| Re: Learning Tango
Mmm, fourth lesson. Foxtrot still way too difficult. Argentine Tango still easy.
Went over previous figures. Got taught some simple figure with reverse ochos and our single promised Gancho. Slow, slow, slow, reverse ocho, ocho, ocho, ocho, ocho, gancho, forward ocho, quick, quick, slow. I'm filing ganchos under the category of "fun". Apparently the key to ganchos is to do have the same hip-to-hip thing that I remember from Judo throws. See: technique!
My partner and I were quite confident dancing all that, so I suggested I lead stuff in a random order, and we could practice doing it "properly" via lead/follow. After a couple of false starts, this went surprisingly well. Obviously we couldn't dance arbitrary shapes, but we were able to dance all four figures in an arbitrary order, with changes of direction and tempo so as to avoid all the other dancers on the floor. Most pleasing. One exception: the "cross" proved tricky. We could do it fine as a choreographed figure, but with lead/follow it was hit and miss.
My partner almost melted into my arms after the first song we danced freestyle like that. Apparently the experienced was vastly improved for her, as it was all a surprise, and she didn't have to think so much, and some of the moves felt smoother and more natural that way. Nice things to hear. Plus, it did feel really good. So we danced the rest of the class like that. Good times.
So next week my partner can't make it, so I get a pot luck follower. Then the week after that will be the final week. Assuming she can make it, I think we should try out for doing arbitrary figures based on the bigger elements we have, and proceed to dance off into the sunset.
Eh, I can dream, right? |