Advanced Elements - She Drags Him
One reason this is difficult for followers is because, for the first years of their tango life we tell them over and over again that they respond to what the leader does. Perhaps, they may even embellish a little on their own. But never, do they move the leader. Except, of course, that isn't true.
For Followers: Have the conviction to keep your leg connected with your body, so that, if the leader moves your body to the side, your leg must follow. Even if his foot's there.
For Leaders: You can help the follower, especially at the beginning, by making your foot like a gentle wind. That way, she doesn't even focus on the foot but on what's happening on top and the drag happens by itself.
- Artist Name:
- Raul Garello
- Song Title:
- Che Buenos Aires
- Album Title:
- Serie de Oro
(From the website): From 1963 until 1975, he played with Anibal Troilo´s Orchestra as a bandoneon player and arranger. He was the founder and leader of the Buenos Aires Tango Orchestra since 1980.
- 00:05
- I’m tempted to say – I’ll let myself say it.
- 00:07
- There’s the good news and then
there's the bad news. - 00:11
- The good news is,
you already know half the step. - 00:13
- Yes, that is good news.
- 00:14
- The bad news is you don’t know
the other half of the step and it aint easy. - 00:18
- But it’s cool and the trick is finding the isolation.
- 00:22
- So, I’m going to start out telling you
the most important thing. - 00:25
- I’m going to try to get in this habit
more often, actually. - 00:27
- The most important thing here is
that the leg be connected to the body... - 00:32
- ..and you get the coordination of the leader,
leading the follower's leg... - 00:35
- ..and the follower moving her leg because the body moves.
- 00:38
- So, as you watch all this other stuff,
remember that this is the key point. - 00:43
- Cool.
- 00:44
- So, the key point would look something like this.
- 00:46
- If her leg is here, forward, then I can move her
and her leg would move back. - 00:53
- Right? So I pull her forward, the leg goes forward…
- 00:55
- ..I push he back, the leg goes back.
- 00:57
- And why does that happen? Because I move her body.
- 00:59
- It happens because he’s magic.
- 01:01
- Also.
- 01:03
- Show the step.
- 01:13
- Or a different angle.
- 01:24
- And so, you’ll see that she’s dragging my leg
on this second step. - 01:28
- The first part of it is exactly like the drag
we’ve already taught you. - 01:38
- So, all of this you already know.
- 01:41
- But in the normal drag we took her up to a freno; instead of that...
- 01:45
- ...I’m going to step around her foot to my heels,
I’m going to pull her up. - 01:49
- N: To my heels.
D: And we’ll both be… - 01:50
- …a little bit to her heels
and we’ll both be a little back weighted. - 01:53
- I’m going to open her body up by pulling
on her right arm, ladies resist… - 01:58
- ..and pushing on her left side with my right,
so that she opens up – - 02:03
- Which only works if I resist.
- 02:05
- And then from here, I can move her body that way...
- 02:10
- ..to my left with both arms,
to get her to drag me. - 02:16
- So, the thing to practice, actually,
is just that last part. - 02:19
- So, she’ll be here. I’ll have my foot here.
- 02:24
- Both of our back feet are roughly on the same line.
- 02:27
- And I’ll just push this way with both hands
and she will drag my leg. - 02:34
- That only works if he’s got no weight on that leg.
- 02:36
- Yes, no weight on the legs for the leaders.
- 02:38
- And then we both come up.
- 02:53
- And then, you know, this can be how you walk through the grocery store
where you just, sort of,can alternate legs. - 02:59
- Once you’re here you can go with either leg.
- 03:01
- You can step here with his left and he can drag her...
- 03:06
- ..or he can step with his right and she can drag him.
- 03:09
- Isn’t that cool?
