Last Thursday, June 7 - Birthday of Marie Gregoire

Francis and Marie have been Firehouse fans since our beginning.  They've been to Buenos Aires with us many times and are always happy to share their celebrations with us.  

Francis started the dance with Marie, and then all the guys cut in to tango with this awesome lady.   As always, we celebrated Marie's birthday with many delicious goodies brought by Francis and Marie.  

Hi everyone, Fran here with your Tango Tip of the Week. Last week, we learned one of the ways in which a couple can enter the crossed system in Tango. If you’d like to review that before continuing with this week’s Tip, feel free to do so now.

(I’ll be right here, when you get back.)

Remember now? Changing from the parallel to the crossed system (and back to parallel) is one of the skills that is unique to Tango. Today, we’re going to talk about moving, once you’re in the tossed system.

Moving in the crossed system

Nota bene:

As with other linear elements of social Tango, each action while moving within the crossed system should at first be led/followed individually with a full stop at the end — before initiating the next element.  

In fact, there are many possible directions in which a couple can travel within the crossed system. For the sake of our discussion, I’m going to choose movement down the line of dance.)

1. Beginning in the crossed system (both leader and follower have their weight on the right leg), the leader initiates a forward movement with his left leg at a slight diagonal to his left. The follower responds by moving backward with her left leg in a small diagonal (ocho), which has been set up, when the couple entered the crossed system.

2. At the conclusion of this movement, both leader and follower (each of whom is now balanced solidly on the left leg) realign themselves to face one another — rather than continuing to face slightly to the leader’s left. This action is quite small, but crucial to this sequence, and should be executed consciously by each member of the couple without the need for a specific lead.

3. Now, the leader rotates his upper body slightly to the right in order to initiate a small clockwise pivot by his follower. (As she pivots, the follower recognizes that at the end of this movement she will stop rather than automatically continuing into a walk.)

4. The leader now initiates a forward movement with his right leg at a slight diagonal to his right. The follower responds by moving backward in the same slight diagonal (ocho) with her right leg.

5. As before, at the conclusion of this movement, both leader and follower (each of whom is now solidly balanced on the right leg) realign themselves to face one another, and come to a complete stop.

This is a somewhat detailed description of left and right leg movement down the line of dance within the crossed system. To recap, the “formula” for this action is the following:

• Rotate (pivot) — initiated by the leader

• Walk on a diagonal — initiated by the leader

• Align — executed individually without a lead

• Repeat on the opposite side (with the other leg)

When first learning this crossed system sequence, it is essential that both the leader and follower come to a complete stop in balance at the end of each element. Quite often, I see couples more or less race-walking, when moving in the crossed system. The follower feels the initial lead for her pivot and assumes that this is a mandate for her to take the bull by the horns and execute a continuous series of out-of-balance backward ochos — as her partner helplessly chases her down the dance floor. This always reminds me of a kind of mini-avalanche, and almost always ends badly. Executing each element within the sequence as an individual movement with a beginning, middle and balanced end will help insure that this doesn’t happen.

Eventually, the leader will begin to create a continuous sequence of the above elements in order to move down the line of dance with his partner. But it’s very important to bear in mind that “continuous” does not mean automatic or un-led. The follower always waits until she feels the appropriate lead for each element — even though she may “know” what is going to happen next. At no time does she execute any element on her own. This is what is often referred to as “back-leading,” and has no place in Tango.

Next in my teaching pedagogy is what I call the “sixth” element of the dance — the pivot. Initially, I’ve introduced the pivot as one of the elements needed to lead/follow movement within the crossed system. As I briefly mentioned in an earlier Tango Tip (May 3, 2018), this essential movement — which is the focal point of “Part 3” of my teaching system — will eventually become the basis for much of the more complex repertoire in Tango — ocho, molinete, calicita, boleo, colgada, volcada, etc.

We’ll start discussing this next week.

The longest-running and friendliest practica in NYC! Come join our happy group of social tango dancers, whose sole purpose is to enjoy dancing and to practice what they’re learning. Everyone dances! Essential Tango Therapy! Pat and I will be on hand to answer any questions you may have, and help you with material you’re working on. Plus you get a new “must-have” move each week! No partner required, all levels. Dardo Galletto Studios, 151 West 46th Street, 11th floor, (bet. 6th & 7th Aves) www.franchesleigh.com

If you’d like a private lesson, you can visit our website at www.franchesleigh.com, call Fran directly at 212-662-7692, or email him at franchesleigh@mac.com Join us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/franchesleighllc

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