Ghost Guide To Tango: Boleos

Principle: to throw

Interrupting a linear line and pulling it into an arc to reverse the direction. (In actuality you can't move the body in linear lines so it's more redirection of an arc by adding a loop to it).

NB It's still a boleo if her foot doesn't leave the ground.

Triangles - Look at relative position of feet - either an isosceles or equilateral.

Much easier if the leader's legs are apart.

Difference between a front boleo and a gancho lead

The direction of her chest. Put her chest in the direction you want her foot to go. So for a gancho her chest is turned away from you, but for the front boleo her chest is towards you. Also in a boleo you contact the side of her thigh or lower. In the gancho you contact the back of her thigh and no lower. Another important difference is timing. The sacada to front boleo happens early on in her motion whereas the gancho happens at the end.

Easy way to practice distinguishing between a front boleo and a gancho lead: Sidestep left lead offsets to the left, lead's right leg anti-clockwise sacadas follow's left leg around to back ocho / planeo.

For example:


Image: back ocho / planeo

Slight carpe. Overturn the planeo anti-clockwise, lead bends his knee and leads follow to a backstep. Results in a gancho.

For example:


Image: gancho

Straighten lead's leg to sacada her out into a front boleo

For example:


Image: front boleo

Practice sequences

From a sidestep left

Sidestep left, clockwise pivot follow to overturned front ocho to give a front boleo.

For example:


Image: Front boleo

Technique:
The lead will feel the pressure build "like the bamboo leaf bends under the weight of the snow" until there comes a moment where "the clump of snow releases" the energy back into her frame to create the boleo.

If the lead was standing in a sidestep with split weight, the lead wants to be in the middle where her body is at the start of the pivot leading into the boleo. As she moves across to the left the lead moves to the right, building up the boleo. When it releases they are both at opposite ends like a colgada. The lead goes cw to the left and the follow boleos cw to the right. It's this energy that creates the boleo.

As if stepping around a big rock, so slightly curved steps.

Slight lifting motion with left hand / right hand (depending on which they follow)

Backward

For example:


Image: backwards boleo

Entrance:

From back sacada

For example:


Image: back sacada

Forward

Entrance:

1. From giro, on forward ocho change direction and overturn to get front boleo 2. From back sacada to back boleo

For example:


Image: back boleo

to front boleo

For example:


Image: front boleo

Without momentum, she'll either step forwards to set up a planeo

For example:


Image: planeo

or do a castigada.

Entrance

Precede by this back linear boleo - By far the easiest entrance is to do a sacada to boleo in b ochos and not actually lead the sacada. Literally just stand there.

Or sidestep right and sacada her left leg across. If done at speed can pivot her around. Then reverse into rear boleo.

Or sidestep left lead offsets to the left, lead's right leg acw sacadas follow's left leg around to b ocho / planeo. Slight carpe. Overturn the planeo acw, lead bends his knee and leads follow to to a backstep. Results in a gancho. Can straighten lead's leg to sacada her out into a front boleo

Note: Can do front boleo to beginning of front step, reverse to front boleo as a way to move in a line to her right

Sparkly forwards boleo

Entrance

Basically lead a cross from a normal walk.

For example:


Image: normal walk

to get her to do a front boleo

For example:


Image: front boleo

Linear

Entrance

By far the easiest entrance is to do a sacada to front boleo in back ochos.

For example:


Image: back ochos

and not actually lead the sacada. Literally just stand there. Her inside foot will do a linear boleo.

For example:


Image: linear boleo

Alternatively the \_/ shaped West Manhattan move ends in it cleanly,

For example:


Image: West Manhatten

For example:


Image: West Manhatten boleo

but needs to go into a lunge immediately after

For example:


Image: lunge

Technique:
Animal's shaking out a towel. Imagine shaking sand out a beach towel. There's a whipping motion. The top of the towel (her shoulders) stay pretty much in place, but the bottom flies out and then back (her foot). Following through with leg on the same side as she's doing it is popular. Can still go into lunge even if she doesn't boleo. Lead closes embrace to add impulse and then extends embrace and lead leans back into it like a colgada. NB The foot you want to boleo must be free of the ground before you start ie she's started stepping.

It is easier to lead the initial impulse in cross system.

The impulse comes from the body through the arms, rather than from the arms.

In close embrace rather than opening or closing the embrace it's more a feeling of "stretching the follow up"

Chains

Can extend the side version into a lunge.

Forward linear boleo

Forward Lunge

Living dangerously - Bianca's back boleo

Entrance Need to build up momentum for a forward boleo. Can be done 1. From giro, on forward ocho change direction and overturn to get front boleo, then reverse her through 180 and she'll naturally boleo between your legs. 2. From b sacada to b boleo to f boleo then reverse her through 180 and she'll naturally boleo between your legs.

For example:


Image: Bianca's back ocho

Technique:

Need to imagine Bianca standing off to one side and you're going to ask her at the end what she thought. Get's you to turn more to face her which creates the necessary space for the frame. You don't stand in horse stance behind her, but rather leaning to one side, more in cat stance so you can face "Bianca". Your unweighted leg is the one that's going to be ganchoed.

Can also be done with the lead in this stance.

For example:


Image: Bianca's back ocho 2

From a gancho / enganche

Technique:
Lead straightens leg to impel her off.

Castigada

Principle - punishment! (it's quite hard work on her thigh, particularly if done slowly, high and straight up to the top)

Entrance
Sidestep left to lady sandwiching lead's right, gancho. Pause. Sacada her off into b ocho and reverse. Open out slightly and lead's right foot pivots cw slightly and moves down to towards the toes of her right foot. She should castigada on her own (it's an adornment)

For example:


Image: Castigada

 - Christopher O'Shea