Hi Tangueros.
 
I am always talking about tango walking and how important it is in the dance. If you can walk in tango, you  can dance. Here is a wonderful video showing Adrian and Amanda Costa only walking.... but they are dancing!!  it is spectacular. In this video you see the Argentine tango in its essence. Of course, in the milonga, we don’t have the space to only walk but there are certainly times when there is enough space. This dance is in the closed embrace. For people who are dancing in the open embrace, the same principles apply.
 
Here are some things to look out for in the musicality:

1. How the leader is using the phrasing of the music which consists of 8 beats
2. How he sometimes emphasizes a strong beat
3. How he sometimes used a syncopated rhythm (half beats)
4. How he sometimes slows down his steps to walk one step over two beats

Leaders technique:

1. His feet stay on the floor when he walks
2. His trailing leg is relaxed
3. His knees are relaxed
4. He hesitates while passing through the axis, slowing down slightly
5. The position of his left elbow is in front of his chest and hip and stays constant throughout the dance.
6. He is pushing off on his back foot to send him forward
7. He is walking with a heel-toe connection, rather than projecting his toes forward (I prefer this one because it is easier to master than sliding your foot forward)
8. He is holding her in front of him, not to his side.

Followers technique:

1. Her feet are turned slightly outwards. When she steps backwards she makes contact with the floor through the inner ball of her foot.
2. Her upper body stays stable in contact with her partner
3. Her hips are back in relation to her chest
4. Her knees are relaxed but not very bent
5. She passes through the centre for each step
6.. Her steps are the same size as her partner's
7. She is connected to her partner at the chest but she is in her own axis.



 

Hi Tangueros. At the moment we are working on different alternatives in the cross system. I thought this would be a good opportunity to revise our learning from class. As the cross system is one of the most fundamental concepts in Argentine tango, it is worthwhile spending some time getting your head around it.

What is the difference between the parallel and cross systems?

In the parallel system we dance as if in a "mirror image" i.e when my left foot goes forward, my follower's right foot goes back. This is the most simple form of walking in the tango

In the cross system, my partner's weight is not the mirror image of mine e.g. if the leader has his weight on his left foot, the follower has her weight on her left foot We can draw a diagonal line between our left feet which each have weight

How can I change from the parallel system into the cross system?

The simplest way to do this is to start off with a normal side step (apertura) in the parallel system to leader's left.
Then leader changes his weight to his right leg WITHOUT changing the weight of the follower (do this by maintaining the embrace constant)
The leader is now free to walk forward with his left foot.

How can I start walking in the cross system?

Following the last point..... the leader starts to walk forward on his left foot, with the left foot tracing the left side of the follower's hipline. The follower will also start to walk on her left.

Hey, does this sound familiar? Yes, it is. It is similar to how you might initiate back ochos but it doesn't have any pivoting. At this stage we are just walking straight. BTW Ochos are a form of walking in the cross system.

You can walk merrily along in the cross system, with your left leg on the left side of your follower and your right leg moving directly in front of your follower. This is called the left lane of the cross system. Take care to dissociate your upper body towards your partner so that you don't lose the connection

What's next? Back ochos

The cool thing about walking in the cross system is that it enables you to initiate new moves very easily and with fluidity.

From walking on the left side of the follower, it is possible to lead into back ochos.

All you need to do it this: While you are walking, as you step with your left leg, initiate a pivot to the left. Voila!! You are leading a back ocho, Cool! So lead a pivot to the right and you have led a back ocho to your right.

You can lead back ochos that are long and "walk" like or back ochos that have a lot of pivot side to side.

The back ochos are the middle lane of the cross system

The right lane

Once you have effortlessly crossed from the left lane to the middle lane (ochos) , you might like to move to the right lane.....This is the trickiest lane in the cross system.....

After you have transferred weight for the right ocho, straighten your partner out and step in front of her with your left foot. She will be stepping back with her left foot. You will need to dissociate your upper body towards her to maintain the connection. You will feel that you have moved to the right side of her (from leader's perspective).

After transferring your weight with your left foot, pivot your hip so that you are perpendicular to her and do a side step to your right. The follower will continue to walk backwards. At this point it is very important that the position of your right arm remains the same to the follower, If you allow your right arm to rotate with your hip, she will no longer continue to walk backwards.. It is also important to step as close to her back foot as possible in the side step.

From this point you can continue with ochos (middle lane) or continue walking in the left lane as before!!

Here is an image of dancers in the cross system.

The tango embrace is one of the most defining features of the Argentine tango. If the tango is anything, it is an embrace- a hug. It is a way of being accepted, acknowledged and connected in the dance. Many dancers focus their attention on footwork when they dance tango but the embrace, in my opinion, is more important. It can be lovely do dance tango with very few steps but it is not lovely to dance tango in an embrace that is not working.

There are a few different types of embraces in the Argentine tango. The embrace will also differ slightly according to the relative heights of the couples and the shape of the dancers' bodies. I teach an embrace that is in a V-shape, with the closed side of the V on the side of the shoulders. I like it because I find it most comfortable and it allows the woman more rotation of her hips than if both sides of the chest are making equal contact with her partner.

Here are some tips on the tango embrace that should make your tango experience delightful.

1. The embrace should be circular. The leader determines the shape of the embrace. Leaders - avoid temptation to press your hands inwards as this negatively affects the womans abiity to connect her arm with muscles in her back that she needs to use.
2. I like the sliding embrace - this allows the mans right arm to be in permanent contact with his partners back without stopping her movement when trying to rotate. Leaders- try not to grip the womans back with your right hand while you are dancing. Rather let it slide slightly on her  back while she is rotating.
3.. Leaders and followers - keep your embracing arm in constant contact with your partner, even if you are opening the embrace. Some people like to lift up their arm at points in the dance but I think this leads to loss of connection and communication, especially if you are in motion.
4.. Leaders - you should stand straight up in your embrace. If you are tall, the woman should accommodate herself to suit your body. She may do this by adjusting her left arm. If you stoop to be closer to your partner, your movement is less efficient and your shoulders are putting pressure downwards.
5. Leaders and followers- avoid temptations to lift your shoulders. Shoulders should always be relaxed.
6. Leaders- take care of the pressure that you are exerting forwards and muscles in the front of your arm. It is difficult to dance if this pressure is too much. The power in your embrace should rather come from your triceps (muscles under your arm) and where they connect with the muscles in your back.

Whew!!! Anyone for a hug?