5 posts tagged “group class”

I returned to the Argentine Tango class at Starlite. We learned the following moves: Cadena ("chain"), Parada ("to stop"), Ocho and Resolución.

The leader's steps of Cadena are:
1. Step forward with the left foot.
2. Pivot on the left foot and rotate to the left (maintain scissors stance?). I should not shift my weight to the right foot, should I?
3. (Probably shift the weight to the right foot, then...) Step backward with the left foot.
4. Cross the right foot in front of the left foot and rotate to the left a little. Switch the weight to the right foot.

The leader can repeat the above steps. The leader begins with step 1 and the follower begins with step 3 at the same time. Then leader and follower perform subsequent steps accordingly.  As further explanation, after the follower completes step 4, she performs step 1 while the leader performs step 3.

There is an option on step 4. The dancer can do Boleo before switching his or her weight.

Prior to doing Cadena, the leader stepped to the left with the left foot, closed the right foot and shifted the weight to the right foot. And we did Cadena two times. Then. the leader did Parada with the left foot. We would use the right foot if we did Boleo.

After Boleo, we did one Ocho (forward). A follower's move, Media Luna, was taught. This is a follower's embellishment move. It is called Lustrada. The leaders should take time after Ocho, so the followers can do Media Luna. After that, the follower passed her left foot over the leader's left foot (Pasada?). Then, the leader pivoted on the left foot to the left and become parallel with the follower. We finished with Resolución.

About the previous class: [Dance] Argentine Tango group class No. 4

Here are the steps I learned at the Argentine Tango group class:
1. Move to the left with the left foot.
2. Move forward diagonally to the left with the right foot.
3. Move forward diagonally to the left with the left foot. Send the signal of the Cruzada.
4. Pause and send the follower out. She does the Cruzada. Change the hand position from the follower's waist to under the follower's armpit. This allows more distance between us.
5. Rotate the upper body to the right. The right shoulder needs to be pulled back, so that the follower can move forward. Then, move forward with the right foot and pivot on the right foot to the right (Ocho).
6. Rotate the upper body to the left. Make the follower move forward. Move forward with the left foot and pivot on the left foot to the left (Ocho).
7. Rotate the upper body to the right. Make the follower move forward. Move forward with the right foot and start pivoting on the right foot to the right.
8. Keep pivoting to the right and step to the side with the left foot. Split the weight on both feet, but don't kill the momentum of the rotation because the follower still needs to move to my right.
9. Rotate the upper body to the right. Shift the weight to the right foot?
10. Move the right hand to the follower’s waist. Rotate the follower to the left (Ocho for the follower?).
11. Move forward with the left foot.
12. Move forward with the right foot. Send the signal of the Cruzada.
13. Wait for the follower to finish the Cruzada. No weight change for the leader.
14. Do the Resolución.

About the previous class: [Dance] Argentine Tango group class No. 3

This week's Argentine Tango group class was a little bit difficult for me. At first, we started with the basic steps and modified them. Here are the steps:
1. Move backward with the right foot./Move the right foot backward. (It doesn’t have meaning of shifting the weight)
2. Move to the left with the left foot.
3. Move forward diagonally to the left with the right foot
4. Move forward diagonally to the left with the left foot. Send the signal of the Cruzada.
5. Rotate her to the right. Step to her outside with the right foot.
6. Rotate her to the left. Step to her outside with the left foot.
7. Move forward diagonally to the left with the right foot. Send the signal of the Cruzada.
8. Move forward with the left foot.
9. Move to the right with the right foot.
10. Squeeze the left foot to the right foot.

Today, at the beginning of the routine the leaders moved backward with their right feet. The next three steps, from step 2 to step 4, were the usual basic steps. One of the difficult parts was step 5. Usually, this step is squeezing the right foot to the left foot. A tip the teacher gave us was to rotate follower to the right before moving the right foot.
At first, I couldn't repeat the sequence. I shifted my weight to my left foot when I finished step 10. But, it didn’t seem easy for follow for the ladies. I asked the teacher about this and he said I can move backward with my left foot after step 10 and continue from the beginning. I practiced with several ladies and it worked most of the time.
By the way, the sequence of the last three steps, from step 8 to step 10, is called Resolución.

Then, we did the Boleo. The teacher said this is a move that deceives. At first, we did a simple sequence like this:
1. Move to the left with the left foot and rotate to the left to make the follower swivel to the left. Before she finishes her swivel, rotate her to the right.
2. Cross the right foot in front of the left foot.
3. Move to the left with the left foot.
4. Squeeze the right foot to the left foot.

