That depends. It is possible to take the space such that the follower is not aware (contact would make them aware, but I'm not mansplaining the follower's perception of their dance). Similarly a follower's sacada can invade the leader's space without contact.
As one visiting teacher put it, "If you define a sacada as one partner taking the other's place, then all walks are just series of sacadas. So, while that's correct, we'll use the term to mean taking the other's place with contact." It isn't a right/wrong thing so much as a pedagogical tool for isolating a specific subset.
If I go for a high sacada, stepping in deep, then I think I'd go above the knee (thigh?) in extremis (but that may depend on relative size). Well, for a gancho to hook, the leader's leg has got to be above/around the knee. But, as @JournalInTime elaborated, the sacada generally goes with some body movement which takes the space.
, but I can think of such a move.
Above but never around. Anyone who dances an envelopment of any kind – gancho, enganche, piernazo, whatever – needs to avoid the knee itself. External pressure on the knee in any direction is simply dangerous.
True. You don't want to present a rigid leg with solid bone as an obstacle for the knee, nor too low. You need to feel that position above, maybe with adjustment as the leg hooks, for that long-legged partner - or not lead it, or they don't do it just because someone tried to lead it. You've hopefully got some measure of the partner before you get to ganchos.
Yes.
It is only a difference between the vocabulary. What @opendoor said is often said by many instructors. In the video watch what he is saying at 1:35. And then the following explanation that lasts till 2:50 I think. He is saying the same (what @opendoor was saying) using different words. For sacada to work follower step also has to be sufficiently big enough for the leader to position his foot properly. This issue often comes up in the class. Leaders struggle because their follower is not taking correct size step or because the leaders are not rotating their shoulders/chest/upper body/ or the followers are stepping away from the leader. All three are the most common issues that come up during a class.
Contrary to the heading, to some extent, you gotta get in there. But at the correct place, time and depth. Best (in practice, but normal hold) to do it s-l-o-w-l-y on either a follower's fwd or side step of the giro. You've also got to bend right to project (key word!) that foot and leg, aiming for just in front of the follower's trailing foot with intention (not at the foot!). If you're a bit in front, you can move the foot back and find the follower. You project a bit further and you're by the ankle, and so on. I think the video did both sacadas (follower fwd and side) with leader's right. I'd go for left-right. Don't collect on 5 (follower's cross) but leave right foot in place, or slightly behind and turned to be perpendicular (hips; body is leading) to follower's direction on fwd of giro. You're then in position to do the sacada with the left. Moving body forward, as @JournalInTime described, and pivoting on left causing the follower to complete the fwd step, to be perpendicular to follower on side step to sacada and pivot with right. The leader is leading; the follower is not free-running.
The close embrace in 2nd video is not the V. It is same/similar to first video. Both are squared up. In the second she starts initiating the embrace on the close side giving the V look to it but then she moves to close the open side when they are in final embrace. They are fully squared as far as I am concerned. If she had’t closed the open side, that is the V embrace for me and there are followers that will dance that way. The follower’s technique if they want to dance in V embrace requires adjustments, which many don’t do. Also as @JournalInTime explained eloquently in other posts, certain movements get restricted. Some of the movements, the freedom or restrictions, get dictated by the type of embrace.
Well, it shouldn't hurt. Personally, I find the abrazo milonguero very comfortable.
Thanks for re-stating my points in different words. However, as I previously said, in my lived experience as a follower, leaders that place their arms completely across my back have a tendency to pull to the closed side thus creating the offset themselves. If they are unbalanced with their embrace (noodle arms on the open side, arms of steel on the open side, head leaning on the followers etc) the whole dance becomes imbalanced.
Some followers I know have a phrase to describe certain types of sleazy men: Men Who Gancho.
