5 posts tagged “traspié”

We did Ocho Cortado in the beginner class. We did the same routine before and it was blogged in "[Dance] Nora's Argentine Tango No.9". The steps go like this:
1. (S) Step backward with the right foot.
2. (S) Step to the left with the left foot.
3. (S) Step forward with the right foot.
4. (Q) Step forward with the left foot. Do not shift the weight to the left foot completely.
5. (Q) Shift the weight to the right foot.
6. (S) Step backward with the left foot.
7. (Q) Rotate the body to the right about 90 degrees. Then take a small step to the right with the right foot.
8. (Q) Squeeze the left foot to the right foot then shift the weight to the left foot. Rotate the body to the left to the neutral position. The follower crosses the left foot in front of the right foot.
9. (S) Close the right foot to the left foot.
10. (S) Step forward with the left foot.
11. (S) Step to the right with the right foot.
12. (S) Close the left foot to the right foot.

* Note:
S: Slow
Q: Quick

There is some additional information. In step 7, the leader should lead the follower to shift their weight to the left foot. In step 8, the leader should not move to the left too much when the weight is shifting to the left foot. Nora suggested that I pull my chest in a little while rotating my body. I think the leader is the axis of the rotation and the distance between the dancers should not change.

We did a variation of this move. We changed steps 7, 8 and 9. The modified steps go like this:
7. (Q) Rotate the body to the right about 90 degrees. Squeeze the right foot to the left foot. No weight change is necessary. Once the follower shifts the weight to the left foot, stop the follower's right foot with the leader's right foot.
8. (Q) Rotate the body to the left to the neutral position. (What to do with the right foot???)
9. (S) Close the right foot to the left foot.

We did a routine consisting of Ocho, Molinete, Rulo, Parada, Contra Molinete, Rulo, Parada and Colgada in the advanced class. The routine goes like this:
1-5. The same as the basic steps.
6. Rotate the upper body to the left a little to unlock the follower's crossed feet. Step backward with the left foot. Squeeze the right foot to the left foot without shifting the weight. Lead the follower into Ocho (clockwise).
7. Move the follower forward using the right arm. (the beginning of Molinete)
8. Open the left shoulder to the left. Move the follower to the left.
9. Shift the weight to the right foot. Start pivoting to the left. Do Rulo with the left foot.
10. Stop the rotation (Parada) and push the left foot forward in between the follower's feet.
11. Close the left foot to the right foot and move the follower forward.
12. Pivot on both feet while the follower is performing Contra Molinete. The feet are twisted and the right foot is crossed in front of the left foot. Do Rulo with the right foot.
13. Stop the rotation (Parada) and push the right foot forward in between the follower's feet.
14. Shift the weight to the right foot and pivot to the left.

I'm having difficulty performing Parada. I couldn't stop my partner at the appropriate time. I'm guessing that I rotated my body too much.

About the previous class: [Dance] Nora's Argentine Tango No.12

I took the advanced class for the first time. We did a routine that consists of Media Vuelta, Traspié, Sacada and Gancho. The routine goes like this:
1. Step backward with the right foot.
2. Step to the left with the left foot.
3. Step forward with the right foot. Start moving the follower to the left. (Media Vuelta)
4. Wait for the follower to step to the right (the leader's left).
5. Step forward with the left foot and stop the follower. Don't let the follower commit to the weight change.
6. Shift the weight to the right foot. Move the follower to the right.
7. Close the left foot to the right foot and stop the follower.  Don't let the follower commit to the weight change. (Traspié)
8. Step forward with the right foot.
9. Pivot on the right foot to the right. Move the follower to the left (the leader's right). Put the left foot in between the follower's feet. (Sacada)
10. Shift the weight to the left foot. Don't let the follower step backward. Pivot on the left foot to the right. Close the right foot to the left foot and shift the weight. The follower should be at the leader's left side and the dancers face opposite walls.
11. Put the left foot to the left. The left heel should be inside. The follower does Gancho.
12. Shift the weight to the left foot.

The timing during steps 5 to 8 are Quick, Slow, Quick and Slow. You can listen to this mp3 file.

Traspié

In Milonga, we did steps like this:
1. Step to the left with the left foot.
2. Step forward with the right foot.
3. Open the left shoulder to the left. Sweep the left foot counterclockwise to the back. (Boleo)
4. Put the left foot forward and touch the left heel to the floor. No weight change necessary.
5. Step backward with the left foot.
6. Close the right foot to the left foot and shift the weight.
7. Step forward with the left foot.
8. Step to the right with the right foot.
9. Close the left foot to the right foot.

The timing during steps 7 to 9 are Quick, Quick and Quick.

