Day of Tango II - 21st Jan 2012 - Notes

This gives you the class notes for both sets of workshops in the "Day of Tango" event.

The Day of Tango is being run as a joint event by LearningTango and Tango Victoria.

"Tango In A Day" workshops


Workshops taught by David and Ann (LearningTango).

Workshop 1a: Tango Basics

Overview: Posture, embrace, and key lead-and-follow concepts.

Key topics covered:

  • Walking to the music, and reversing roles (men leading, women following)
  • Posture and "forwards intention" whilst walking (for both leaders and follower)
  • The fundamental steps: forwards / back, side, and change of weight

Note: this was all in practice hold (hands on each others' shoulders).

Workshop 2a: Salon Tango

Overview: "Salon" style of tango, in close embrace, and using core Salon steps to navigate and dance.

Key topics covered:

  • Close embrace - a "hug" embrace, with connection and contact from the abdomen up to the chest.
  • Dancing to traditional music, in the line of dance (anti-clockwise round the room)
  • Doing all the steps we introduced previously, in close embrace
  • Using rocksteps and pivot steps, for navigation around corners

Workshop 3a: Tango Nuevo

Overview: Using pivot-based movements in an open embrace; mainly focussing on ochos and giros.

Key topics covered:

  • Dancing to non-traditional music
  • Practicing ochos (pivot-and-step combinations) by ourselves
  • Forwards and backwards ochos
  • Decorating the sidestep - sidestep "lunge" (the lunge bit is an illusion)

Workshop 4a: Tango Musicality

Overview: How to add style and musicality to your tango dancing, in both salon and nuevo styles.

Key topics covered:

  • Putting pauses and changes of tempo into your dancing
  • Half-speed: lower yourself a little and take larger steps
  • Double-speed: lift up and take smaller steps
  • Leaders, listen to the music
  • Playing different music types - lots of dancing to different styles
  • Final decoration - ochos with pasada (step across) decoration

Improvers / Intermediates workshops notes


Workshops taught by Krissy and Nick (Tango Victoria).

Workshop 1b: Ochos Cortado variations

Overview: Explores the ocho cortado ("cut ocho") sequence and introduces variations of these sequences.

In our first class we looked at one of the fundamental figures in Tango - the Ocho Cortado and how to use it in a variety of ways to suit differing floor conditions.

We started with with our leaders leading the check step on 1 and 2 as normal but taking a longer step back on step 3 (rather than closing). By slightly opening our right side (using a contra body movement) whilst taking the back step with our left foot this allowed our followers to take a longer step forward

We still concentrated on a strong rotation around our axis not taking our followers to take too large a step on our rotation to right if we were to be able to bring them around to back the line of dance.

As followers we used the space given to us whilst still maintaining our relationship by curving our steps around our leader. We looked at how the placement of our feet could really help with this.

Next we practised a compact Ocho Cortado.

As Followers we were to pay close attention to maintaining the relationship with our leader's chest.

As Leaders we were to pay attention to maximising the rotation in our upper bodies around our axis.

This way we were able to stay in our own space as if we were in a very crowded Milonga

Next we really tested our Leaders ability to lead with the chest. We danced the same compact Ocho but without moving our feet, leading our Followers with our intention, energy and body rotation.

And finally we played a little game which was to be a real test of our followers ability to follow and not anticipate the move.

As Leaders we lead our followers to take steps 1- 3 as normal then lead steps 4 and 5 and repeated them once or twice before allowing our followers to complete with step 6.

Finally, we looked at a 180-degree Ocho Cortado, by having the leader step behind himself on step 2 and strongly over rotating his chest to the right, we led the followers to step right around us and ended up turned 180 degrees.

Recap video - Workshop 1

Workshop 2b: Colgadas with Pasadas

Overview: An exploration of using colgada off-axis movements. Using "step over" pasadas with colgadas.

Single Axis Turn and Colgada

We started with an exercise in counterbalancing our partners. We were to relax and remain upright, moving our upper bodies apart without arching our backs, or stiffening our bodies, softening the knees we sent our hips out but had to avoid "sitting" trying to keep the connection between us elastic and reciprocal. From there we rotated to left and right keeping our bodies facing towards each other moving around our shared axis as if on opposite sides of the same circle.

Single (Shared) Axis Turn to Right

From a side step to left, Leaders captured Follower's RF with inside RF and remain in contact with her foot.

Using forward impetus from the chest to initiate creation of space between Leaders and Followers allowing the arms to extend away from the body slightly as Leaders counterbalanced.

Using the same movement as in the exercise above, Leaders then rotated to left around the shared axis placing LF close to Followers RF and transferring weight. On completion of the rotation, (ended by the transfer of weight onto the Leader's LF) Leader steps back with RF.

It was important not to sandwich the follower's foot so tightly so as to restrict her ability to pivot.

Step over Colgada

We then looked at a Step over Colgada. We used all the same principles as previously. From the same start as the single axis turn, we then led our followers around to the left and placed our left foot behind our right (but not tightly) without weight. At the same time we opened out our follower to the left and ended up at 90-degrees to each other. From here, we rotated strongly to the left and led the followers to step around us. As the follower placed her weight onto her left foot, we transferred our weight onto our left foot, and continued rotating to the left to bring our followers back in front of us, ready to walk off.

So far this was without any shared axis, both of us on our own axis.

We then added in the Colgada - shared axis, at the point we are 90-degrees to each other.

The follower must allow the leader to 'lead' the amount of Colgada, not just lean out. The leader is balancing the follower and must have control of the axis. The follower should try to step around as far as possible and go with the leader's rotation... not placing their weight onto the left foot too soon.

Recap video - Workshop 2

Workshop 3b: Milonga Traspie

Overview: Milonga style dancing, focussing on "traspie" rhythm.

(These will make sense to those who took this workshop, and should make sense once you watch the video from the class.)

Pattern 1:

  • Man's steps: Stand LF (left foot), pivot to L, RF Forward and Side, pivot, Back and Side, pivot - repeat
  • Woman's steps: Stand RF, pivot to L, LF B and S pivot F and S pivot - repeat

Pattern 2:

  • Man's steps: Stand RF, pivot to R, LF F and S pivot B and S pivot - repeat
  • Woman's steps: Stand LF, pivot to R, RF B and S pivot F and S pivot - repeat

Transition 1:

  • Man's steps: Stand LF, pivot to L, Fwd RF, LF F and B and S pivot
  • Woman's steps: Stand RF, pivot to L, Back LF, RF B and F and S pivot

Transition 2:

  • Man's steps: Stand RF, pivot to R, Fwd LF, RF F and B and S pivot
  • Woman's steps: Stand LF, pivot to R, Back RF, LF B and F and S pivot

There is no real forward or backward movement in any of the steps apart from the actual fwd step in the transitions. This figure relies on rotation around the axis which is the standing leg.

Recap video - Workshop 3

Workshop 4b: Tango Musicality (Extended)

Overview: Extending and enhancing musical interpretation in Tango.

This was a class based on musicality from a dancer's perspective rather than a musician's. We left behind the technicalities of beats and bars and concentrated on the pulse, the heartbeat and the emotion of each of the tracks. We listened to a wide range of musical styles from D'Arienzo to Pugliese via Di Sarli and Canaro, peeling back the layers of music within each.

We were encouraged to follow the contours of the feeling of the various styles of music with our movement.

An inspiring class that left us enlightened and more able to FEEL the music.

More information

For more information about these workshops, or about upcoming workshops and classes, please contact either: