Walking with secret weight changes. Walking in cross system to a cross. Leader landing on the right heal as the follower does the cross. Walking an even number of steps on the dark side. Two ways of the follower crossing, heal up or heal down. Rock step on the dark side. Stopping on the dark side. Dark side to open side transition. Follower turning out left leg when walking on the dark side. Follower changing weight without the leader, led by a twist. |
Beg. Carlos & Maureen Elements to improvise in small spaces |
Bach ocho: side-step, secret weight change, pivot, back-ocho, back-ocho, secret weight change, back to the line of dance. He calls the "side-step, secret weight change" a "double side step". Can do this facing out and not stepping forward to stay in the lane of dance. "contra body" means parallel step across the open side. A turn to the left while keeping the left leg back indicates a desire to cross. The tempo is slow-quick-quick-slow. Slow contra body step, quick turn to the left, quick cross, slow step out. At 1m15s... Facing out. Step left, collect half way. Change weight, pivot left turning partner towards back. She lifts her left leg and tugs her foot behind the other foot. He leans forward making her step back onto her left. He transfers his weight onto his left, forward foot while she does a kick back-fwd-back with her right foot then she steps back and crosses. He does one step left, then 1/4 turn right, then weight change to end facing out again, 1,2,3. |
Beg. Celina & Hugo Basic structures for construction of new movements |
Begins with a side-step-starting-6-step box, ending with two back-steps. L-side, R-outside-partner, L-fwd, R-side, L-back, R-back. Then lots of small variations on this 6-step-box. Pause substituting for a step. Variations of tempo. Doubling up one of the side steps. Punctuated collects. Quad side step. Super slow collect. Decorative leg swings and toe taps. Double-time steps and toe taps. |
Beg. Yaisuri & John From walking to molinete (giro) |
Traveling sideways grapevine: side, back, side, front, side, back, side, front. Then circular grapevine, AKA "molinete" or "giro" which is Spanish for "turn" or "whirl" or "gyration". Then some timing variation including slow steps with decoration. Really nice wind-up ending, nice to do if you know the song and where it is going to end. Giro consists of 4 steps: 2 crosses (one forward and one back) and 2 open steps. They alternate cross – open – cross – open. The other way of seeing is: forward – side – back – side. More precisely: forward (cross) – side (open) – back (cross) – side (open). And the giro can travel to the left or to the right. Just reverse everything. |
Beg. Paloma & Maxi introduction to sacadas |
Sacada means displacement. Action-wise one of the partners is displacing the other partner's free (trailing) leg and takeing over the space that was previously occupied. The sacada idea is well explained in SACADAS. 64 POSSIBILITIES TO START WITH. AND THERE IS MORE... Maxi calls the displacement interruption. Since a sacada can be initiated by the leader or the follower, we call the initiator the "giver". The giver contacts the receiver with their thigh, displacing the receiver's leg. The giver takes the receiver's position unlike a normal, less-close step. In a back sacada, the result is the receiver's free leg crosses instead of stepping. Another way of thinking about the sacada displacment is that the giver takes a step into the space between the receiver's feet. |
Beg. Marcos & Florencia Ochos and paradas with simple embelishments |
A parada is putting your foot in the way. Spanish for "stop", "pause", "suspension". Marcos sets Florencia up for some front ochos, then partially steps forward (putting his foot forward, but not weighting it), between her feet forcing her to step over his leg. Then again with back ochos. Instead of a side-step, he puts his foot out forward blocking her back step. Instead of taking the back step, she rocks forward which Marcos turns into a front ocho. The next, next front ocho is 270° blocked by his right foot, fully weighted parada at 1m7s. Then, when he delays a couple of beats, she embelishes by tapping his shin, knee, ankle with her the top of her foot 1m12s. A pair of paradas, close together is a "sandwich", trapping the follower's foot for a moment. |
Beg. Jaimes & Rebecca The milonguero groove with satisfying phrasing |
Rock turn to the left Bring it back with the cortado meaning "cut" or "clipped" So ocho cortado is a clipped ocho Do it with a bit more than 180° of turn to the right and a bit less than 180° back to the left leaving the movement with 45—90° of right turn. This is a three-beat, pause sequence. Then they add a rock turn to the left. And finish with a 360° left turning molinete. |
Beg. Jaimes & Rebecca The milonguero groove with satisfying phrasing |
Front stepping rebounds. Back stepping rebounds. Side stepping rebounds. Then front stepping rebounds with cross; both partners crossing 0m37s. He steps forward, then rocks back into a cross in front. She steps backward and then rocks forward with a cross in back 0m43s. Rocking steps are easily combined with 90° right or left turns. |
Beg. Marcos & Florencia Playing with rebounds and crosses |
comments here TBD |
Beg. Paloma & Maxi Ochos and their connectors |
comments here TBD |
Beg. Celina & Hugo Introduction to turns |
comments here TBD |
comments here TBD |
comments here TBD |
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