Cross System at Right Angles - Adding Turn

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  • Turns change everything. And that's true whether you are in cross system or in parallel system.
  • For the Leaders: We advise you to get comfortable with the idea that just thinking "slight turn" is enough to add some turn to your dance. Just hold your partner firmly and angle your foot a little.
  • For the Follower: It's strange how turns are so consistently about not turning for the follower. They're more about holding the leader, connecting inside your own body (more about that in other videos) and letting him turn you both.
  • Once that's comfortable, navigation and variety both get much easier.
Artist Name:
Tango No. 9
Song Title:
Oh, These Dark Eyes
Album Title:
Radio Valencia

(From the website): Tango No. 9 is an all-star Bay Area ensemble (members have played with The Residents, Tom Waits, Club Foot Orchestra, Eric McFadden, Extra Action Marching Band...) united in a love for a famously elusive non- native art form. Since 1998, the group has delved deeply into the world of tango, playing countless concerts and milongas, collaborating with many of the top dancers on the west coast, and recording two critically acclaimed albums.

00:05
This is a really fun video. If you guys do it right, it feels, to the woman, like she's flying, and that's something I really like a lot.
00:18
We should say what it is.
00:19
Oh, yes, what do we do? We're just about to start. We're going to take these stair-steps, and we're going to turn them.
00:26
And there are many ways. We're going to do what I hope is the simplest.
00:43
And that was one way of turning, and, in that particular way, I'm turning to my left.
00:48
And, so, when I turn to my left, on this side-step, I want her to step bigger than me.
00:52
So, when I step side and she steps forward... Let's do it from this angle...
00:58
Instead of stepping exactly where I used to be,
01:02
This is sort of a neutral step
01:04
I'm going to under-step.
01:08
So, you see, I take a small step and she takes a bigger step, so she goes around me.
01:11
And then I pivot on my left ball of the foot, which is what makes it fun.
01:21
So, that first step, and, in general, this is true for turns,
01:25
That, on the first step, when you want her to go around you,
01:28
Leaders, you're going to step smaller, and, for the followers, you're going to step bigger.
01:31
don't you mean your chest, too?
01:33
Yes, yes, and so I'm going to turn to my left, so she goes around me.
01:37
But I'm going to step smaller, and she'll step bigger, and that creates the turn.
01:40
And that's true of almost any turn, but we're applying it in this specific context.
01:44
And, there's also the reverse, that if I want her to turn to my right,
01:49
Then I'm going to step smaller to my right, and turn, and then bigger to my left. So, here's that.
01:59
So, here's neutral.
02:01
And if I want her to turn here, to my right,
02:03
I'm going to step smaller, turning my chest to my right
02:06
And she'll step bigger, once again, holding firmly with my right arm.
02:10
And then neutral... and then bigger... for her, smaller for me...
Series:
Cross System at Right Angles
Tags:
Pivot, Navigation
I'm analytical. I want to learn how tango works