Mixing Beginning Elements - Interrupting the Basic With Front Ochos - More Practice
Primarily for Followers: At the beginning, for followers, it's about learning to follow each movement. A follower doesn't follow a basic or front ocho, a follower follows a side step or pivot. It's a lot about being present in the moment and not about what you think he's going to do in the future or what he has led in the past.
When you get very advanced, and if you know what he's doing, then this doesn't change when you follow, but it does inform how you follow. Then you know exactly where you should step for this particular movement.
It's a subtle thing, because you don't want to take away from the leader in his ability to suggest exactly where you are going to step. However, often times, he doesn't say exactly a spot, but is leading to an area and, within that area, you can choose.
- 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.
- 00:05
- For those who would like...
- 00:06
- ..we’re going to show those three steps
that we just did in the previous chapter. - 00:09
- We’re going to do them slowly...
- 00:11
- ..so that you have time to follow along with us
and see each place broken down. - 00:18
- So this is the first one where we,
not chronologically but stepwise... - 00:22
- ..we're going to do it on Step 3 of the Basic.
- 00:24
- So we have one, two, three.
- 00:28
- Now how do you get into front ochos?
He changes weight and pivots her. - 00:32
- So I’m changing weight and pivoting her...
- 00:36
- ..and then we step side, pivot.
- 00:42
- And so for the leaders,
if you watched that... - 00:44
- ..you’ve got side, forward, forward...
- 00:49
- ..I stopped just a hair early,
so she doesn’t cross. - 00:53
- I start pivoting her and changing wait.
- 00:57
- And then we can go into that front ocho.
- 01:00
- For the followers, this actually is
an opportunity for a beautiful embellishment. - 01:19
- Let’s do that one, one more time.
- 01:36
- When we talk about waiting,
and we talk about active waiting. - 01:39
- Waiting is really harder than it seems
for the follower. - 01:42
- It really just means
exactly what it sounds like. - 01:45
- We stand tall on whatever ball of the foot
the man put us on... - 01:48
- ..or the leader put us on
and then we let him do us both. - 01:53
- And when we get so that we can really do that...
- 01:55
- ..it makes everything so much easier.
- 01:57
- Yes.
- 01:58
- So we’ll do the second variation now.
- 02:01
- This was at the cross, side, one, two, cross.
It’s the fourth step. - 02:06
- Now once again I’m going to change weight
and then I’m going to pivot her... - 02:09
- ..and she’s going to pivot on her left foot,
the crossed foot.. - 02:13
- ...and there are our ochos.
- 02:19
- And then, if we want, you can go straight
back to that tango close. - 02:24
- For the leaders, the thing I want you to think about,
two things actually. - 02:28
- One is, like every other step...
- 02:30
- ..make sure she’s on the ball of that foot
and then just pivot her. - 02:33
- Even though she’s in a cross,
she still can. - 02:35
- And I want to make that point
for the followers too. - 02:37
- That, just because she’s - get in the cross now,
right there. - 02:39
- She’s on her left foot.
So it’s funny, but she can still pivot... - 02:43
- ..and it’s actually once again
a beautiful embellishment. - 02:47
- A lot of wonderful things come out of the cross.
- 02:49
- So let’s do that again.
A new angle actually. - 03:01
- I change my weight, not her’s.
- 03:04
- There’s that pivot.
- 03:16
- And now our last combination,
which was after the cross. - 03:20
- Here, new angle. Why not?
- 03:23
- So we went side...
- 03:29
- And now I change my wait, not her’s.
- 03:39
- Or again.
- 03:48
- After the cross, I change my weight not her’s,
pivot her... - 03:51
- ..and we once again into the front ochos.
- 03:56
- And so once again I want to emphasize
that the transition is just that. - 03:59
- For the follower you wait and you pivot.
- 04:01
- And even if you’re in a cross like this...
- 04:03
- ..whatever direction he pivots you,
you pivot that way and then you can go. - 04:07
- Or even if you’re going to a cross like this...
- 04:11
- ..you can still go in whatever direction
he takes you. - 04:13
- And for the leaders, that really is, wherever you are,
you change your weight not her’s... - 04:17
- ..and you pivot her.
