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  • The Molinete Giro Structure

    The Molinete Giro Structure

    Notation: There is another version of this topic that’s in your archive. Now you have a second one that’s a bit more comprehensive and detailed. One is not more important than the other. They both serve as tools for both roles!

    Every social dance has a variation of a very old idea known as a “Grape Vine Turn”, which is generally 3 steps in either a circular or linear pattern. Argentine Tango is no exception to this. Truthfully Tango has spawned and borrowed and given 8 types of turns. The Eight functional types of turns of Tango are: 1.) The Milonguero Turn. 2.) The Walking Turn, 3.) The Rock Step. 4.) The Ocho Cortado (Linear & Circular). 5.) The Media Luna. 6.) The Argentine Calesita. 7.) The Colgada Turn (including The Single Axis). And #8, the topic of Today’s Tango Topic: The Follower’s Molinete/The Lead’s Giro.

    Just as a side note, up until about 1980, oddly enough, The Follower’s Molinete/Lead’s Giro was NOT the predominant turn. That honor goes to first turn on our list above, the Milonguero Turn. So what happened ? Why was the turn supplanted ? You can thank Gustavo Naveira and Fabian Salas for that. If for no other reason these two men aren’t considered the father’s of Modern Argentine Tango than it should be their introduction of the Follower’s Molinete to the world. Which, strangely enough, had been around in various forms for almost 50 years before they came along and … ahem … ‘discovered’ the Molinete.

    The turn itself is taught to every beginner dancer, and every dancer uses this very functional and foundational turn. As this is the case, the turn is so predominant that it is the default motion for every Follower/every Lead whether they realize it or not. The moment that a Lead starts to rotate their body, the Follower will default to the Follower’s Molinete. It should be noted that the Follower’s Molinete doesn’t happen in a vacuum. It happens due to the other side of the equation: The Lead’s Giro. The Lead’s Giro and the Follower’s Molinete co-combine to create the standard turn in Argentine Tango when we talk about turns. So without more yapping, let’s dive into Today’s Tango Topic: The Molinete Giro Structure.

    There are obviously two parts of this conversation that need to get talked about independently of each other. However, at the same time, one can not talk about one and NOT talk about the other. First let’s dive in the Follower’s Molinete and then the Lead’s Giro component.

    What is the Follower’s Molinete ?  The term “Molinete” means Wind Mill in English when translated from the Spanish. And as it relates to Argentine Tango this is a Grape Vine Turn with 3 steps. Forward, Side, and Back that executed by the Follower. Which is the reason for the distinction in the moniker, calling it The Follower’s Molinete. So that would lead one to believe, and rightfully so, that there is a Lead’s Molinete. And there is. But that’s a topic for a different Tango Topic. There are two primary versions of the Follower’s Molinete. And the primary distinction is whether or not The Follower’s Molinete is done in Close Embrace or Open Embrace. While the two turns themselves are functionally the same, there are some very nuanced differences between the two. However, at the 50,000 ft level, the turns consist of the 3 steps: Forward, Side, and Back. When you stop and you think about it though, there are actually 4 steps, not three. Even though we would like to use only 3 and it can be done quite easily with practice. There is a fourth step, and it’s a second side step after either the forward or back step. The Follower’s Molinete can start with either the Follower’s Forward step or the Follower’s Backstep. Both will lead to slightly different outcomes. However, the setup for both turns is usually the same: Traveling Ochos! In either case, both the Forward Step, and the Back Step are Applied Disassociative motions which are mostly, and erroneously, thought of as ‘pivots’, which lead to the Follower then extending into a rotating Side Step. It should be noted that of all the foundational moves that the Follower must master, that this is the hardest thing, physiologically speaking that they’ll ever have to do. Ever. It takes considerable time, patience, practice, and did we mention ‘practice’, solo, with a partner, in private instruction to make the Follower’s Molinete fluid. This is not watching a 9 minute video and bam, you have got it down. No. This is going to take a while. A long while. A very LOOOOOONG while. Years. However, having adequate reference material is absolutely key to that process.

