Practicing ochos, body isolations

[Sagitta]

Okay I'm a newbie dancer, so I need the help of all you experienced AT dance addicts.

Last week I was given this exercise to practice ochos. Stand facing a wall/mirror with your hands in a spread out position. Keeping your upper body facing that way move your lower body so that it is facing the corner to your right, with your right leg free. To practice forward ochos, step in the direction that your legs are facing while keeping your upper body in it's original direction and swivel so lower body is now facing the other corner and left leg is free repeat. To do backward ochos you do the same, but step towards the other corners. At all times the upper body remains facing the wall that you started facing while lower body moves.

Great exercise for body isolations. Any others that you know of for practicing ochos or other fundamental At steps?

Any great exercises in body isolations that are particular suited to AT, like the one that I describe?

[MadamSamba]

Sagitta, there are some fantastic, but similarly simple ways of isolating body parts for many tango moves. I'm only familiar with ones for the follower's moves, but I imagine male tango addicts would have their own tips for a strong lead.

For boleos, you can use a chair as support and practice only moving your leg in a boleo motion while keeping dead straight with the rest of your body and for tango walks, try walking, but break down the step into three parts and only move from the hip down _ point, push, then change weight.

You can also try ochos in a doorway! :)

[bordertangoman]

my reply seems to have got lost so this is take 2:

An exercise for body isolation:
take a step forward onto left foot; close feet, and pivot 90 deg to left with hips only; shoulders stay facing front, then pivot back step and repeat on right side. Important thing is to start the movement from the ankle as this gets the movement to work form lower body muscles rather than abdominals; takes a while for these to come into tone.

[Sagitta]

my reply seems to have got lost so this is take 2:

An exercise for body isolation:
take a step forward onto left foot; close feet, and pivot 90 deg to left with hips only; shoulders stay facing front, then pivot back step and repeat on right side. Important thing is to start the movement from the ankle as this gets the movement to work form lower body muscles rather than abdominals; takes a while for these to come into tone.

Thanks. Am listening to AT music right now to figure out if there are particular orchestras that I like.