In step 1, if I wait for her to complete her swivel she may step backward with her left foot (she is pivoting on her right foot), so I should reverse the rotation before she takes another step. This is the "deceiving" part.

After that, we did a combination of Boleo and Espejo. Here are the steps:
1. Move to the left with the left foot and squeeze the right foot to the left foot. Shift the weight to the right foot immediately.
2. Move forward with the left foot and rotate her to the right (Ocho to the back). Squeeze the right foot to the left foot without shifting the weight.
3. Move to the right with the right foot and rotate her to the left. Squeeze the left foot to the right foot without shifting the weight.
4. Move to the left with the left foot and rotate her to the right. Squeeze the right foot to the left foot without shifting the weight.
5. Move to the right with the right foot and rotate her to the left. Then, rotate her to the right (Boleo).
6. Squeeze the left foot to the right foot and shift the weight to the left foot. Cross the right foot in front of the left foot right after the weight is shifted.
7. Move to the left with the left foot.
8 Squeeze the right foot to the left foot.

Steps 3 and 4 can be repeated.

About the previous class: [Dance] Argentine Tango group class No. 2

I went to Starlite again for the Argentine Tango group class. We learned a basic routine, Molinete and a variation of Molinete. The basic routine went like this:
1. Do the basic steps until Cruzada.
2. Move forward with the left foot.
3. Shift weight to the right foot.
4. Pivot on the right foot toward the left and move the left foot to the side.
5. Move forward diagonally to the left with the right foot.
6. Move forward diagonally to the left with the left foot and lead the follower into the Cruzada.
7. Close the right foot to the left foot.

The teacher told us that if the follower moves her weight to the wrong foot, the leader can take an extra step to match up with her as follows:
1. Move forward with the left foot.
2. Squeeze the right foot to the left foot.
3. Move forward with the left foot.
The above steps are performed in two beats (1 - step 1; & - step 2; 2 - step 3).

The Molinete involves moving in a box with two rotations. Here is how it went:
1. Move forward with the right foot and pivot on the right foot to the right 180 degrees.
2. Move to the left with the left foot and pivot on the left to the right 180 degrees.
3. Move backward with the right foot.
4. Move to the left with the left foot.
While pivoting in the second step it was difficult to maintain my balance.

And here is a variation of the Molinete:
1. Move to the left with the left foot.
2. Move forward with the right foot and pivot on the right foot to the right. Once the rotation has been completed, move the weight to the left foot; the right foot should be free. The latter instruction is only for leaders.
3. Move backward with right foot.
4. Move to the left with the left foot.
5. Move forward with right foot and start pivoting on the right foot to the right.
6. Keep rotating to the right. Once the follower is in front of the leader, move to the left with the left foot.
7. Rotate the body and pivot the feet to the right without lifting feet (twisting); move backward with the right foot.
8. Repeat steps 4 through 7.
We didn’t learn how to get out of this routine because there was not enough time.

About the previous class: [Dance] Argentine Tango group class

I started going to an Argentine Tango group class at Starlite. At first, I was not sure how to lead the Cruzada. Cruzada means "crossed"; in this case, Cruzada refers to the position of the legs. I was not sure how my partner was supposed to physically feel when doing this move. The correct way of leading the Cruzada is when the follower's right foot touches the floor, the leader should push her with his right forearm toward the left. This "push" is actually a pulse instead of a continuous push. Also, my parm is on her back, so I can't use my hand to lead this move.
Then, we learned the Cadencia. The Cadencia seemed similar to the Tango Rocks in the American Tango. The teacher said we can put the Cadencia anytime, anywhere.
Tonight's routine went like this:
1. Move to the left with the left foot.
2. Move forward diagonally to the left with the right foot.
3. Move forward diagonally to the left with the left foot. The follower moves her right foot backward. When her right foot touches the floor, push her to the left with the right forearm.
4. Move the right foot close to the left foot. The follower crosses her left foot in front of her right foot. This is the Cruzada.
5. Pivot on the right foot to the left a little.
6. Move backward with the left foot.
7. Pivot on the left foot to the right. Now, the follower is on the left.
8. Move backward with the right foot.
9. Pivot on the right foot to the left.
There were two options from here:
10. Move forward with the left foot
11. Move to the right with the right foot.
12. Move the left foot close to the right foot.
Or:
10. Repeat from step 1.

A Guide to Tango Terminology