    Follower’s Perspective. Because the Molinete and its benefits have been discussed to death, all this section is really going to touch on are some very simple ideas that you may have forgotten about, but are relevant here for a variety of reasons not the least of which is that it opens other options for us, as leads, to play with. When we’re doing fiddling the options, we’re then going to answer one singular question. But before we get to that stuff, let’s do a bit of history. You probably learned the Follower’s Molinete and understand what you have to do in order to generate one. However, more than likely you never actually did the job yourself. A great man once said, “Never ask a man to a job for you, unless you’ve done that job yourself!”, the “walk a mile in someone’s shoes” methodology. Practicing this methodology gives you great perspective, and not to mention but we will anyway, appreciation for the amount of work, care, and detail that goes into that specific thing, or in this case a Molinete. With that thought in mind, it’s probably an eye-opening experience for you to do this amount of work just once, not the millions of times you’ve led this on a Follower and thought to yourself all the things that they should be doing but aren’t, thereby blaming the Follower for their lack of execution. And now that execution is on you IF and ONLY IF you want to execute a nice Follower’s Molinete!

    It’s 3 steps really. It doesn’t get any more complicated than that. Back. Side. Forward. And in those 3 steps you have any one of 27 possible combinations to play with, if we start with particular or dominant step first, which would be:

    [Back Step First] BSF, BFS, BSS, BFF, BBB, BBF, BBS, BSB, BFB. 

    (ommitted)

    The reason we’re discussing possibilities here is that, frequently, we only see one possibility over and over again, the BSF option. There are 26 other possibilities for us to engage in. Exploring these possibilities adds not only spice but variation to our repertoire. However, more than likely you’re still thinking like a Lead and not like a Follower here, in that YOU want to lead YOURSELF to do these, not the Follower. This is just a reminder that there are other options besides BSF out there. That’s all. See ? Simple reminder.

    However, let’s be clear about something, 9 times out of 10, you will NEVER engage in any of those 26 other possibilities nor will you be able to do what you like to accent those ideas, because there’s no space for you to do that. Mostly because your Lead isn’t creating space for you to do that. There are some things you can do to mitigate that prospect but they all rely on choosing a partner who creates space for you to engage ideas. Without that, none of those other 26 variations are possible!

    Follower’s Awareness: Stepping around the…

    (ommitted)

    The Follower’s Practical Reality. You have to understand something about your Molinete. At this point in the life of Tango, this move has become standard behavior, expected. Which is to say that the moment that your Lead starts to rotate, you immediately default to a Molinete, even when that may not be what’s asked of you! What I tell my follower students is that unless there is disassociation, in that rotation, your default behavior SHOULD BE a Milonguero Turn and NOT a Molinete. Most Leads are looking for the Molinete, however that view is changing, so having both in your arsenal is helpful. So it’s important to learn to hear the difference in the type of request that you’ll get. To be clear >

    IF THERE IS NO DISASSOCIATION coming from the Lead > MILONGUERO TURN.
    IF THERE IS DISASSOCIATION coming from the Lead > MOLINETE.

    Are we clear ?

    Moving on from there, now we address 2 issues that are implied in the video but not specifically stated:

    1.) Everything is around your lead in 3 steps, not 4.

    Everything Is Around Your Lead. This means that all 3 steps, BSF/FSB/FFF/BBB/SSS and all the common variations of that idea, are steps that go around your lead > NOT AWAY FROM THEM. This means NO LOOKING DOWN at your FEET on your forward step. This also means being as close to your Lead as is humanly possible. This also means that every step you take is step up for the next step. I have a whole video series on just this topic in the Follower’s Technique section of the library.

    2.) MOVE YOUR ASS!

    MOVE YOUR ASS. Means that you need to be aware that you have mass, and that the turn itself can lag. You can not. In other words, be quick, be expeditious, and be precise in your execution of the move!

    3.) There is Disassociation for a reason!

    Do NOT throw one leg behind the other crossing over. This is cheating the turn structure and doesn’t actually make you look good. You want to engage the Disassociation, and you want to actually use it. Let me be clear here > There are some Leads that rush thru the turn that force you to feel rushed. Which makes employing disassociation nearly impossible. So you have to employ the sloppy method implied at the beginning of this section! So in this instance when the Lead is moving to goddamned fast, USE A MILONGUERO TURN! Got it ?

    The Follower’s Fine Print: Probably the most prominent issue in the fine print is the ….

    (ommitted)

    The Primary Fact: The key to the Follower’s Molinete, is the Follower’s ability to correctly and aptly engage in Disassociation and Applied Disassociation.

    That means in simple parlance, if you haven’t mastered your those skills, so that they become second nature to you, then your back step of the Molinete will fail, and you will be out of position in order to stay with your Lead.

