Volcadas

Same question. Do any of you leads regularly lead volcadas? Are many of you follows regularly led in volcadas? Both to the open and closed side?

tangonuevo said:

Same question. Do any of you leads regularly lead volcadas? Are many of you follows regularly led in volcadas? Both to the open and closed side?

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I used to lead them very often because they do not require a change in the hold and I like them, anyway. Linear and circular, and circular to either side.

opendoor said:

I used to lead them very often ....

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Used to?? No longer?

I get led in them probably once every other milonga or so. I wish they wouldn't, because they almost never do it properly.

twnkltoz said:

...they almost never do it properly.

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Interesting. Mind if I ask what they do wrong? Or can you identify it specifically?

tangonuevo said:

Interesting. Mind if I ask what they do wrong? Or can you identify it specifically?

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They don't counterbalance properly. You can get away with that with a skinny girl you can easily hold up, but I'm a big girl, so if you don't counterbalance me we're both in trouble. In fact, some of them actually lean back when they go into it. ACK!

So you feel uneasy?

I've gotten really confident in leading volcadas socially with the follower's left leg, always close embrace. I will throw them in anywhere that I might lead a front ocho or pivot on her right foot. Don't get me wrong, I am not volcada crazy. I just feel really confident with that movement now, enough to use it musically without overthinking it. I have gotten complements from followers on how stable iam with that movement.

I experiment with other volcadas, but not often, and usually with my teacher. The right foot on a pivot volcada feels more awkward to me because of the embrace. More shifting is required to make it work.

Hmmm, I have never really counted or paid special attention to the amount of certain movements people do, but... My rough estimate would be, about half of the local leaders I regularly dance with would lead volcadas to me on one moment or another, and come think of it, almost all the visitors from the US/Canada/Europe do. Visitors from Asian countries (Japan, Korea, Taiwan etc) -- not so much.

opendoor said:

So you feel uneasy?

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Wouldn't you, if you were taken off your axis with no apparent base of support, especially if your leader actually stumbles?

I'm not exactly an elephant, and I am light on my feet, grounded, and easy to lead. Yet, I outweigh some of these guys who are my height or shorter (or even taller but very slender), so with no counterbalance it is very scary. When it is led correctly, it is delicious.

tangonuevo said:

Same question. Do any of you leads regularly lead volcadas? Are many of you follows regularly led in volcadas? Both to the open and closed side?

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They are lead a lot in my city and I am very fortunate that the majority of the follows here can follow right side volcadas very well. The few that can't do them well are women that always throw their full weight into it when I lead a small one (since I do them anywhere from 10% to 100% depending on the situation) or some women have problems collecting when I do a reverse volcada.

Left/open side volcadas are a different matter though and not many follows can do them.

sound interesting: So do you think this fact is due to the clearness of the lead or to the strength of the followers tummy muscles?

I lead almost only the very common one, not too often, maybe once every second tango. Would lead some more if the ladies could follow properly. Sometimes I try a side one.

opendoor said:

sound interesting: So do you think this fact is due to the clearness of the lead or to the strength of the followers tummy muscles?

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I think it's due to unfamiliarity, because they get a surprised look and sometimes try to step forward out of it. My lead is not as good on that side too, because I do it less on the open side, but I get some shaky ones with a few follows. It is more awkward on that side, because it is a bit unnatural and breaks the familiar embrace when closing up the open side. Maybe I am doing them wrong. Do you usually do them shoulder to shoulder on the left side like I do?

I know they can be done without shoulder on the right side also, by using frame or even arms, but never tried this on the left side. It always feels best to me shoulder to shoulder though.

Right side volcadas are just so natural though, that I can throw a quick little one on the end of some other moves and it just happens almost by itself. Also, they kind of happen on there own in fluid embraced tango because they form a bridge between positions.

opendoor said:

sound interesting: So do you think this fact is due to the clearness of the lead or to the strength of the followers tummy muscles?

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My guess is it has nothing to do with the followers tummy muscles. People just tend to do what they see everyone else doing, and what they find easiest to do (or lead).

A common thing also is to first do a leg wrap, and then after she unwraps, act like you are repeating the leg wrap, but then lead a volcada instead.