Thursday, May 31, 2018

Leg Wraps into Colgada Turns (Beyond Intermediate)

Song: Amazing Grace by Blind Boys of Alabama
Instructors: Homer & Cristina Ladas
http://theorganictangoschool.org/
England International Tango Festival
Tonbridge, Kent, United Kingdom
May 26-28, 2018


The pattern: Colgada from promenade exiting into a colgada turn.

Get into promenade without doing a colgada.  Leader does sneak attack weight change, so Leader’s left foot to Follower’s left foot, Leader’s right foot to Follower’s right foot, as they both walk forward together. Leader does sneak attack weight change to Follower’s right foot, to invite Follower to walk around Leader. The Leader’s right foot touches the Follower’s right foot and he sends her out a little to the right, doing a parada, after which the Follower pasadas with her left foot so she steps back in front of Leader and pivots to face him.  The Leader should enable the Follower to make the longest step possible around in front of the Leader. 

When the Leader does a sneak attack weight change to meet the Follower’s right foot, his weight is still back on his left foot.  He should not try to knock the Follower away to the right.  Leader can do a small cheat step if he wants (cross behind with his left foot) to help facilitate the Follower getting around the Leader.

Adding the colgada element.
When the Leader’s right foot captures the Follower’s right foot, he can send her out in the Line of Power, diagonally out. Here the Leader MUST do the left foot cross behind cheat step so the Follower can step around and in front of the Leader. 
Try to get a “real” colgada instead of a “fake” or “safe” one.

The Follower hangs from the Leader with both sides of her embrace and weight of her hips out and away from the Leader.
Leader needs to be strong in his left arm/hand – connect it to his back as as he starts to turn the Follower is still in colgada.

The Follower leaves her nose back as her left leg goes forward to reach around Leader.
The Colgada ends when the Follower’s foot lands on the ground and she takes back her axis.

Before the Colgada turn, the Leader can lead the Follower to do a wrap, by offering his right leg in Captain Morgan stance as she is out and away form Leader with her right leg weighted and left leg is free.

We drilled this with the Leader’s right foot to Follower’s right foot capture, sending the Follower out to lead her to do a left lag wrap of the Leader’s right leg in Captain Morgan stance, into a pasada (where the Leader does a cheat step of his left foot diagonally back so she has to step forward around the Leader).

Leading the wrap:  The Leader offers his right leg in Captain Morgan stance, sends the Follower out and rebounds her into the wrap.  He can do several wraps in a row (though no more than 3), and then lead her to step over in pasada.

At the moment of colgada, the Leader has zero (no) turn.  He is just sending the Follower into the Line of Power and then back in. She doesn’t need to look down to see if there is space.  She knows because she can feel his leg, that’s how she knows there is space. She doesn’t have to see or guess.  The Leader leads it by giving her space with his right leg. 

“The Thighs Have Eyes”.  Leader sends Follower out in the Line of Power, brings her in so she’s back on axis, and she feels his Captain Morgan leg.  The Leader needs to meat the Follower’s height, especially if she is very tall or very short.  Leader has no rotation in his spine while leading the wrap.  Leader does Captain Morgan with his unweighted right leg as she does her turn/hiro/molinete, he slides his Captain Morgan leg on the Follower’s side step, so she wraps with her other foot.  The turn is in the open embrace with the Follower’s steps long and around the Leader.  Follower should not fall on the back step. 

Turn wrap to the right.

At the point of the Follower’s side step after her forward step and before her back step, the Leader can lead multiple sequential wraps by turning his Captain Morgan leg in and out and rotating his spine/chest.  She will wrap with alternating legs.

Exit: After the wrap/gancho, the Leader should continue the Follower’s turn to the right.  The Leader gently transfers his weight to his right, and then continues the Follower’s turn. The Follower’s hips should be pointed toward the Leader and remain closed to have a juicy squeeze of the Leader’s legs.

Colgada wrap after a turn. 
Timing is tricky, because the Follower’s step is forward after the wrap.  Even though the turn continues, the natural step is a back step.  The Leader steps side and cross behind to create room for the Follower to step forward and around the Leader.  The Leader does cheat step diagonally back with his right foot.

Follower’s right foot wrap.  Leader shifts weight and pivots around Follower and takes his cheat step so Follower walks around Leader.

Maestros concluded with a class quiz/summary with demo to Amazing Grace by the Blind Boys of Alabama

Notes courtesy of Anne at http://scoutingtour.blogspot.com


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