    To be fair, most Lead’s are wholly unaware that they need to stay with their Follower and instead rush ahead of them in their own Giro, thereby leaving the Follower behind and out of position. So what can you do ? Pick a better Lead next time. Seriously. In the moment, there’s not a lot you can do because that’s that Lead’s default behavior and because no one has told them to stop doing it, they’ll continue to to do so. The prevailing wisdom with that line of reasoning is that the Follower should just ‘hurry up’. This is not true.

    Plays from YouTube. Pressing play connects you to YouTube. Privacy

    The Full Ocho Exercise

    Plays from YouTube. Pressing play connects you to YouTube. Privacy

    Linear Ochos Exercise with Marion

    The Fundamental Stepping Stones! The only way this stuff works is Disassociation and Applied Disassociation. That’s it. Fortunately for you, Tango Topics has an extensive video on both of these very important topics for sale, but also included in the video subscription. Follow the links included herein and educate yourself. Or Subscribe. Either way. 🙂 Of course it wouldn’t hurt for you to study the Molinete from the Follower AND Lead’s perspective, so you might need another video for that as well. Fortunately, that particular video is available immediately, just follow this link! What would be helpful here is also a study of what Tango Topics calls “Fred Torture”, as it would help you to define and clarify the Molinete structure in its base elements.

    Plays from YouTube. Pressing play connects you to YouTube. Privacy

    Tango Disassociation

    Next we have to talk about the Lead’s side of the equation, or The Lead’s Giro.

    What is the Lead’s Giro ? Put simply, and literally, it means that the Lead turns themselves. The literal part comes from the fact that the word ‘Giro’ comes from the Spanish verb ‘Girar’ which means ‘To Turn’ in English. ‘Giro’ is the first person singular of the verb, which translates to ‘I turn’. The Lead’s Giro simply means that the Lead acts as the center of the Follower’s Molinete. They’re center pole as it were. Not the center piece but the center pilar that the Follower revolves around. It’s imporant that you recognize that aspect as a Lead. Meaning that as the center pilar, if that pilar moves from it’s position, then the Follower’s Molinete will ‘wobble’, and Follower will end up having to do a BOATLOAD of extra work to stay with Lead’s Rotation! Secondly the Lead Rotates and the Follower Revolves. Typically what happens is the Lead Rotates at their own speed and the Follower has to catch up with that. Which makes the Follower feel rushed. Instead of setting up the turn so that it rotates in time to the music and doesn’t rush the Follower. In other words the Lead has to go at the speed at which the Follower is capable of moving. And sometimes that means, that the turn MAY NOT be completed in time to the music! Which means dropping a note or 3. And rushing the Follower to go any faster isn’t going to help anything. And in fact tends to make things worse in more ways than one. Lastly, speaking about music, while there are multiple ways to address the musical concerns of how the Molinete/Giro structure is applied, this article will not cover this aspect except to address this singular point > One Note = One Step.

    All of that aside the Lead’s Giro consists of two parts:

    1.) The ‘Foot’ Component.
    And 2.) The Upper Body Rotation and Embrace component.

    There are 4 ways for the Lead to turn their body with their feet: 

    a.) The ‘Pie Wedge’ Methodology.
    b.) The ‘T’ Step Method.
    c.) The ‘Paddle’ Method.
    And d.) The ‘Applied Disassociative’ Method.

    All four of these methods do the job of the Lead turning the Lead’s body with their feet. This is shown in the video, so please reference it there. However, the most efficient of the methods is probably ‘d’. From a dancing perspective, the easiest one to execute is ‘c’.  The simplest of the four is ‘a’ but it’s not exactly elegant but it is functional. And while ‘b’ is very functional it tends to ‘drift’ a bit. Drift in the sense that you can and will move the center point of the Follower’s Molinete if you’re not paying attention. Which, as a result, means more work for the Follower. The same is true of ‘a’ and ‘c’ to a limited degree for different reasons. Item ‘d’ does not move the Lead’s center point at all. It should be noted that in item ‘d’ that the Lead’s feet, always, always, always stay together and over one foot or the other, not both. But the heels are always kept together and do NOT split apart. Nor should there be a weight transfer in ‘c’ or ‘d’. However, there are obvious weight transfers in ‘a’, and ‘b’. Speaking of weight transfers, and in specific ‘c’, there is a push-off the from the free leg, but not a weight transfer! In other words do not wobble back and forth using ‘c’ as you push off! Oh and regarding ‘d’ and the term “Applied Disassociation”, this refers to when the upper body rotates in Disassociation but the lower body has to catch up with a slight delay (which is deliberate). That delay is the application of disassociation! You are releasing the torsion and tension built up by the disassociation, and that release is contained rotation of the legs and feet over a singular point. 

    The Lead’s Upper Body has two methods of motion. 

    a.) Rotate your …

    (ommitted) 

    If all that sounds like deep technical details, that’s because it is. It’s the kind of clarity that must happen for the Lead kinesthetically everywhere. And that’s just in this move alone when it comes to what they’re doing. However, typically what happens, for most Leads is their embrace collapses, and their footwork is sloppy! They tend to use their arms, apply pressure, tension and force to ‘move’ their followers instead of applying intention to INVITE their followers. Do you see the difference. Intention is a huge component in the application of the Lead’s Giro. Without that, then you’re literally pushing and pulling your follower around. There are LOADS of Tango teachers that will tell you in no uncertain terms that you must apply tension, and force, or RESISTANCE in order to use the Molinete/Giro structure. And there is a certain amount of truth to that > IF AND ONLY IF you want to scream at your dance partner and be a lethargic weight! I can hear the commentary now, assuming you’ve gotten this far, that the you don’t do that. Trust me when I say this, you do. You just don’t know it. Nor have you had anyone, like me, point it out to you.

    The Lead’s Practical Reality. The matter of the fact is that your Giro the Follower’s Molinete has become the staple of the dance. Further, there’s a reality you must understand that for the most part, the Lead’s Giro here is purely decorative and performative. Meaning that you’re not actually doing a whole lot. Nor do you need to! The fact is that the due to certain factors of the state of the dance, and because this move has become so ubiquitous, that the moment the lead starts any kind of rotation, the Follower will default to their Molinete in either BSF or FSB depending on what position they’re in. In this instance, you don’t really have to ‘lead’ per se. And as one of my early teachers put it, the Follower is the Engine of the TURN! They’re literally going to turn us! The only thing you really need to do here is guide them thru to where you want to come out of the turn facing in what direction. That’s it. That’s all. However, if you want to get fancy you can break up that turn. And in that respect you want to go look at the Molinete Giro Variations video I produced a while back. That the game changer. Aside from that, this is now a staple of the dance and you as the Lead don’t need to push, pull, compress, squeeze, or use your arms to direct your Follower! Got it ? To be fair there are some Followers that have not mastered this turn and will lag or step away slightly. And for that reason I have a whole video series on both of those things. They’re in your library, go look. However, in either case, you should not need to direct your Follower with your arms which is what a LOT of Leads do and this is NOT desirable.

    The One More Thing: DO NOT

    (ommitted)

    Got it ? Good.

    The Lead’s Cool Toys. 1.) Lead Adornos

    (ommitted)

    These are just some of the Lead’s choice of course, to engage them or to not engage them.

    The Lead’s Fine Print.

    (ommitted)

    About The Video. This video comes in at 1 hour and 22 minutes and goes over Follower Technique in the 3 steps. Lead Technique in the 4 types of steps for their Giro. And then Applied Disassocation and what that looks like for both roles. And then presents some examples which is what the video above is all about.

  • Crossing Sacada Turn

    Crossing Sacada Turn

    What is a Crossing Sacada Turn ? In its simplest form, it’s nothing more than a series of Simple Sacadas that are chained together that just so happen to utilize the Follower’s Molinete or ‘Turn’, which employs the Argentine Cross as it’s basis for entry. While the turn can be done without this entry point, it loses it’s ‘elegance’ by without using the Argentine Cross.

    To be clear, a ‘Sacada’ is one of 4 types of Tango Displacements (Boleos, Gancho, Wrap/Enganche, and Sacadas), meaning that either the dancer’s leg will displace or their entire body will be displaced or take the place of their partner. A Sacada can be done from open or close embrace, it can be done by either role to the other, and has lots and lots and lots of options (about 501, at last count – not kidding).

    A turn, as defined by Tango Topics, can be but is not limited to these ideas in order of precedence: 1.) The Follower’s Molinete to the Lead’s Giro (the Common ‘Turn’). 2.) A Milonguero Turn. 3.) The Ocho Cortado. 4.) The Argentine Rock Step/Turn. 5.) The Calecita. 6.) A Walking Turn.  7.) The Media Luna. and 8.) A Single Axis Turn.

