Mixing Beginning Elements - Interrupting the Basic With Front Ochos

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Primarily for Leaders: We think that there is one main thing to focus on when you are moving towards choreographic freedom while dancing when you want it to be the case that you can really do anything at any time. That is what is the starting position of the step you want to go to and what is the fastest and simplest way to get there.

For ochos, coming from anywhere in the basic, the answer is: he changes weight, she doesn't, then pivot.

In future videos, when you see something and you want to be able to do it at any time, ask the question we raise above. If the answer isn't clear, click "talk to us" and ask and we'll post a comment to with the answer.

Artist Name:
Aníbal Troilo
Song Title:
Seleccion de tangos de Anibal Troilo
Album Title:
Como Yo Lo Siento
Artist Website:
http://www.troilo.com.ar/

(From Wikipedia): Anibal Troilo was a bandoneon player, composer, arranger and bandleader in Argentina. His orquesta típica was among the most popular with social dancers during the golden age of tango (1940-1955), but he changed to a concert sound by the late 1950s. Troilo's orchestra is best known for its instrumentals and also recorded with many vocalists.

00:04
The purpose of this chapter is to illustrate the fact that
you can do anything, anywhere, anytime.
00:11
And it’s really true.
00:12
There is that much freedom in
Argentine Tango...
00:14
..which is one of the reason it’s a really awesome dance,
not that I am biased.
00:17
So in this chapter we’re going to show
the basic and we're going to show front ochos.
00:20
And then we’re going to show you
how you can interrupt the basic with...
00:23
..front ochos pretty much any time you want.
00:25
So let’s do that.
00:29
That thing he said about anything,
anywhere and anytime is very true...
00:32
..and it is part of what makes tango rich.
00:34
But for beginners
it’s also part of what makes it harder.
00:38
Yes.
00:39
So if you believe us that it doesn’t matter
then it would easy again.
00:42
But people really don’t.
00:45
So if we talk about the front ocho, it’s side,
he changes weight, she doesn’t, then pivot.
00:52
So the key point, the transition,
from a sidestep...
00:54
..which is the first part of the basic actually,
to front ochos..
00:57
..he changes weight, she doesn’t, pivot.
01:01
So if we do the basic;
01:05
Side, one, two, she crosses,
he changes weight...
01:09
Right here, he can change weight again
and she doesn’t.
01:12
And now I’m going to pivot her
towards my free leg...
01:17
..and here we are into front ochos.
01:22
So we have our basic...
01:26
..and then right here I change weight,
she doesn’t.
01:29
I pivot her towards my free leg...
01:40
..and now we’ll do that last half
of the basic.
01:45
So we just interrupted the basic
and we inserted four front ochos.
01:49
And we did it there but frankly,
we could do it anywhere.
01:51
So that was on step four of the basic.
01:53
Let’s do it on step three,
just to show you can.
01:58
So you have side, two, three.
02:01
Now right here, I’m going to change weight,
she doesn’t...
02:04
..and I’ll start to pivot her.
02:13
Let’s do that again.
02:15
Now I know this is going sort of fast.
02:17
We’ll have another chapter
where we go through this more slowly.
02:21
You could always stop us and do it behind us.
02:23
Right, you can repeat it.
02:28
Once again I stop and here I’m stopping her a hair early,
so she doesn’t cross.
02:32
And now I change weight and pivot her...
02:37
..and there are your front ochos.
02:38
I think that one is pretty cool.
02:41
Yes me too, the crossover is nice.
02:43
Let’s do it after.
02:47
The side, one, two, she crosses,
he changes weight.
02:50
We’ll take one more step, that’s step five...
02:53
..and now instead of going side, tango, close...
02:56
..he’s going to change weight,
she doesn’t. I’ll pivot her.
03:05
Let's do that again.
03:08
And the point of this for the leaders is that
to get into an ocho...
03:11
..all you do is change weight,
not her and you pivot.
03:17
I change weight,
not her, I pivot.
03:19
And now we go straight into those front ochos.
03:23
And this can happen anywhere.
03:23
And for the followers,
the trick is that you actively wait.
03:27
D: So...
N: Well first trick is that you wait.
03:30
And the second trick is that you wait with
energy in your body.
03:33
The sense of bubbling and oozing.
03:39
Then the minute anything happens,
you’re ready.
03:41
So I want you to think that
you don’t just wait...
03:43
..but you wait actively
with energy in your body...
03:45
..lengthening the spine and
being ready for anything.
Series:
Mixing Beginning Elements
Tags:
Basic, Beginner, Choreography, Cross, Front Ocho, Ocho
Mixing Beginning Elements