B Tango
Moves
Raymond Lauzzana
The essence of tango dancing is walking, caminando. There are two basic systems for walking with together with a partner, parallel and cross; and many styles of walking. It is extremely difficult to show the styles of walking in videos, and even more difficult to illustrate them with photos. There is no substitute for practice and good dance instruction. These articles are intended to enrich your tangp vocabuary, and give you the vocabulary to describe what you are doing. They are not intended to teach you to dance.
The Normal Tracks( el Caminos)
The tracks are like trails left in the snow while walking. For exmple, when the couple walks in centered parallel, they leave only two tracks because the leader steps in the trail left by the follower.
Parallel System( Complimento)
The basic walk, usually begins when the leader steps forward with his left foot, and the follower steps back on her right. Next, a forward step with the right foot by the leader, and backward step on the left foot by the follower. There are three ways to walk in the parallel system:
• 2 track basic centered
• 4 track inside to the leader’ s left
• 4 track outside to the leader’ s right
Centered Parallel( Complimento)
The leader steps with his left foot forward, the follower steps on her right leg back. The leader then steps with his left foot forward and the follower on her left foot back. This is the basic system that all tango dancers learn, first. It is the most common and most popular. for good reason. It is a very comfortable and graceful walk for both partners.
Parallel Inside( a Dentro)
When walking parallel inside, the leader walks with upper torso straight in the direction of the dance without upper body torque. Sometimes, rather than walking in parallel, the follower may automatically walk to a cross. If it happens, don’ t walk more then a few steps. Partners face each other, as in closed position, except the follower stands slightly to the right of the leader, without touching hips or upper body torque. Both partner walk to the left of each other.
Parallel Outside( Complimento a Fuera)
When walking parallel outside, the leader walks outside the line of the dance without upper body torque. As with the normal parallel walk, when the leader steps with his left, the follower steps with her right. Walking outside, usually begins with cross step with the left foot. Partners face each other, as in closed position, except the follower stands slightly to the left of the leader, without touching hips or upper body torque. Both partners walk to the right of each other.
Cross System( Contrario)
A walk that begins when the leader steps forward with his right foot, while the follower also steps back with her right. When walking in the cross system, the leader must either begin from the cross system or switch from parallel to cross while walking. In any case, this can only happen if the leader disguises his weight change in such a way as to to convince the follower that she should step back with her right, as she usually does, even though the leader steps with the opposite foot. She will do this if she is securely standing on her left foot with her right foot free. As a result, it appears that the follower is walking backward in small ochos. In fact, she is simply walking backwards as she normally walks. There are four ways to walk in the cross system:
• 4 track inside to the leader’ s left
• 4 track outside to the leader’ s right
• 3 track offset to the leader’ s left
• 3 track offset to the leader’ s right
Cross Inside( Contrario a Dentro)
A common walk is inside partner. The leader walks on the follower’ s right side, inside the line of dance( ronda). When walking cross inside, the leader walks with upper torso straight in the direction of the dance without upper body torque. But, as with the conventional cross system walk, the leader must disguise the first step, so yhat the follower continues to walk normally without switching feet.
Cross Outside( Contrario a Fuera)
A less common walk is cross outside partner. Walking in the outside cross system requires that the leader be outside the line of dance, on the follower’ s left side, when the follower steps with her left foot, the leader also steps with
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