    A ‘Crossing’ Sacada Turn ? Is exactly what it sounds like, a turn that has a bunch of Sacadas as part of it. In this particular case, this Sacada Turn uses the Follower’s Molinete, and a very important structure that Tango Topics completely eschews repeatedly, and says that you should never, ever do. This is the ONE time when you do want to do that, however with all things, there’s always a caveat to the caveat. That said, let’s talk about The Crossing Sacada Turn.

    The Free Tip. Something to keep in the back of your mind is that while this is a cool piece of vocabulary and you’ll see it executed a lot, there is another version of this that does NOT include the last Sacada. Truthfully we can execute the Sacada Turn without the 3rd Sacada, and everything works just fine, sort of. Doing so, can generate other options and opportunities for us as Leads and Followers. However, one thing that will continually plague you is why the Follower continually turns away from the Lead after the 2nd or 3rd Sacada! There’s a reason for that, and there’s also a solution for it which is why it is important that you watch the video in it’s entirety to see exactly what is generating proper execution of the Sacada Turn! And don’t just rely on your eyes to assume what’s happening here.

    About The Video. This video comes in at 34m:02s in length in 13 Sections. This video contains no Follower and/or and very little Lead Technique.

    Section 1 – Introduction – 00:00:52
    Section 2 – Argentine Cross – The Starting Point – 00:01:32
    Section 3 – The Lead’s Cross Behind – 00:02:35
    Section 4 – The First Sacada – 00:01:09
    Section 5 – The Follower’s Flailing Foot Error – 00:02:17
    Section 6 – The Second Sacada – 00:01:32
    Section 7 – The Third Sacada – 00:03:10
    Section 8 – The First Complete Sacada Turn – 00:01:32
    Section 9 – The Turning Brake – 00:04:08 (technique)
    Section 10 – Removing The 3rd Sacada – 00:00:58
    Section 11 – A Variation On A Theme – 00:03:47
    Section 12 – The Close Embrace Version – 00:01:34
    Section 13 – With A Metronome/Closure – 00:02:34

  • Eight Types of Turns

    Eight Types of Turns

    In today’s Tango world, the Turn has become a necessity. We would like to believe that Tango is the lovely and amazing walking dance that we have heard said it was. The reality is a little different. Tango is no longer a walking dance. Don’t mishear that as the walk is unimportant or that you don’t have to study how to walk. Not true. You absolutely must study your walk: How to extend your leg (forward, side, or back), how to land your foot in a step (forward, side, or back) in relation to specific vocabulary, when to flex or bend the knee and why, what part of the foot is required and when (and why), what muscles to use and why, when to use your toes, how to strengthen the foot, etc. This is the technique of walking and that stuff is extremely important in order to begin to move efficiently, and effectively. This is not something that should be left to watching a 5-minute video on YouTube but actually, spend months and literally years learning and then re-learning, and refining. Because the study of your walk, and its refinements, absolutely makes for Today’s Tango Topic to exist. One can not even begin to study this topic unless one has mastered one’s walk. And by ‘master’ we mean to infer not perfection but rather well beyond functional so that it comes fluidly from you. Without wobbling, wavering, or using your partner for stabilization in any way, shape, or form. Today’s Tango Topic deals with the next most important element beyond the walk and goes right to the heart of the statement above that Tango is no longer a walking dance. In fact, today’s modern tango is more of a turning dance more than anything else. And the reason why isn’t a one-size-fits-all answer. It’s a series of factors that generate the state of affairs in Tango. For more on what those factors are, and why they exist and how to fix it, look at Floorcraft 102 – The Incomplete Turn, it explains those details in spades. So the turn has become the defacto, go to element that one must study with as much diligence as one studies one’s walk.

    We see the turn as one of the 7 Basic Moves of Tango Vocabulary (see link) that is used in every dance by every dancer at every Milonga in the world. It is almost as ubiquitous as the Argentine Cross. So much so that one may lead or follow a turn and not even be aware that they’re doing it. The primary turn that is taught and then danced is the Molinete/Giro structure. From a Leading perspective, this primary or basic piece of vocabulary is one of the ways that we can create navigational structure as well as generate musical structure. And it also has the obvious ability that allows to use it as filler content until we’re ready to do something else that may lead up to something else. From a Following perspective, it is one of the very first things we are taught to master and must become facile with because our very tango lives depend on it for a whole host of reasons which will become obvious later on down the line.

    However, ‘The Turn’ isn’t a singular turn. There are in fact EIGHT, yes you read that correctly, EIGHT types of Turns in Argentine Tango. And that’s what this video is all about.

