Sacadas workshop at Dance Conmigo May 25th 2012

Dance Conmigo teaches private and group classes in Montreal http://www.danceconmigo.com/tango

This was a Sacadas Workshop hosted by Alain Guillot and Cheryl Williams  held at Dance Conmigo studio on May 26th from 13h00 to 14h30.

Sacada means displacement of a leg or foot by the partner’s leg or foot or whole body. Sacadas can be discrete and hardly noticeable or big and flashy. In this video we did some Sacadas that were physically challenging, but very fun to do and visually attractive.

Role Reversal in Tango

Dance Conmigo offer private and group tango classes as well as instructional dance videos. http://www.danceconmigo.com/tango

It happens often during private classes that I guide a leader to better show him what the follower is supposed to feel and I ask a follower to guide me, so that she can better understand what the leader is asking of her.

If from time to time we decide to reverse roles we can enhance the appreciation of each other and we can see the dance from another perspective.

 By understanding the other dancer's role, we can improve our connection and confidence when we hit the dance floor.

Alain

Tango Foot push, Sacada, Body wrap (Dance Conmigo)

Dance Conmigo offers private and group classes http://www.danceconmigo.com/tango
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We did a nice decoration. The leader bring the follower into a sentada  position, then he searches contact with her foot and pushes it into the air. When She is coming, back, he guides a back ocho.

We also worked with a Sacada and a body wrap.

Tango and Blues, a beautiful marriage

Tango demo by Nick and Tara at the end of class at the Denver Blues Summit 2008

To learn Tango in Montreal Canada, Dance Conmigo offers private and group classes. In addition, Dance Conmigo organizes a party the first Saturday of the month with three dance floors, one of witch is for Argentine Tango. The next party will be April 7th 2012.

Back Volcadas

Dance Conmigo offers private and group classes.
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I use Back Volcadas as a decorative step or as a complement to some other move.

The way I do it is by doing my regular 1 & 2 of the basic. On 3, I step outside partner and after transferring my weight on the right foot, I guide a small but dry and firm "J" movements with my torso.

If my partners' right leg is loose enough to be guided, her leg would do a small (or big, depending on the energy given) circular movement that would culminate by hooking behind her left foot. At the end of the circular movement and the hooking behind, she will transfer her weight to her right foot.

The leader would rotate her shoulder to help her liberate her left foot and he will guide her out by doing a regular 3,4,5 or by guiding many other back volcada.

To see our class calendar go here: http://www.danceconmigo.com/schedule

Tango Rotations #2 (Dance Conmigo)

Dance Conmigo offers private and group classes.
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Tango 2 lesson 5 Giros, Barrida, Gancho

Dance Conmigo offers private and group classes.
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-In this video we did a basic Giro exercise,

-Then we did a Giro in which both, leader and follower, walk around each other.

- We did the same exercise by leader staying in place and follower walking around the leader.

- Finally we added some sacadas, Barriada and Ganchos to our giros.

Changing directions with a Carrusel

Dance Conmigo offers private and group classes.
www.danceconmigo.com

Dance Teacher: Alain Guillot and Jade Pollack

Carrusel is a wonderful way to change directions. Once you get used to it, you can change direction on a dime.

A la Gran Muñeca - Carlos Di Sarli Y Su Orquesta Típica

Dance Conmigo offers private and group classes.
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Dancers: Alain and Halina.

Alain and Halina dance for fun.

The Square, lesson #13

Dance Conmigo offers private and group classes
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Dance Teacher: Alain Guillot and Jade Pollack

This is the simplest step that I know. It is called Square. It is a great exercise that will give us the flexibility of many more movements to come.

Tango Giros. Giro for both partners, Giro for her, Giro with Sacada

Dance Conmigo offers private and group classes.
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Giro is one more way of walking for the follower. She goes front, open, back, open. Like in everything in Tango, there is no set routine. She just follows the leader's shoulders and his energy.

Two important elements are the constant brushing of her feet between each step and the pivoting so that she can step with ease.

Changing directions. Lesson 10

Dance Conmigo offers private and group classes.
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Very often a leader needs to change direction (mostly to avoid bumping into other couples)

A simple way to change direction is by doing a bounce on "5" and then doing a pivot on 2 and 3. The change of direction could be as much as 180 degrees or as little as one eight of a turn.

Also, the bounce could be initiated from the simple walk. The leader could create the bounce at any time that he is stepping forward with the left foot.

Try this exercise several time and let me know how it woks out for you.

Extension on "4". Lesson 9

Dance Conmigo offers private and group classes.
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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.

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.