Who’s Axis Is it? Exploring Alterations (All Levels)

Instructors: Homer & Cristina Ladas
http://theorganictangoschool.org/
Tucson Tango Festival
April 20, 2024

 

We began with a warm-up dance doing a lot of turns.

In teapot embrace (Leader right hand as the handle, left hand up and open like the spout of a teapot), with the Leader doing either Pacperson or kick around footwork, the Follower holds the Leader’s handle and tip of spout as he rotates around his spine in a block turn.  During the turn, the Follower should stay behind the Leader, and equal long steps around. He changes direction.  We were to avoid doing any ochos. The Leader should just stop the Follower on one of her steps and change the direction, but not on her back step.  

 

In drilling these changes of direction, we were to also include walks periodically so we don’t get too dizzy.  We were to not do any ochos for the next 20 minutes of drilling.

 

Still in teapot embrace, the Leader leads the Follower to walk around him in typical turn footwork (forward cross, side, back cross, side).  While she walks around, her circle should be nice and tight. Once the Leader starts the turn, he should provide continuous energy, pulling from his left hand (spout), rather than pushing from his right hand.  That’s why we are doing this in teapot embrace, eliminating the possibility of the Leader pushing with his right hand and instead forcing him to only lead with pulling energy in his left hand.  In the teapot embrace, the Follower should have a good, solid embrace on the Leader’s spout and handle.

 

The Leader determines the timing of the Follower’s steps to determine where to stop the Follower and change the direction of the turn.

 

We began this exploration exercise with the Leader also stepping to the side with the Follower steps to the side (called Capturing The Moon).  This is the most simple Alteration: the side to side alteration.

 

2 RULES FOR ALTERATIONS:

(1)   Capture the Moon

(2)   Change the direction of the turn.

 

Alterations are a fundamental way to move through space.

 

Next Level:

Leader side step on Follower’s back step.

 

On the Follower’s back step, she can collect in an amague with her trailing foot arriving to cross tuck against her weighted foot to position herself functionally and efficiently so that her right foot back step immediately goes into a left foot forward step, and prevents an accidental ocho.

 

Alterations can be done on any step of the Follower, and any step of the Leader, in either direction, so there are a total of 18 possibilities:

1.     In a left turn, Follower side step, Leader side step

2.     In a left turn, Follower back step, Leader side step

3.     In a left turn, Follower forward step, Leader side step

4.     In a left turn, Follower side step, Leader forward step

5.     In a left turn, Follower back step, Leader forward step

6.     In a left turn, Follower front step, Leader forward step

7.     In a left turn, Follower side step, Leader back step

8.     In a left turn, Follower back step, Leader back step

9.     In a left turn, Follower forward step, Leader back step

10.  In a right turn, Follower side step, Leader side step

11.  In a right turn, Follower back step, Leader side step

12.  In a right turn, Follower forward step, Leader side step

13.  In a right turn, Follower side step, Leader forward step

14.  In a right turn, Follower back step, Leader forward step

15.  In a right turn, Follower front step, Leader forward step

16.  In a right turn, Follower side step, Leader back step

17.  In a right turn, Follower back step, Leader back step

18.  In a right turn, Follower forward step, Leader back step

 

After the Leader starts the turn and captures the moon, he should not take an extra step.

 

Musically, we were to drill doing everything on the strong beat, and not double time any steps The Follower should make equal steps around the Leader, and do a big pivot on the back cross step of the turn.  She should activate her standing leg to really reach and not fall into the Leader and have lots of disassociation in the spine.

 

SPICE

To add spice to our alterations, the Leader should get closer to the Follower when he captures the moon on his side step.  Then he steps diagonally behind to facilitate the Follower’s next orbit around the Leader.

 

AVOID THE A.O.R.

The A.O.R. is the Automatic Ocho Reflex.

We were to not do any ochos!

To avoid doing ochos instead of an alteration, the Leader should focus on leading the Follower around his axis as he leads a turn (in doing an ocho, the lead is around her axis).

 

PROPERTIES OF ALTERATIONS

Alterations can have a slingshot sensation – a dynamic feeling or dynamic action.

We explored this by adding in the QQS.

Because the Leader captures close and steps diagonally behind the Follower, he can also do the QQS rhythm.

 

In the Leader’s diagonally back step, in the change of direction he adds more energy to the embrace, and he can contain the energy and not lose control. The Follower also adds more energy to the embrace.  The Follower only has two steps that are QQ: the forward and side steps.

 

We drilled these concepts to three Alterations on both sides:

1.     In a turn, Follower side step, Leader side step

2.     In a turn, Follower back step, Leader side step

3.     In a turn, Follower front step, Leader side step

 

Maestros concluded with a video class summary and demo to 7 Years by Jasmine Thompson

 

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