    That said, let’s take a deep dive into the 8 Types of Turns for Argentine Tango.

    Three Techniques To Turning. Before we get into the Eight Types we have to look at a few foundational tools that must be present before we can even begin to talk about turns. While some of the turns in the Eight Types do require the study of item 2 below, it’s not required for the other turns. In fact, what you’ll find is that items 1 and 3 are far more common than item 2 on the list.

    1.) Walking Technique.
    2.) Disassociation/Applied Disassociation Technique.
    3.) Crossing Technique.

    Walking Technique can loosely be described as how one extends one’s leg and lands one’s foot on the floor, either in response to or initiation to movement. The study of one’s walk is absolutely required before you can even attempt any of the turns in today’s Tango Topic. Why ? You need only look at the following short 3 videos to see why this is an issue that must be resolved before you make the attempt. And if watching the videos below is just too much for you and you want to skip them, the simple answer is: STABILITY. Now go watch the damned videos! 🙂

    Two Extension Errors

    Plays from YouTube. Pressing play connects you to YouTube. Privacy

    Thud

    Plays from YouTube. Pressing play connects you to YouTube. Privacy

    More Extension Errors

    Plays from YouTube. Pressing play connects you to YouTube. Privacy

    Disassociation/Applied Disassociation is really the preferred method of motion for a wide variety of reasons. Most notably because it allows for fluid and seemingly natural movement not to mention it also allows for greater precision control, which in certain cases of the type 7 turn, is absolutely required like where if you don’t complete the turn things are definitely going awry!

    Just so you know, there are two videos on this topic in the archive. And while it’s lovely to sit here and yap about this stuff, you really do need to see it. So here’s a not so subtle plug to actually go and subscribe so you can see those two videos. They’re in the Ochos section. The first two videos. Please, for the love of God, go look at them. They’ll tell you everything you need to know about this fabulous and lovely technique that really are the bee’s knees!

    What are the Different Types of Turns ?

    Type 1 – The Walking Turn. (Freemium) In this type of turn, which has been showcased before in different videos, the couple essentially walks in a very tight circle. What makes this turn unique is that not only is it functional, but it’s also insanely musical, and on top of that, exceptionally easy! However, like everything else on this list, it has a “Gotcha”, and it’s a pretty big one too. There’s a reason why this turn is almost never taught, and it has to do with the rule that we’re all taught as dancers, “Never walk backwards against the line of dance”. Never. Ever. Which is to say that this turn, after about the 2nd or 3rd steps, will have the couple going against the line of dance.  Which as you can imagine creates problems for everyone. However, there is a solution to this problem of walking against the line of dance, and that’s to angle the turn a bit, and keep the turn tight (a small walking circle) to that the effect and timing is absolutely minimized. This turn can be done in open or close embrace, or any embrace format really. It’s best case use is in Close Embrace for a wide variety or reasons. There are multiple variations to this turn, and those variations come in the form of Walking Systems or The Six Ways of Walking. You can add loads of variations to this turn simply by changing the walking system. So while you can use a walking turn as often as you like, it does tend to get a little old after about the 2nd time through, not to mention if you don’t manage the line of dance issue you’re going to be holding up the line of dance. So it is for this reason that once you’ve got this thing down as a couple. You may want to look at Walking Systems in order to add about 18 different ways to vary the Walking Turn. 🙂

    Types 2 – 7 are Subscriber Only Content

    Type 8 – The “Milonguero” Turn. (Freemium) The last item on this list is by far the simplest and easiest as well as what we believe to be the sexiest one, if not the most elegant. From the Follower’s point of view, it’s a back cross, a side step, and a forward cross (sometimes called cross-in-front). The turn is usually done in close embrace for a wide variety of reasons, as this was the predominant turn that was danced for almost 70 years until Gustavo Naveira and Fabian Salas came along and turned (no pun intended) the Tango world on its ear with the Type 7 on this list. There is a gotcha to this turn, and it’s that the Follower more than likely has the Type 7 turn in their heads and getting them to do anything else (this is known as fighting default behavior) is nothing short of like going to dentist, like pulling teeth and just as painful for both parties.

