Instructors: Homer & Cristina Ladas
http://theorganictangoschool.org/
Tucson Tango Festival
April 19, 2024
All Sacadas (Leader or Follower) are all based on turns.
In our class, we were to explore what we can do versus hanging back a little in the context of sacadas.
In partnership without touching, we began with a precursor to the game, facing each other and transferring weight nice and slow. The Follower should readily transfer weight and go to either side.
The Sacada Game
The dancers face each other with open side steps. The Sacadaing person (actor) does their sacada, the other person (receptor) receives the sacada. The actor transfers weight to their arriving step and raises their free leg while pivoting on the standing leg, and then does an open step in setup to then become the receptor of the other person, who will now become the actor to do a sacada. This is an exercise in creativity with each dancer alternating doing sacadas (his sacada, then her sacada, then his sacada, then her sacada, etc.). Each person needs to create space for the other person to enter. We did this going back and forth, alternating between who is the actor (initiator of the sacada) and who is the receptor (receiver of the sacada).
Level 2 of the Sacada Game
The constraint of being in fingertip hold was added, so we could be connected, or break the embrace when necessary or not. In adding the embrace, each dancer needs to really sense where the other dancer is, but be sure they are really stacked on their standing leg. Each dancer does long reaching side steps, so they can sense the other’s points of contact so both dancers are stable. Actor needs to stack themself really well. Actor rotates only as much as they need to, to lead the receptor to step and arrive on their step. Both Leader and Follower need to turn on their listening skills. Both dancers were to have careful extension and careful transfer of weight, and to pay attention to their partner in their pivots so that they are stable.
Level 3 of the Sacada Game (we did not do this, but just discussed it)
Same as Level 2 of the game, but with 3 people. We can do this in regular embrace and break the embrace.
The difference between Leader and Follower Sacadas are in the timing of the turn:
Leader sacada timing he turns, and reaches while turning, and then follows through.
Follower’s Sacada she reaches first, there is no turn yet.
Exercise:
In Sugar Bowl embrace, the Leader “hypnotizes” the Follower by doing one side step to one side and then a side step to the other side. The Follower follows the Leader’s pace. Both dancers should take long, nice, even side steps. Leader does sneak attack weight change, extending his leg to mark the space, then turns to transfer the weight, to lead the Follower to step forward around. In our exercise, the Leader arrives on his left, then turns to the right to lead the Follower forward around him clockwise. The Leader’s legs should be wide as he rotates his body in the appropriate direction to Lead the Follower to step forward into the Leader in a sacada.
For the success in the both dancers’ forward step in a sacada, they should use good walking technique: extend, push off from standing foot, collect, take a long reaching forward step curved around, make good pivots, activating standing leg, creating projection, have smooth transfer of weight.
The Leader transfers weight and rotates at the same time clockwise, while Follower does right foot forward ocho step. We also did this to the opposite side (Leader rotates counterclockwise, Follower left foot forward ocho step).
The Leader needs to really sense where the Follower is, and be sure she is really stacked on her standing leg, so he can really vacuum and feel her free leg. Follower can take her time. Leader does long reaching side steps in hypnotizing, so he can sense her points of contact so the Follower is stable. Leader needs to stack himself really well. Leader rotates only as much as he needs to, to lead the Follower to step and arrive on her step. Both Leader and Follower need to turn on their listening skills.
Next, we tried doing a few of these sacadas in a row, to wiggle and waggle into the Leader. Follower needs to be clear and use connection in her hands and with the floor. Leader should try to create a vacuum sensation. The Follower is in control with respect to how she arrives with confidence and security to arrive at the sweet spot and connect with the floor and Leader. The Leader rotates just enough to lead the Follower to do a curved step. Leader gets his free leg into Captain Morgan stance:
The Captain Morgan stance is with one heel lifted off the ground, legs wide, weight mostly to one side:
· His nonstanding leg is unweighted and free to pivot in and out in his hip socket so space is offered
· Gives his leg more flexibility.
· Creates space between his legs for her to step into sacada
The Follower’s right foot sacadas the Leader’s right foot when he is in Captain Morgan stance, though we can do this on either side. After Follower does her sacada into him he does a block turn and kicks around. The Follower should really arrive after her sacada and not change weight and not take an unled side step. She should have a good embrace with the Leader and really receive the Leader’s energy but allow flexibility in the embrace to have good reach in her step and be stable. Her embrace should be flexible, dense, and engaged enough.
The Leader should only do Follower’s sacadas with Followers who reach and transfer weight well, and who do not fall into their steps.
Exercise:
In partnership in Sugar bowl embrace, the Leader steps diagonally back and then does another diagonally back step (instead of side steps), so that the Follower steps into the Leader, doing sacadas while she does slightly snaky forward ocho steps.
To get into this, since the Leader is walking against the line of dance for this series of Follower Forward Sacadas into him, he can do several (3-4) of rock steps to turn the dancers back into the correct line of dance, whereby he will be walking backward while she is walking forward into him, but both properly dancing in the line of dance. After the series of Follower forward sacadas, he can either turn or do another series of rock steps to get back into the line of dance with Leader going forward and Follower going back. He can also end with a wrap or gancho or a half-turn (half-hiro) to face the line of dance.
In leading the Follower’s sacadas, the Leader’s turn technique must be more refined, in his reach and transfers of weight and really arriving.
Level 2:
As the Leader arrives, he turns his shoulders.
Level 3:
As Leader arrives, he opens the embrace.
Maestros concluded with a video class summary and demo to Ariele e Calibano by Sineterra
Notes courtesy of Anne at http://scoutingtour.blogspot.com
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