Intermediate Elements - Freno
For Leaders: If you are just starting out, we want you to think that you do not have to do a lot. This may be your introduction to a lot of traditional vocabulary. When you are actually dancing socially, don't throw everything in. Throw maybe one new thing in.
For Followers: One thing that will make a clear difference in your ability to follow these intermediate steps is:
- Collecting your thighs and your legs between steps and
- Being very clear about which foot your weight is on so that, when you pivot, you don't automatically change weight.
We're like "one thing" and then we say two, but that's so much like us, that we wanted to leave it that way.
- Artist Name:
- Eugenia Leon
- Song Title:
- Malena
- Album Title:
- Album unknown
- Artist Website:
- http://eugenialeon.com/
One of our favorite singers of the modern day.
- 00:06
- We’re going to show you the Freno.
It’s traditionally a step where the - which means brake. - 00:11
- So the guy puts his leg out and the woman stops.
- 00:13
- And traditionally, this is a step where the woman can
take over and do stuff... - 00:17
- ..which we’ll show in later chapters.
- 00:19
- So this chapter is just the freno in its pure form.
- 00:34
- Or from another angle.
- 00:43
- And it looks deceptively easy.
- 00:46
- It's not crazy hard,
but it's not crazy easy either. - 00:49
- N: It’s not crazy hard.
- 00:51
- As you step side for the leaders,
you want to make sure that you isolate in your right hip socket. - 00:56
- So I out step her a little bit and I extend my right leg.
- 01:00
- She collects and then I pivot her,
without putting any weight on my right leg... - 01:04
- ..and she’ll come, she’ll hit my shin with her shin
or her ankle... - 01:07
- ..walk over at her leisure and then at that point,
I take over the lead. - 01:12
- So her walkover is whenever she wants.
- 01:14
- And then once that happens then I take over the lead.
- 01:18
- And until that happens, his only job is to look enchanted
while I wait until I feel like stepping over. - 01:24
- So for example...
- 01:29
- I’m busy looking enchanted.
- 01:32
- And I step over when I want.
- 01:36
- And this is one of those rare places
in Argentine Tango... - 01:39
- ..where we actually say,
the woman has in some sense the lead. - 01:42
- And this is a custom that right there we tell the story...
- 01:45
- ..that if I were to pull her over
she might trip over my leg. - 01:48
- Now it would never happen,
but that’s the story that’s told. - 01:51
- So some things not to do.
- 01:57
- And then I say, “Why don’t you walk over my leg.”
- 02:02
- Right and the leg keeps moving.
- 02:04
- So for the guys you want to think that after you take this sidestep...
- 02:07
- ..or from this angle if you put your leg out here,
she won’t be able to get to it. - 02:13
- It’s worse you move it further away.
- 02:15
- So instead...
- 02:17
- ..you step side and then I’m going to bring my foot to her...
- 02:19
- ..where ever she is, so she can feel it.
- 02:22
- And by the same token, when I come into his leg...
- 02:25
- ..I’m going to make sure he feels my foot.
- 02:31
- Because he is not supposed to be looking down like that.
- 02:34
- Right, I’ll be feeling for her left shin...
- 02:37
- ..or like I’ll wait for her or her left ankle
depending on where he puts his foot. - 02:40
- So if you look at her leg right there you’ll see it connects.
- 02:43
- Otherwise he has no way of knowing that I got there.
- 02:47
- She walks over, at that point I take over,
I’m going to bring my foot back... - 02:50
- ..change my weight and then
rotate her back to face me. - 02:54
- Now for the ladies,
there's this horrible thing that a lot of women do. - 03:00
- And it’s sort of like,
walking over his leg like you’re an elephant. - 03:05
- And I don’t want you to do that.
- 03:07
- Elephants don’t even walk this way.
This is people pretending to be elephants. - 03:10
- So if I’m the girl and she puts her leg out...
- 03:13
- ..this is what a lot of women do.
They get here and they’re like… - 03:16
- They don’t do that.
- 03:17
- Well I am exaggerating horribly.
- 03:19
- N: You are.
D: But the point is, when you bring your leg over... - 03:20
- ..I want you to shape and then come back.
- 03:26
- So think: "make that walk over very deliberate."
- 03:29
- The other thing women do do much more often
is when they step over... - 03:32
- ..they step over very close.
- 03:34
- And if you step over very close,
then it is really hard to pivot to face. - 03:39
- And what's more, the leader might have something that
continues your travel... - 03:44
- ... and it'll make the travel harder.
- 03:45
- So what we want to do is step over
to what feels like fairly far away... - 03:50
- ..so we make a triangle with his feet.
- 03:52
- And then when we step we end right in front of him.
- 03:56
- Keeping the distance the same.
- 03:57
- And another thing, for the leaders,
that typically goes wrong is... - 04:00
- ..after we take the side step here,
she’s going to want to pivot on her right foot. - 04:05
- And if I am standing with all my weight right here,
she won’t be able to pivot. - 04:08
- And if I am doing the part of the girl,
if you look at my feet... - 04:10
- ..and I’m the girl, the leader’s foot is right here
and he has weight on it... - 04:15
- ...then she’ll end up pivoting like this
and then she’ll try to walk over. - 04:19
- And it is not the most attractive of things.
- 04:20
- So instead you want to make sure that you have weight
so that your foot can actually move. - 04:23
- So if you look at our feet right here,
my foot, after she steps side... - 04:27
- ..she’ll pivot and my foot moves just a little bit
to accommodate her pivot.