  • The Milonguero Turn

    The Milonguero Turn

    The Milonguero Turn is a very useful piece of tango vocabulary and yet it is almost never taught anymore, sadly. It has been supplanted by its sexier kissin’ cousin, the Follower’s Molinete. Put simply, when you really stop and think about the Milonguero Turn, is nothing more than a backcross, a side step, and a forward cross (from the Follower’s perspective). This isn’t rocket science, it’s Argentine Tango, and as such there’s not a whole lot of complexity to this particular well worn, and exceedingly useful, but highly underrated Tango vocabulary. The fact is that this was the predominant turn for almost 70 years before Gustavo Naveira came along and changed everything with the sexier Follower’s Molinete, so the story goes. So without further yapping, let’s dive into The Milonguero Turn!

    What is A Milonguero Turn ? First let’s define the words there, as they require a bit of clarity. ‘Milonguero’ is yet another made up word used for marketing purposes that is a bastardization of the true meaning of the word itself. A ‘Milonguero’ is someone who was raised in the milongas, they would pick up discarded tickets to get into the milongas to then watch how people danced and then emulate that so that they could then dance with the pretty girls. This all happened in a 25 year time period from about 1930 to about 1955. If you were born in that time period and ran with this crowd of dancers, then you could rightfully (and distastefully, because it was a term of disparagement in those days) be called a ‘Milonguero’. There are very few of these men left in the world. Very few.

    These men didn’t take classes. They didn’t go to special Tango schools. No. They didn’t have the money. They learned on the floor while watching other people dance, and deconstructed what they saw. They then tried to one-up each other, trying to outdo each other with tricks and what not. While the game was certainly about getting the girl, it was also about showing off. In a lot of ways, the Milongueros of yesteryear bears a striking resemblance to the forerunners of modern hip-hop, minus the gang mentality. This is a ‘Milonguero’.

    The term, so the story goes, was developed as a marketing tool, as a way to describe what one specific teacher saw in the clubs and milongas of Buenos Aires. This was called ‘Milonguero Style’ dancing.

    A Milonguero Turn, on the other hand, is representative of the type of turn that existed prior to Gustavo Naveira (re)discovering the Follower’s Molinete. Again, so the story goes.

    In it’s simplest form, the Milonguero Turn is where the Lead or Follower, typically the Follower, is led to a clean back-crossing step, an arced side step, and then a clean forward cross. The cleanliness of the crossing steps is noted elsewhere on tango topics, known as the “Dirty Cross“. The Milonguero Turn is one of the easiest of turns to accomplish with regards to Argentine Tango for a variety of reasons, most notably because there is no hip rotation for the partner that is performing the turn, there is no ‘pivot’, nor is there any Disassociation or Applied Disassociation. The turn allows of the couple to stay with each other and also allows for an easeful experience vs. the Follower’s Molinete that is the default turn today. And last but not least, it allows for the partnership to stay facing each other, while at the same time not expending a great deal of energy to ‘turn’ whereas the Follower’s Molinete does precisely that. While the Milonguero Turn is not sexy, it is in our estimation the more desirable and elegant turns. It is, however, easy to see why it was abandoned in favor of its sexier cousin. That said, don’t discard it simply because it’s not sexy, use it because it is insanely functional!

    Huge Update: This video, even though it’s only 7 Minutes in length has been expanded upon in 3 other videos on the subject:

    The Milonguero Turn Trick – Which will generate the Milonguero Turn with ANY Follower regardless of whether or not they’ve been trained to do the turn or not.

    The Milonguero Turn Entry Points – Several possible points for the Milonguero Turn and a few Variations.

    and finally Milonguero Ochos into the Milonguero Turn as a practical application.

    Also there 4 of the 32 videos in the Follower Technique archive that go over in detail the idea of the Milonguero Turn.

    And now the rest of the sales pitch…

    From A Following Perspective the Milonguero Turn is insanely easy for you … IF you were to subscribe to tangotopics.com

    From a Leading Perspective the Milonguero Turn is definitely a challenge for you to learn to lead. Mostly because you haven’t subscribed to tangotopics.com

    The 3 Gotchas! There are, as always, some areas of concern that you need to pay attention to.

    One: SUBSCRIBE

    Two: SUBSCRIBE

    Three: SUBSCRIBE

    From a Dancing Perspective as has been indicated, is not used all that often, sadly. However, there are parts of this article you can not see because you haven’t become a subscriber. And all the deets that you want or need are in thext of the subjects above that are screaming at you to subscribe. But because you read this far, you get …

    The Free Tip. Posture, posture, posture. Far too often when engaging a turn a lead will look at or watch the Follower’s feet while engaging their own Giro, and or at the same time, they’ll engage The Lazy Man’s Turn. The Milonguero Turn can not engage either of these two errors. Instead, you want to engage ‘better’ posture at all points along the turn itself. Followers a small tip for you, you’re going to want to step away in the Milonguero turn on your backcross and more importantly in your side step, and you can’t, you want to step around your lead!

