Extension on "4". Lesson 9

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This is mostly a decorative step to use when you are stuck in the line of dance and can not advance.

What we did is that on the count of three the leader started to stop his partner back momentum with his hand on her back. The momentum carried the movement until a nice extension was created on the count of "4".

After the extension, the leader stepped back, the follower forward (outside partner); the leader brings his feet together and guides his partner into a front Ocho. After she finishes her Ocho, then can exit the step with 6-7-8 or with a walk.

El amanecer. Music: Roberto Firpo. Orquesta Carlos Di Sarli

Crossing on 5 exercise, lesson 8

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One of the first difficulties that a tango dancer encounter is the guiding of the cross on 5. Is it guided or is it convention? "It is Guided!", but to properly guide it and follow-it, it takes many hours of practice.

In this video I proposed the following exercise: For a whole song, the leader should do the basic until the crossing on "5", Walk forward 3 steps starting with the left and then step outside partner with the right.

Each time that the leader steps outside partner, he would consider that step the step "3" of his basic and guide his partner to the crossing on 5 once again, and on and on.

After this is exercise is done non stop for a whole song (of for several songs) the body will start adopting a natural motion that would allow the leaders to communicate (and the followers to perceive) a crossing with little difficulty.

Please make a comment and let me know if this exercise worked for you.

La Cumparsita (Francisco Canaro) Tango's Most famous song

La Cumparsita (G. Rodriguez/ E.P. Maroni/ P. Contursi), 1952, Francisco Canaro Orchestra. This video contains scenes from Carlos Saura's 1998 film "Tango" and other images.


Tango's Most Famous Song The cafe 'La Giralda' in Montevideo, Uruguay, occupies a special place in Tango history. It was there in the year 1917 that a young Gerardo Matos Rodriguez gave (anonymously) the music score of a tango he had written to the orchestra of Roberto Firpo to play for the first time. Gerardo was then an adolescent (17 years old) who was barely making it as a student in the faculty of Architecture in Montevideo. Was it modesty? shyness? fear of ridicule? who knows why he wanted to remain anonymous? Firpo only knew that the name of the young composer was Gerardo. It was only later that the full identity of the author was known. He was young, educated, well mannered and sensible. He was also a bit naive. He sold for 20 pesos his rights of authorship to the Breyer publishing house. After some moderate success the composition was forgotten. Seven years later, in 1924, Gerardo was living in Paris and he met Francisco Canaro who had just arrived with his orchestra. That's when he found out that La Cumparsita was a major hit. The tango lyricists Enrique Maroni and Pascual Contursi had added words to the tango and renamed it 'Si Supieras'--If you knew. All of Buenos Aires was hearing, dancing, and demanding to buy the score for the tango that was seemingly everywhere in shows, recordings, and broadcasts. Shortly after, La Cumparsita arrived in Paris where, in the full grip of the roaring 20's, people danced charlestons, shimmys, one-steps, bostons, and when the crowd asked for a tango, they danced La Cumparsita. From Paris La Cumparsita spread to the four corners of the world and has since and forever after become synonymous with Tango.

Bahia Blanca (Carlos Di Sarli)

Walking Exercises, Lesson 7

In this exercise, we would like to add variety to our walking. Usually, when we go to milongas, we have no choice but to constantly move forward. The traffic and the Tango etiquette does not allow us to stay in one place for too long.

What we did here is that we started walking right in front of our partner. Eventually, to add variety to our walking or in preparation for some upcoming pattern, the leader decided to walk on the right side of the partner. The leader walks outside partner but with his shoulder, he makes her feel as if he is in front of her all the time. She should not feel any movement in her upper body that would make change her walk.

If walking to her right goes without difficulty, the leader could try to walk on her left side. Remember no to disturb  her frame and to make her feel as if you are right in front of her all the time.

Eventually, the leader could be switching from one side to the other without any effort.

This step is the fist of many that would add diversity to the way that you advance in the dance floor.

Jiros

In this videos, we did Giros.

In this video we started the movement from our "5" of the basic, but there are a great variety of moments from which the jiros can be initiated.

The whole purpose of the jiro is for the follower to walk around the leader while following a common pattern, although there are exceptions, the most common pattern is for the follower to step forward as in a front ocho, brush her feet and open her legs (about shoulder length), brush feet and step back and repeat this pattern until she has done a complete turn around the leader . All this movements should be executed while keeping her shoulder towards the leader.

Volcadas

This video was recorded about 2 years ago. Volcadas is one of my favorite off-axis movements. We went through different combinations. In the near future we will doing a few themes classes with Volcadas included.

In the Volcada, the leader takes the follower off her axis, usually forward with a circular energy. This energy initiated at the shoulder level is followed by the follower from her shoulders all the way down to her leg. Usually a long and slow volcada gives a sensual and dramatic look.

Advanced Tango Combination Video #3

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1. In this video we started with a regular beginning on "2"
2. We continued our basic until "5"
3. On "6" the leader started rotating his basic,
7. On "7" we continued our rotation
8. On "8" we initiated a simultaneous Back Ocho.
9. The Back Ocho was followed by a small Boleo
10. The follow steps forward while leader walks back
11. One more time.
12. Follow walks by while leader spirals
13. Leader steps in between the follower's leg,
14. One more time
15. One more walk
16. Cross system, 3-4-5-6-7-8.

Dancers:
Alain Guillot & Jade Pollack

Energy and Direction, Lesson 6

Dance Conmigo offers private and group classes.
All our Tango videos can be found at http://tangodanceconmigo.blogspot.com/
www.danceconmigo.com

Tango is different from many other dance in a way that it give us a lot of freedom in regards to patterns, direction, energy and musicality.

In this video, we talk about the ability to start the dance in which ever direction and energy as the leader desires. In a crowded space he will probably start forward or to the side with small movements. In a place with lots of space, there is to restrictions, the leader could decide to start in any direction and with any amount of energy to get the desired effect.

This is an exercise that merits lots of experimentation. Play with it... Do small steps, big steps, test all the different directions in which you could start the dance an make some comments. I like to know how you did.

Variation of back ochos, Lesson #5

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In this video we worked on Back Ochos and their variations. On Back Ochos, we are not obliged to stay in one place. We can make a gradual progression or we can progress in a manner that allow us to advance even more.

In Tango, we are supposed to advance in the dance floor. This Back Ochos variation allow us to do just that... Advance while you are doing an interesting movement.

Beginner Tango Lesson #4, Back Ochos

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In this video we worked on "Back Ochos"

1. We generally start to the side on "2"
2. As the leader closes on 2, he pivots his partner
3. Ladies, after you are pivoted, you are ready to start your Back Ocho
4. Leader change weight and with his left, steps to the left.
5. He pivots his partner and steps to the right
6. He can repeat steps 4 & 5 as many times as he likes,
7, Finally, he switches weight when he is on the right side,
8 and finish his basic, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 & 8.

Beginner Tango Lesson #3, Front Ochos

Dance Conmigo offers Private and group Tango Classes in the Montreal Area.
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In this video we worked on "Front Ochos"

1. We generally start to the side on "2"
3. Step outside partner on "3"
4. Step in front of partner on "4"
5. Cross on "5"
6. At this point the leader pivot the follower shoulders
7. The follower liberates her feet
8. Leader steps diagonal back and forth
9. Follower steps forward, pivot and steps forward several times.
10. Finally the follower closes on "5"
11. Dancers finishes on "6-7-8"