Any suggestions on how to walk backwards (for the man) ?

[Mario7]

I like to walk backwards whenever I can in the social dance...I usually only go 3 to 5 steps when I have room and the added stability of the embrace seems to help... however, when I practise walking backwards alone at home, it's a different story... very hard to maintain balance and not wobble off to one side...I want the confidence that I can dance backwards with stability and I figure that practicing a lot more will get it for me.. but why take weeks to get it if there is some trick or way of seeing it that will help me get it sooner...?

 

[Lilly_of_the_valley]

Care to post a video?
If you are wobbling of to one side, you probably not maintaining your sides even or you are raising one hip (or shoulder, or both) over the other, perhaps. Also, are you properly articulating all the joints?

 

[Mario7]

thanks.. I will double check the sides and the hip/shoulder

 

[manteca]

Hey I'm just a student, but this might help.

You mentioned that the embrace helps. Usually in an embrace you're pushing your spine backwards which helps with stability because you're putting the different centers of gravity in your body into closer alignment. Think like a ballerina position with both arms in front.

Things to try - Feel for the little protrusion of bone on your spine below the neck and a little above the shoulder blades. Push it backwards and hold while walking backwards. Remember keep the shoulders down and head/chin up.

Notes - when walking forwards try the opposite - push the bone on your spine forward so your chest expands and leads your body forward, your arms should naturally fall behind your body. Playing with this little technique can be fun. Experiment by trying it sideways.

From my Ballroom training.

When you walk forward, lead with your upper body and let your feet follow and catchthe weight.
When you walk backward, lead with your leg/foot, and then transfer the weight of your upper body onto the leg.

Hope that helps a little.

 

[UKDancer]

From my Ballroom training.

When you walk forward, lead with your upper body and let your feet follow and catch the weight.
When you walk backward, lead with your leg/foot, and then transfer the weight of your upper body onto the leg.

Hope that helps a little.

Yes to the first, but no to the second. The inevitable result of extending the foot back is that the upper body has to move forward, relative to the centre of gravity (if only slightly), and the intention that conveys is the exact opposite of the movement. Rather, the body moves back first (just like a forward walk). If, and only if, the follower accepts the invitation to step forward, does the leader then accompany the follower by continuing to move the body back (beyond the point of imbalance), taking the shoulders over the foot, as far as possible, and then catching the weight with a complete weight transfer. Particular attention needs to be given to the support coming from the standing leg, moving both forward and backward, to avoid the noise that comes from insufficiently supporting the pelvis and maintaining a central balance without any unwanted lateral movement.

The reason the technique you describe has an application in the ballroom world is that a figure is being danced - if the lady has read the lead properly, she knows what she must do as counterpart - in tango the follower feels the lead from one step to the next and what she feels needs to correspond to the movement she is invited to make.

 

[Hadi Katebi]

Aside from balance, most followers are more comfortable/familiar with forward step starting on their left foot (i.e, a backward step on your right foot). I would also suggest practicing balance with Milonga steps: backward on right, side on left, forward on right, forward on left, weight change, side on right, and redo. Make sure you don't go off balance.

 

[tangomaniac]

Your wobbling suggests that one (or both) of your feet are pigeon toed. Be sure each foot is turned out as you reach back.

 

[tangobro]

I like to walk backwards whenever I can in the social dance...I usually only go 3 to 5 steps when I have room and the added stability of the embrace seems to help... however, when I practise walking backwards alone at home, it's a different story... very hard to maintain balance and not wobble off to one side...I want the confidence that I can dance backwards with stability and I figure that practicing a lot more will get it for me.. but why take weeks to get it if there is some trick or way of seeing it that will help me get it sooner...?

not exactly a trick, what has worked for me are the same techniques taught to women, which include moving the whole leg rather than lifting & placing the foot & aiming the backwards moving foot towards then beyond an imaginary line under the bottom end of the spine.

 

[opendoor]

..when I practise walking backwards alone at home, ... very hard to maintain balance and not wobble off to one side...if there is some trick?

Hi Mario, remote diagnosis usually is a difficult thing. Do you project your steps to the utmost first? Perhaps you are shifting weight too early? You need a large amount of muscle power in your buttocks to do so. Basically the technique is the same for women and men.

 

[dchester]

remote diagnosis usually is a difficult thing.

Especially if we haven't seen video of what the issue is.

 

[fascination]

step under your own shoulder....you are probably "clothes lining" your feet

 

[Mario7]

thanks for all the thoughtfull input... my walking backwards doesn't seem to be a problem at all now when I am dancing with a woman..so, I'm grateful for that and enjoying it a lot !... my 'problem' only occurred when practicing alone as I want to practice the difficult parts of the dance... I haven't practiced alone for a while and so don't know if I still wobble but the last time I did practice that way, I paid attention to my hip alignment and shoulder alignment and it helped a lot.. I like that ballet image quoted above and may try it although I'm politically against any signs of ballet entering the Arg. tango... saludos !!

 

[Steve Pastor]

The inevitable result of extending the foot back is that the upper body has to move forward, relative to the centre of gravity (if only slightly)

You know, I've thought about this a lot, and I disagree.
If you move your foot/leg backwards, your center of gravity moves backwards. That is exactly what you want. Your parnter will/should move to follow your center, moving her center forward.
Now, if you DON'T want your center to move, you would have to lean forward, but that's not what you are doing here.

 

[JohnEm]

You know, I've thought about this a lot, and I disagree.
If you move your foot/leg backwards, your center of gravity moves backwards. That is exactly what you want. Your parnter will/should move to follow your center, moving her center forward.
Now, if you DON'T want your center to move, you would have to lean forward, but that's not what you are doing here.

Well for once, Steve, I rather think UKDancer's is the right description.
The body/chest must move backwards first, and the leg then projects
to the correct place for the body to centre over it.

If you just project the leg without moving, the body must move very slightly
forward to balance the extended weight. But in practice that is not how
we should move backwards because it would give no intent,
even the wrong intent, to the woman.

When a woman is moved backwards she responds to her body movement
and projects her leg In the man's case he moves his own body backwards
and then his own leg responds.

I would add for Mario that practising this alone is quite difficult and for
solo practise to have any usefulness you really do need to ensure
you move your body first, and backwards of course. It is just not natural
as we don't do it in real life.

Oh and by the way, I do walk backwards and comments are often about
how rare for a man that is. But my walking backwards is invariably down
the line of dance so you have to know how to turn, look and note where
everyone is and the conditions have to be right.

One other thing, in walking backwards you really do need to get your leg
out of the way of the woman's leg coming at you. So don't delay as you
might walking forwards, this time your leg should move at the same
time as the woman's and the step should seem longer than one going
forwards even if the distance actually moved is similar.

 

[Mario7]

this guy..a paragon of the social dance..agrees with..