Cool Ways to Travel - Adv - Prep For Cadena - Drag

Once we teach this second part of the cadena with the drag, we often have students ask, "is it ok if we also continue to do the steps the way we originally learned them?" To which we answer, "absolutely not" (no, just kidding). Of course, it's ok. In fact, we think this is really cool. That a teaching tool we've created is sufficiently strong for students to want to keep it. Even while so many of them just really like the cadena.

----- Song 1 -----

Artist Name:

Mandragora Tango

Song Title:

La Ultima Cita

Album Title:

Let's Have Dinner And Go Dancing

Artist Website:

http://www.mandragoratango.com/

From website: Mandrágora Tango is a tango band headed by bandoneonist Bob Barnes and guitarist Scott Mateo Davies, 2 Minneapolis-based musicians who are wildly passionate about tango. We have been playing tango for dancing and listening since 2001 and we are still going strong. We've played in over 40 cities all over the United States. p>

----- Song 2 -----

Artist Name:

Trio Garufa

Song Title:

Malena

Album Title:

El Rumor De Tus Tangos

Artist Website:

http://www.triogarufa.com/

From website: Trio Garufa is an international ensemble dedicated to performing authentic Argentine music. They have performed across Argentina, Canada and the US. Trio Garufa performs traditional Argentine tango, modern tango styles such as Astor Piazzolla's music or electro tangos, original tango compositions, and Argentine folk music. Their music is exciting, virtuosic, and rooted in the dance. They are the only tango ensemble in the US to have performed extensively in the milongas (tango dance clubs) of Buenos Aires. The group includes Guillermo García, guitar (Argentina) Adrian Jost, bandoneon (Switzerland) and Sascha Jacobsen, string bass (California).

00:06: In theory, this piece of the cadena should be easy…
00:10: ..because it’s exactly the same as the first piece,
except that we switch roles.
00:16: But, for some reason, over and over,
we found that to be extremely confusing.
00:19: Also I think the lead, so the man - the leader now is going to…
00:24: ..lead the follower to step right through him.
00:26: And, for one thing, it’s counterintuitive to
step right through anybody…
00:30: ..and for another thing, he’s then leading something…
00:32: ..and he has to get out of the way,
while he does it.
00:34: So I guess I talked myself into believing
it’s really not so straightforward.
00:38: Anyway, we do exactly the opposite for the first piece
and then we end it with a drag.
00:47: Side he changes here, as I’ll go back, I'll go forward...
00:50: ..and I’ll make the 'J' around in front of her path.
00:53: And I’ll walk right through his thigh with my left thigh.
00:56: Same thing, another angle.
01:04: You see how I get out of the way,
so she can go through me.
01:07: N: And then I step aside.
D: I'll tuck.
01:09: And he steps tiny forward.
01:13: And then he goes the same direction.
01:16: I’ll go - ending forward, her going back.
01:18: One more time.
01:26: I don’t know if they can see the drag there.
01:27: Well they saw the prep, they saw.
N. Okay
01:31: Now let’s give it a small angle.
01:34: So it'll start.
01:36: Side, he changes, I go around,
she goes through me, I change, she goes side…
01:39: ..pivot for her, back left, I’m going forward left, catch…
01:43: ..and then I can drag her and I’ll just bring her up.
01:46: And then we can exit.
01:49: Can we do it from a different angle?
01:50: That’s a great angle.
01:51: Oh, I knew that. Okay good.
01:54: But we can do it from this angle too.
01:58: No we can’t.
02:00: So we can do it from this angle.
02:02: Different angle, here.
02:08: This is a great angle too.
02:09: Yeah, I like this angle.
02:15: Notice how fast and tight I am on the catch…
02:18: ..because I try not for there to be
too long a pause. I want it to flow…
02:22: ..which, of course, makes it harder.
02:23: What else would David want it?
It to be harder!
02:25: But if I’m doing the leader’s footwork, side, he changes…
02:28: ..I go back and around, here I go,
step, around, catch to grab it.
02:34: For the followers, you have side...
02:38: ..really believe you’re going to go
forward through him.
02:40: Believe it, believe it.
02:41: And then side around to your drag.
02:44: It’s interesting because if we ask our
women in class...
02:47: ..to do something kind of aggressive,
straight through to the man,...
02:49: ..or walking straight through,
it’s usually not a problem.
02:52: But this particular step, for some reason, is
so counterintuitive for the followers…
02:56: ..we want to hit the upper thigh, with our upper thigh.
03:01: And what happens a lot of times,
lead me in that again…
03:04: Let’s ... so that they can see.
03:06: When he steps around, instead of walking right into him…
03:10: I walk, or the follower will walk, over here,
keeping this close to step over his foot...
03:15: ..and then the whole thing disintegrates.
03:19: And for the leaders, when you’re leading this,
especially when you’re asking her to walk into you...
03:23: ..be very clear of the direction.
03:26: So I’m going to say to her, "Go that way."
03:29: That’s good, do it again.
03:30: So I get out of the way,
but I make sure her track stays the same...
03:34: ..so she goes through me.
03:35: Showing one last time.

Series:: Cool Ways to Travel - Adv
Tags:: Drag, Vocabulary, Advanced