Class Notes: 5th July 2009

6th July 2009

(Week 1 Notes | Week 2 Notes | Week 3 Notes | Week 4 Notes)

Introduction

We started off partnering-up and walking around the room to music, to get us in the mood.

(The main practice track played throughout the class was "Epoca", by Gotan Project, from the album "La Revancha del Tango")

Connecting with your partner

I talked throughout the class about the importance of connection. Some of the key points:

  • Connect with your partner at all times.
  • If you lose connection, stop and re-establish it.
  • Take time at the start of the dance to connect.
  • Relax whilst you dance; if you don't, your partner will feel it
  • Confidence: Leaders, don't be gentlemen, be clear and definite about what you want. Leaders must continuously project a sure and confident lead.
  • Trust: Similarly, followers must coninuously follow the lead, and must trust the leader, and their own instincts.

Walking correctly

Talking about walking...

  • Take your time with walking, you don't need to step on each beat
  • Ensure you walk in a straight line - no diagonal steps
  • When walking forward, place your forward foot at the inside of the follower's forward foot - especially important with the left foot, as otherwise there's a tendency to place the foot on the outside of the follower's fowards foot.
  • Project first with your chest, and wait for the follower to move her feet back before you start to step. So, for each step, the sequence is:
    1. Leader initiates the lead (chest movement)
    2. Follower starts to move based on the lead
    3. Leader steps (leader only steps once the lady has started to step).

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Sidesteps

You can use the side step to navigate around obstacles, and to launch into other steps such as ochos and giros.

Key points:

  • Difference between leading a change of weight and a side step.
  • Keep the feet together - for both leaders and followers

Rocksteps

You can use the rock-step to navigate around corners, to pause in the dance, and to decorate / vary the steps.

Like a normal step, it's done either forwards or backwards. And like a normal step, any rotation should only happen after taking the step - so don't step diagonally.

The forwards-and-back rock-step is similar to the side-to-side transfer of weight used to establish connection at the start of the dance (the "balanaceo").

Tips:

  • Still walking forwards and back, just smaller
  • Rotate at the end points, not whilst walking
  • Keep rotation angles small.

Ochos (Pivots)

Leading ochos, by rotating the chest, pivotting your partner.

Can be useful to lead these from practice hold (sometimes, even with the leader's hands behind his back), to ensure that the leader leads explicitly from the chest (centre), rather than using the arms to lead.

Switching from forwards to back ochos and vice versa - by simply not pivoting the follower.

  • An ocho is a pivot, then a step - that's all.
  • But, the pivot needs to be done before the step...
  • Leading: Leaders must pivot their upper bodies; not the arms. Pivot, don't push.

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- David Bailey, 6th July 2009