Tango Tip of the Week

Hi everybody, Fran here with your Tango Tip of the Week. Today. we’re going to continue our discussion of balance by talking about el paso adelante (the forward step) for the leader, as he accompanies the follower’s step backward.

El paso adelante

When a skilled leader and follower execute this forward/backward movement, it can seem effortless from the outside. However, there is without a doubt a significant amount of confidence and skill necessary to make this highly complex movement look easy. In general, the beginning leader almost always approaches this invitation/response cycle, fearing that he’s going to step on his follower’s toes; this results in his forward step being quite tentative. At the same time, the beginning follower doesn’t yet know how to extend her leg backward correctly — which usually results in a small, falling movement, virtually guaranteeing that she will, in fact, be stepped on by her leader.

Everyone’s worst fear fulfilled!

To ensure that he doesn’t step on his partner’s feet, the beginning leader will often take his steps either much too small — or diagonally left and right — rather than directly forward. This will, of course, succeed in keeping him off her toes, but in the long run it’s bad dance practice, and by no means the appropriate solution to the problem. Furthermore, until the follower learns how to move backward in a skillful way, she’ll always be in danger of being stepped on, and therefore needs to perfect this crucial movement as soon as possible.

Let’s talk about the specifics of inviting a follower to move backward, as the leader accompanies her with his forward step:

1.     Begin as usual by forming a nice, comfortable embrace with your partner. Be sure that you’re both solidly balanced on two feet.

2.     As a leader, gradually shift to one foot (either one is fine), leading your follower to also shift her weight to that side. If at the end of this movement, you’re both in balance on one foot, you’re ready for the next invitation/response.

3.     As a leader, flex your knees slightly in order to lower or soften your torso — indicating to your partner that you’re about to invite movement through space. Now, gently, but decisively, take a forward step. This means moving your whole self — including your torso and leg at the same time directly into her space. Although I know this is asking a lot in the beginning, try not to be fearful that you’re going to step on your follower’s toes — because if and when she responds to your lead in the correct way, she’s going to be getting that leg completely out of danger.

4.     Concentrate on bringing yourself into solid, upright balance at the end of the movement. Such conscious effort will help make certain you don’t end up falling forward or to the side as you complete your step.

5.     As a follower, here’s where your skill in taking your back step is going to solve the problem of getting stepped on. When you feel his lead — he lowers the torso, then initiates a definite movement into your space with his upper body — your immediate response should be to move your free leg backward from your center. This will seem counter-intuitive at first. Your initial inclination will be to fall backward from your torso, catching yourself at the end with your leg. If you do this, you’ll almost always get stepped on! Instead, you’re going to maintain the slightly forward, upright position of your torso, and start your response to his lead by moving your entire leg backward from your hip joint — so that it remains nice and long as you go, sliding your toe along the floor. As you come to the end of this movement, as a secondary element, you’re then going to bring your upper body over your leg. Be sure to keep thinking, “I’m going to be balanced at the end of this movement.” If you do this, the strong likelihood is that you’ll succeed!

6.     As with the step to the side, the leader should avoid trying to carry his partner through this movement. He also needs to remember that his step is going to slightly precede that of his follower. When I initiate a backward movement in my follower, I lower my torso to indicate travel, then lean slightly forward in order to tell her that I’m about to enter her space. As I feel her extending her leg backward, I then move my body through space in order to complete my forward step. Eventually, both of us will individually end up in balance. But please remember: Developing this skill takes time, patience, and lots of practice.

7.     Under no circumstances should the leader attempt to rush his follower into another movement until he is absolutely certain that she’s balanced and ready to continue. As with any movement in Tango, the follower, must have the opportunity to bring herself into balance — without having to worry about what’s going to happen next. An all too common problem among most unskilled leaders is that they continually rush their followers, keeping them more or less constantly off balance. As a leader, enabling your follower to achieve balance at the end of her steps — before offering a new invitation to move — is a critical skill, which absolutely must be mastered in order to avoid having the dance fall apart.

8.     At the conclusion of your forward/backward movement, hold this balanced position as a couple for fifteen seconds. Whether you’re the leader or follower, try your best not to in any way use the other foot to help out.

Next week, we’re going to discuss the leader’s backward step as he invites and accompanies his follower’s forward movement. In the meantime, if you’re finding all this overly complicated, please feel free to ask Pat or me about it.