Creating Seamless Transitions (Advanced)

Instructors: Homer & Cristina Ladas
http://theorganictangoschool.org/
Tucson Tango Festival
April 19, 2024

 

In our class we were to create seamless transitions that flow and are not abrupt, with a focus on extreme transitions going from extremely close embrace (like in Volcadas) to extremely open embrace (like in Colgadas) and playing with the axis (on and off).  

To one song, we would open and close the embrace with a pattern that works socially and include both a colgada and a volcada.  Since this was an advance class, we would not go into great detail regarding how to do colgadas or volcadas or any of the other steps in the pattern.

 

In close embrace, we began with a Leader’s right foot rock step / Follower’s left foot rock step on the close side of the embrace, to turn clockwise with the Leader’s right foot catching the Follower’s left foot side step.  (IMPORTANT NOTE: The Follower’s side step arrives first, then the Leader’s side step catches the Follower’s side step.) Then Leader shifts weight and opens the embrace to send the Follower out in Colgada while her left foot is weighted, so she can raise her right leg and then step over with her right foot around the Leader. This is called the Hard Side Stepover Colgada.  The Leader’s embrace shifts as his right supporting hand goes to the outside of the Follower’s left lats.  Leader does a cheat step around the Follower.  After her right foot stepover, they transition back to close embrace.

 

Finer point: THE LINE OF POWER: Two points of the Leader’s feet are in a line, indicating the direction of where the Follower's hips will go. The Follower's hips go out straight: that's the line of power.  So there is a linear sendoff in the line of power, and Follower has good support.

 

The Leader leads a turn, which causes the Follower to lift her right leg in preparation for her to do her forward step after her hips are sent out in the Line of Power.

 

The Leader leads the Follower to just transfer her weight and not do an actual side step.  In the Colgada moment, the Leader is the mountain and the Follower is the climber, so he should be engaged in both his left and right hands as she raises her left leg.  

 

The Leader should finish on his right foot to be closer to the Follower and end really holding on to the Follower during the Kodak Moment when she is on her left foot, her left hip is out and away, and her right leg is up while his body counterweights her hip as it is out.  He can even hold this pose before moving through the movement.

 

From the Colgada, after the Follower steps over, the Leader brings her immediately back into very close embrace to lead a left foot Volcada, and driving her left foot back into a front cross of her left foot against her weighted right foot. He then opens up the embrace more to send her back out, freeing her right leg out and back.  He then brings her back in in closer embrace to lead her right leg to wrap against his right leg.  

 

The Leader does a left foot side step to supply volcada support as the Follower steps left foot forward.

 

Pattern summary:

In close embrace in line of dance

Leader’s right foot/Follower’s left foot rock step on close side of the embrace

Follower’s left foot side step/Leader’s right foot catch of Follower’s left foot (captures the moon).

Leader opens the embrace

Leader sends Follower out in Colgada while she is on her left weighted foot.

Follower lifts her right leg as Leader counterbalances her with good support (Kodak moment)

Leader makes little cheat step around

Leader turns, pivoting on his forward heel

Follower steps over with right foot in curved step around Leader, with them turning to get back into line of dance

In open embrace, Leader leads Follower’s Left Foot Volcada

Getting into close embrace Leader drives Follower’s left foot volcada to close against her weighted right foot, going deep enough to touch thigh to thigh

Leader sends the Follower back out a little in Colgada energy, freeing her right leg to go back out and away

Leader brings Follower back in toward him, as well as her right free leg, which wraps around his right leg.

Her right leg then goes back out to normal resolution.

 

Maestros concluded with a video class summary and demo to Idea 10 by Gibran Alococer

 

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