Instructors: Homer & Cristina Ladas
http://theorganictangoschool.org/
England International Tango Festival
May 30, 2016, Ardingly College, England
The music for our entire class was D’Arienzo.
Rock Steps
We began with doing rock steps. Don’t move your body too
much, and do not do too much back and forth. Do not collect all the way in the
footwork.
The first movement is a reach, put weight onto the front
step, but not too much, the back step lefts.
So it is:
Touch Quick Forward Step (not with all weight, but to
enter the new space)
Lift Quick Back Step (heel lifts)
Step Slow Forward Step (with all the weight)
Touch Quick Forward Step (not with all weight, but to
enter the new space)
Lift Quick Back Step (heel lifts)
Step Slow Forward Step (with all the weight)
We did this in walk forward, interrupted by a circle
pattern, where we were to be mindful to keep our back heel off the ground.
In a circle, we were to do the same exercise, but now walk
backward:
Reach Back Sink a little bit
Lift Forward
Step Back Take a tiny step back
We were to make small steps.
In partnership in open embrace, in the line of dance, we did
the rockstep:
Reach Quick
Lift Quick
Step Slow
Reach Quick
Lift Quick
Step Slow
Next, we tried to funkify it.
We were to keep it in parallel, but take it to the side inside or outside, and try turning
(both open ad close side), while keeping rocksteps tight. We drilled these parallel rock steps, both
inside and outside, on the open or close side of the embrace.
At the limiting case, there is no back step, just all
forward steps. We can add a little bit
of going back. This was an exercise in
control.
Next, we did the Snake
Walk.
Leader does sneak attack weight change.
In open embrace.
Leader’s right foot forward / Follower’s right foot back
Leader’s feet touch the inside edge of Follower’s feet
Follower walks straight back and not too long in stride, but
just makes the perfect back step. If her
step is too long, she will pull the Leader to her / off axis. Follower should
pay attention to how much of a reach the Leader is asking of her
This is called the Snake Walk because the Leader’s step go
across his body with each step to go across the Follower’s path.
Leader should use the “I have to pee” way of keeping his
upper legs/inside thighs together as they go across his body.
Follower should employ the perfect back step (in reach,
weight transfer, and collection, walking in a straight line).
We drilled this.
Next, in close embrace, we were to do back ochos with no
pivots (walking back cross).
In open embrace, Leader does sneak attack weight change,
then walks forward while Follower does no pivot back ochos.
Then we added in the rockstep and included the Leader’s
snake walk.
We can do this in parallel or cross system, outside or
inside, at any point in the tango. This
is complete freedom.
We drilled with the Leader going into and out, parallel to
cross system, and turning in both directions.
The easiest way for the Leader to do the sneak attack is to
do two steps with his left foot.
Left
And (weight change without Follower feeling it so she does
not do a weight change)
Left
Eye Candy
This is nice in vals and milonga, and you can make it
travel. It starts and finishes in the
line of dance.
Starting in cross system, do rock step outside, then go
inside in snake walk, then go back out in parallel in a counterclockwise turn.
Leader and Follower start with left foot.
Follower has additional side step when it start to turn
Maestros concluded with a class quiz and demo to D’Arienzo’s
El Puntazo.
Notes courtesy of Anne at http://scoutingtour.blogspot.com
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