About the previous class: [Dance] Nora's Argentine Tango No.11

We did an accelerated move and Traspié with Ocho.
The accelerated move goes like this:
1. (S) Step backward with the right foot.
2. (S) Step to the left with the left foot.
3. (S) Step forward with the right foot.
4. (Q) Step forward with the left foot.
5. (Q) Close the right foot to the left foot and shift the weight.
6. (S) Step forward with the left foot
7. (S) Step to the right with the right foot.
8. (S) Close the left foot to the right foot and shift the weight.

S: Slow
Q: Quick

We did Traspié with Ocho before and the move is the same. See blog entry titled "[Dance] Nora's Argentine Tango No.6"

One of the teachers, Ed, told me how to lead Molinete. The steps go like this:
0. Shift the weight to the left foot.
&. Pivot on the left foot to the left. Use the right forearm to rotate the follower to the right. The dancers face the same wall. Put the right foot forward. Don't shift the weight yet.
1. Move the follower forward using the right arm. After that the right arm should be relaxed to give the follower some room to move.
2. Open the left shoulder to the left. Move the follower to the left.
&. Shift the weight to the right foot. Start pivoting to the left.
3. Pivot on both feet to the left. Keep the weight on the right foot. Sweep the left foot to the left, then squeeze the left foot to the right foot. No weight change necessary.
4. Push the left foot forward in between the follower's feet and touch the follower's left heel. Lead the follower into Ocho (counterclockwise).

For the follower, the steps go like this:
0. Shift the weight to the right foot.
&. Pivot on the right foot to the right.
1. Step forward with the left foot. Then pivot on the left foot to the left.
2. Step to the right with the right foot. Then pivot on the right foot to the left.
3. Step backward with the left foot.
&. Step to the right with the right foot.
4. Step forward with the left foot.

Then, the move can finish like this:
5. Open the right shoulder to the right. The follower steps over the leader's left foot.
6. Shift the weight to the left foot while pivoting on the left foot to the right. The dancers face each other.
7. Close the right foot to the left foot and shift the weight to the right foot.
8. Finish with the Resolución.

About the previous class: [Dance] Nora's Argentine Tango No.10

We did the following routine:
1. (S) Step backward with the right foot.
2. (S) Step to the left with the left foot.
3. (S) Step forward with the right foot. Rotate the upper body to the right.
4. (Q) Step forward with the left foot.
5. (Q) Hook the right foot behind the left foot.
6. (S) Pivot on the left foot to the right. Complete a half turn. Switch positions with the follower.
7. (S) Rotate to the left and step to the right with the right foot. This step has to be small.
8. (S) Pivot on the right foot to the right. Complete another half turn. Step forward with the left foot.

Nora told me that step 4 of the basic needs to be a little bigger than the other steps.

About the previous class: [Dance] Nora's Argentine Tango No.5

We learned Milonga. The lesson started with the basic step, Baldosa. Baldosa goes like this:
1. Step backward with the right foot.
2. Step to the left with the left foot.
3. Step forward with the right foot to the outside of the follower.
4. Step forward with the left foot to the outside of the follower.
5. Step to the right with the right foot.
6. Close the left foot to the right foot and shift the weight to the right foot.

After step 6, this routine can be started over from step 1 or step 3.

We added Traspié to the basic steps. Traspié is similar to Cadencia. Traspié can be added to any of the basic steps except step 6.

Then, we added Ocho to the steps. Steps 1 to 4 are the same.
5. Step to the right with the right foot and rotate the lower body to the left.
6. Step backward with the left foot. Move the follower forward and keep the follower to the right. Squeeze the right foot to the left foot and rotate the follower to the right. Shift the weight to the right foot.
7. Move the follower forward. Pivot on the right foot to the left and rotate the follower to the left.

We also learned Grapevine. It goes like this:
1. Step backward with the right foot.
2. Step to the left with the left foot. Rotate the lower body to the left a little.
3. Step forward with the right foot diagonally to the left.
4. Pivot on the right foot to the right and step to the left with the left foot.
5. Pivot on the left foot to the right and step backward with the right foot.
6. Pivot on the right foot to the left and step to the left with the left foot.

This move can be repeated from step 3 once step 6 is performed.

We did two exits for this move. One was the simple exit. The steps are exactly the same as the basic steps from 3 to 6.
The other exit was with Traspié. It goes like this:
7. Step forward with the right foot to the outside of the follower.
8. Step forward with the left foot to the outside of the follower. This needs to be a smaller step.
8'. Step backward with the right foot slightly to the right.
9. Close the left foot to the right foot.

I think the leader starts moving with the right foot after step 9.

About the previous class: [Dance] Argentine Tango group class No. 10