A good sylabus for close embrace Tango learning

[dchester]

Hmm - to be honest i don't find that modern tango requires more technical skill - i can do a decent imitation of open embrace nuevo with a follower who has danced for maybe 1 or 2 years, while i find that dancing inventive and musical CE on one squarefoot requires a degree of connection, awareness and active following and precision that only very few followers have. A open embrace inline boleo in the line of dance is easy, a close embrace in line boleo between my legs is difficult.
Gssh

For some strange reason, I've never had any desire to lead that move.

;-)

 

[Mario7]

My favorite is an "in line" or "linear" sacada in an apilado embrace. The man literally steps straight into the woman, between her legs. Contact occurs between the man's outer thigh against the woman's inner thigh.
VERY important to have a good connection and be moving well together to pull it off.

Is this while walking cross footed and is the woman being pivoted to her left at the second that the sacada is to occur?

 

[dchester]

Is this while walking cross footed and is the woman being pivoted to her left at the second that the sacada is to occur?

You don't need to be in cross system for this sacada. If you step in (do the sacada) with your right foot (sacadaing her right foot/leg), the pivot will be clockwise.

 

[Steve Pastor]

OK.
You are walking parallel.
I usually do this when I am stepping forward on my right foot.
She will be stepping back on her left.
Usually nobody asks about some of this stuff. I will try to find the class notes for this one.
As I don't quite remember it, setting it up is a bit tricky, and I want to make sure I get it right. There is, however, practically zero rotation.
To paraphrase Gsssh...

a close embrace in line boleo between her legs is difficult

Wanna make sure I get it right!
(So should we all because if you think about where you are stepping...)

 

[tangonuevo]

Hmm - to be honest i don't find that modern tango requires more technical skill - i can do a decent imitation of open embrace nuevo with a follower who has danced for maybe 1 or 2 years

I hardly know how to respond to this except to say no. Dynamic colgadas? No. Volcadas NOT treated as a step pattern but with every motion, including interrupting or reversing the leg sweep, lead? No. Dancing musically, creatively and inventively in an open connection on a single floor tile? No. Etc.

while i find that dancing inventive and musical CE on one squarefoot requires a degree of connection, awareness and active following and precision that only very few followers have. A open embrace inline boleo in the line of dance is easy, a close embrace in line boleo between my legs is difficult.

To me, modern/nuevo is _not_ about big or flashy moves. To me, it is about an extreme subtlety of communication, using a wide variety of connections, and permitting a huge variety of movements. It would be impossible to be a decent modern tango dancer and find anything remotely difficult about dancing in CE on a single floor tile since the CE connection, and the ability to dance CE well, is a small subset of what I consider modern/nuevo tango. BTW, that's why I have invested as many hours as I have taking CE privates with someone I consider one of the best CE teachers residing in the US.

 

[Angel HI]

You guys have to be kidding me; there is nothing difficult about any of this save for being in a close embrace. All that is required from both partners is a basic knowledge of middle, center, balance. Setting up the sacada dentro isn't difficult either if the lead has learned the basics of the walk (outside/inside).

 

[Dave Bailey]

Hmm - to be honest i don't find that modern tango requires more technical skill

I think it requires different skills; we had a discussion about this a while back I think.

I don't know whether it requires more skill.

 

[Peaches]

My favorite is an "in line" or "linear" sacada in an apilado embrace. The man literally steps straight into the woman, between her legs. Contact occurs between the man's outer thigh against the woman's inner thigh.
VERY important to have a good connection and be moving well together to pull it off.

Love these. *swoon*

*ahem* Back on topic, everyone, nothing to see here.

 

[Zoopsia59]

You guys have to be kidding me; there is nothing difficult about any of this save for being in a close embrace. All that is required from both partners is a basic knowledge of middle, center, balance. Setting up the sacada dentro isn't difficult either if the lead has learned the basics of the walk (outside/inside).

I think the issue is being able to suss out what is being done by watching it go by quickly from a weird angle on a video. I'm thinking Mario could get this move quite quickly if it was actually demonstrated to him live by an instructor.

Describing it in words complicates it... like so many things in tango that if you could just SHOW someone what you mean, it would be so much easier. But that doesn't mean that watching a video of a demo from an angle that hides one partner is going to instruct you at all.

 

[Zoopsia59]

Love these. *swoon*

*ahem* Back on topic, everyone, nothing to see here.

Hoo boy! Hose 'er down!
(heading off to fetch bucket of cold water)

 

[dchester]

Love these. *swoon*

*ahem* Back on topic, everyone, nothing to see here.

(note to self: do more linear sacadas)

 

[AndaBien]

I think the issue is being able to suss out what is being done by watching it go by quickly from a weird angle on a video. I'm thinking Mario could get this move quite quickly if it was actually demonstrated to him live by an instructor.

Describing it in words complicates it... like so many things in tango that if you could just SHOW someone what you mean, it would be so much easier. But that doesn't mean that watching a video of a demo from an angle that hides one partner is going to instruct you at all.

I will say this, to Mario. Often students have trouble with sacadas because the leader makes small, timid steps, allowing little room for his leg/foot. Taking a good bold step just prior to the sacada puts plenty of space between your partner's feet, making the sacada much easier.

 

[Zoopsia59]

I will say this, to Mario. Often students have trouble with sacadas because the leader makes small, timid steps, allowing little room for his leg/foot. Taking a good bold step just prior to the sacada puts plenty of space between your partner's feet, making the sacada much easier.

Hey! Great tip! I'm going to remember that!

Sometimes words are good!

 

[Zoopsia59]

(note to self: do more linear sacadas)

SOOOOO looking forward to dancing with you!:raisebro:

 

[dchester]

I will say this, to Mario. Often students have trouble with sacadas because the leader makes small, timid steps, allowing little room for his leg/foot. Taking a good bold step just prior to the sacada puts plenty of space between your partner's feet, making the sacada much easier.

Yes, so often it's the step before where the real problem is occurring.