Giros, Medialunas and Ocho Cortados) when space is limited

• Timing of Giros  - if we count the steps as follows - 1) Forward 2) Side 3) Back 4) Side 5) Forward  - the steps made on the count of 3 and  4 are normally double time, the rest are normally single time.

In Bondi we focused on navigation and linking moves. A simple Change of Direction turn was introduced. A useful move for navigation:

Week 5: starting August 14

In North Sydney we focused on:

• The quickest way to enter a Giro - 'standing start' Giros to both sides

• Giros and Paradas to the right

• Double Paradas

Thank you to Sachin who helped me demonstrate the move in Pablito's absence. 

Here's an improvisation of the above moves and Ocho Coratados with Pablito at the end of our Bondi class. Ideal moves for dancing in tight spaces:

Week 4: starting August 7

In North Sydney we worked on linking Ocho Cortado to Parallel Cross or Cross System Cross.

Here's the Ocho Cortado linked to Parallel Cross:

In Bondi guest teacher Ian Colvin shared his favourite entry into Ocho Cortado and we focused on dancing to rhythmic music with rebounds.

Week 3: starting July 31

In North Sydney we worked on some of the following aspects of tango:

Musicality - not dancing to every beat but pausing and slowing down to add light and shade to the dance, and create unpredictability

Walking technique  

Some key points:

1) The torso moves first, then the legs move underneath the torso. (remember 'see-saw' exercise ) - Imagine the torso is a 'carriage holding the king and queen' and the legs are the servants or the wheels of the carriage taking the king and queen wherever they need to go. The torso is primary, the legs are secondary. The torso dictates where the legs go. The legs only move because the torso chooses to go somewhere. The leg is the stabiliser, the torso is the initiator.

2) The standing leg is dynamic, powerful and connected to the floor. It holds 100 % of your weight. The free leg is loose 'like spaghetti' . It is free of tension.

3) The hip of the free leg side should always be lower than the hip on the standing leg side.

Navigation - keeping the floor moving - walk when you have space to walk (don't create traffic jams!). Circular moves are good for when you have no space ahead to walk.

Moves: a simple turn: forward with left leg, back with right leg, side with left leg (all steps angling to leader's left (anti-clockwise). We also used simple C-Step as glue between the moves.

Week 2: starting July 24

In North Sydney we focused on how to have a flexible embrace and how some moves are particularly suited to it, such as Sandwich and Parallel Cross:

Week 1: starting July 17

We worked on linking existing moves - particularly Medialuna, Parallel Cross, and Giro to the right from Parallel Cross. We introduced a simple turn to assist navigation:

All to the leader's left (anti-clockwise)

1. Step forward (left leg) - angled anti -lockwise

2. Step back (right leg) - angled anti-clockwise

3. Step side (or together) (left leg)

4. Step forward outside (right leg)

We also worked on improving walking technique stressing the importance of fully arriving to one's axis before making the next step, pushing the floor away, and the importance of maintaining a 'forward line' when walking (to enable A frame). Without a forward line walking backwards is very difficult.