Instructors: Homer & Cristina Ladas
http://theorganictangoschool.org/
England International Tango Festival
Tonbridge, Kent, United Kingdom
May 26-28, 2018
To summarize, we will do two different types of Fast & Furious turning
(1)
open
turn
(2)
hurricane
spin/shared axis turn
Chapter 1 – Open Turn
We began with an
exercise on connection and how to develop our embrace.
The Leader can turn
two ways:
(1)
with
PacPerson feet keeping heels together, trying to do this in both directions.
(2)
Kick
the heel around, where the Leader lifts one heel and kicks around. It takes
about 8 kicks around to make 1 full rotation.
Try both directions, all the way around
In sugar bowl embrace,
the Follower wakes up her embrace on the close and open side, bending the
elbows and holding onto the Leader such that he feels the Follower’s body
behind both points of contact in her hands. Follower: do not be too stiff or
too loose in your embrace. Have density
and elasticity. Use both hands. Be alert in both hands.
In the turn, the
Follower’s back step is the most challenging one in the turn. Each step of the turn should be of equal
importance/significance. Reach and
transfer the weight smoothly as much as you can. There are two pivots on the turn/hiro, in the
forward cross step and back cross step.
At the moment of
collection, the Follower knows she will pivot, so she should gather her legs
together to help the pivot.
Have a dynamic/mindful
connection to help send the body back in a big pivot without falling. Get thighs/ankles together to help with
balance and control at pivot. Have a
smooth frequency in getting around in the turn.
Have lots of spiral in your body.
Leader: Have hips
slightly ahead of the Follower.
To help us get our
spiral on, we did the Washing Machine Exercise: First let chest go around in
rotation, then let hips go to catch up, going a bit farther than the
chest. There are four options in
drilling this exercise:
(1)
Clockwise
on left foot
(2)
Clockwise
on right foot
(3)
Counterclockwise
on left foot
(4)
Counterclockwise
on right foot
Do a block turn.
Leader keeps hips a
little ahead of the Follower. Leader
does PacPerson feet.
We drilled all these
types of turning options for the Leader:
(1)
Washing
machine body, or
(2)
Block
turn with PacPerson feet
(3)
Block
Turn with kick the heel around
Follower, pay attention
to maintaining and containing the Leader’s dynamic energy and put it / reflect
it in the Follower’s legs.
Follower should take
long, reaching steps around the Leader.
In our turn, there is no automatic QQS, we will do all steps Slow in our
exercise: SSSS.
In terms of
language/position and real estate, Homer and Cristina employ the School of
Opposition, where the Follower needs to give resistance when the Leader pulls,
and when the Leader pushes, the Follower needs to push.
Leader screws into the
floor with his standing/supporting leg.
The Follower should be close to the Leader at her hips so the Leader can
do many things (sacadas, ganchos, etc.).
Follower’s arms should be connected to her shoulder blades and back.
We drilled this with
Follower doing a dynamic turn so that the Leader can do either a kick around
leg or kickstand leg on his unweighted leg.
Breaks in the
turn. One side is different from the
other side. The Follower’s left side
reflects the Leader’s standing leg, how it pushes into the floor as the
Follower’s hand gives resistance. The Leader’s right hand feels the same from
the Follower’s left leg. The Leader’s
right hand/arm can move, dropping down toward the follower’s ribs instead of
her on her back depending on her steps of he turn as the Follower’s connection
is her left hand at the Leader’s right upper arm.
We drilled the
accelerated turn, with the Follower containing the energy and maintaining
density that goes through her hips. The
Leader’s kickstand leg just stabilizes the Leader’s axis, it does not motor the
turn, though he does slightly push into the floor. It makes his standing leg
stronger. We drilled this, attempting to
turn on one side at least four times around.
Leader will lead the
acceleration by using his standing supporting leg, whether he does it with
kickstand leg giving power to his standing supporting leg, or washing machine,
or block turn. The Follower receives the
Leader’s leading energy/accelerating energy and responds/contains it in her
hips so she doesn’t go flying around.
Chapter 2: Shared Axis Turning
In a little colgada,
the Leader turns around the Follower’s axis.
Unlike the Follower, he does not have to look pretty.
In close embrace, the
Leader side steps to surround the Follower’s axis as she is on one leg. Leader walks around Follower as his 2 feet
sandwiches her standing, supporting foot.
Follower needs to hold
onto the leader and let her hips go back so she counterweights. Leader does a somewhat open V to A footwork
as he goes quickly around the Follower.
The Follower’s free
leg can paint the floor or she can planeo it out to the side. The Leader needs
room to walk around the Follower, so if she wants to raise her leg, she should keep
it close to the Leader, not outside (which would likely be socially
unacceptable). If the Follower’s leg
goes back in planeo, the balance will change for the Leader and he needs to
adjust for that (or she shouldn’t do it).
Maestros concluded
with a class quiz/summary and demo to song: Tormenta
by Francisco Canaro
Notes courtesy of Anne at http://scoutingtour.blogspot.com
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