An Intro to Close Embrace - Ocho Cortado

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There is a good video by Oscar Casas which shows ocho cortado and many different things you can do. It seems very fun to us.

Artist Name:
Juan D'Arienzo
Song Title:
La Comparsita
Album Title:
Juan D'Arienzo - Rca Victor 100 Anos CD

Known as "El Rey del Compás" (King of the Beat), his music is played often at milongas. The instrumentals are the classic rhythmic tangos with a strong staccato dance rhythm.

00:28
So, as we do this, this is ocho cortado,
00:30
and the lead is hard
00:33
I know, but it's really fun for the follower. And you can do it in either close or an open embrace.
00:37
Yes. So first...
00:40
We're going to give you a little bit of an intro,which is not entirely necessary, but it'll help make this step easier.
00:46
So we start it like the basic, side,
00:49
Oh, sorry, I forgot, close embrace, yeah
00:51
So it goes side, through, rock and return
00:56
So the first two steps are like the basic, and after that we do a small rock, it's actually a check-step.
01:01
Side, through, check and through.
01:04
And on that step, when we're outside partner here,
01:07
I'll actually take a smaller step, and she'll take a smaller step, because otherwise our thighs will bump,
01:12
and we'll get in to much in a way if you try to take a big step on that one step.
01:22
And then right there our opening shall reach a step side around me, that opening comes from the turn of the right side of my body,
01:28
It goes side, through, check and step
01:31
Right here, I do it not only with my upper body, I do it... there.
01:36
So I'm actually bringing my right foot open and almost to my left foot, sort of like a Charlie Chaplin
01:45
I'm sure he was a good dancer
01:46
I'm sure he was
01:50
And then here you'll see the opening of that foot
01:52
Now, afterwards make sure she knows to cross, I'll shift a tiny bit to my heels,
01:58
which brings to a hairfold, I'll turn her around her axis,
02:01
and I'll take her back over the line between my left shoulder and her right shoulder.
02:07
And then I'll shift her back to cross.
02:09
So, roughly speaking, when she's here in a side step position... Let's do it sideways to the camera...
02:14
When she's in...
02:15
This is not sideways to the camera
02:16
Oh, frontwards to the camera
02:17
When she's here in a frontwards side step position,
02:21
if I took her that way, that would take her back.
02:28
If I took her that way, where it's going in front of her standing leg, and I rotate her,
02:35
that takes her into the cross, and that's what we're doing.
02:38
By rotating her, as we're taking the line of her free leg in front of her standing leg.
02:54
It is hard to learn, but once you learn - it is kind of fun.
03:08
And then I'll step way through.
03:10
And there's also lot of places where the guy could put his free leg, and bents in a lot of cool ways
03:15
That, once again, will be a later chapter.