    About The Video. This video comes in at 07m:10s in length in 7 Sections. Both lead and follow technique are combined into the video.

    Section 1 – Introduction – 00:00:25
    Section 2 – Lead The Backcross – 00:02:41
    Section 3 – Follower Technique – 00:00:55
    Section 4 – Lead Details – 00:00:38
    Section 5 – Follower’s Big Side Step – 00:00:40
    Section 6 – Lead Footwork – 00:00:30
    Section 7 -Example/End – 00:00:47

  • Musical Interpretation with Turns

    Musical Interpretation with Turns

    Dearest Reader: A very important component in modern argentine Tango is the ‘turn’. Without the turn in the equation almost no one would be able to dance. Why ? While most people think or believe, and as is oft repeated, “Tango is a walking dance.” This is no longer the case. That being the state of the Tango world, then we as dancers need to understand the ‘turn’ and more importantly, how to apply it…musically. While anyone can perform a turn, which is easy once you’re over the hump of the steps you’re ‘supposed’ to do, the issue at that point is to apply it musically! And more importantly where to apply it. Today’s Tango Topic deals with the when and where but not the how. So without further yapping, a Musical ‘Turn’.

    Some Considerations. This is a subscriber based website. While there are understandably places, where unless you are a subscriber you’re not going to see all the toys. That’s not going to happen. I gotta eat just like you do you know. However rather than be stingy with this information that I paid for, I choose to share bits of that information that can help you to help yourself. However if you want all the toys, and to fully understand what I’m talking about and why, instead of cherry-picking ideas out of context, then it would help yourself to subscribe. So if this looks like an ad to you, I assure you that it’s not. It’s free information that you can use.

    Before we dive into talking about Musical Turns, we have to address a few things that will come up in reading this article –

    1.) Tango Topics does not advocate the non-musical practice that some people teach or engage in known as ‘counting beats’ but rather understanding and then employing the 5 Musical Pause Types. Everything that Tango Topics advocates musically is built off this construct.

    2.) In the instance of the Musical Turn, while we don’t have to hear a specific pause type, as is the case with the Argentine Cross, we do have to be able to hear them religiously without fail. This is one of those things that has to be so ingrained in you that you quite literally have to do it in your sleep. Sadly this process is not something that you can study for 5 minutes and then automagically be able to ‘get’. No! This is a process of a.) understanding. b.) application. and c.) practice, practice, practice with LOTS of corrective feedback. Fortunately this website has the necessary tools to help you to learn to discern this information for yourself! It will take you about 60 days of time to get the idea and once you do, your dance will never be the same. Ever.

    3.) There is this erroneous belief that a lot of dancers engage in that the Lead is really the only person that needs to hear the music in order to access it. So the Follower shouldn’t really engage in hearing the music at all. They should just Follow what is being led. Ahem. This is so much of a ‘Not’! This article and nearly every article on this site advocates the role of the Passive Follower and the role of the Active Follower, and the role of the Follower in general. You’ll notice that nearly every article starts with the Follower’s Perspective because it’s that important! Here, in this instance, the reality is that the Follower must hear the beat. While they don’t necessarily need to hear the structure of the music, they do need to be acutely aware of the beat, and more important than that the time signature of the music. Constantly.

    What is a Musical Turn ? First and foremost it is a ‘Turn’ or rotation that that the couple initiates within the line and lane of dance that can exist in one of three places in the music. 1.) The space between the musical pauses (which is what typically occurs). 2.) The actual musical pause itself, this is known as turning ‘On the Pause’. Or 3.) The notes just before or after the musical pause. 🙂

    Secondly, a Musical Turn is a construct that starts, and ideally ends, on an accented note. That accent can be but is not limited to a Strong 1 of a 4 count, or it could be the odd lone accent note. However it can almost never exist inside a Sincopa structure, not without breaking the turn into paired movements. It can never exist inside a La Variacion (not socially) not without massive modifications to the structure of the ‘Turn’ in order to match the speed of La Variacion, and not without exacting precision in the execution of one’s technique. Otherwise it looks sloppy and appears ‘off’. A ‘Turn’ could be done off-beat, meaning on the upbeat and not the downbeat. However doing so can look, and more importantly ‘feel’ out of place. The only reason to do this is to extend your musical abilities, to flex your musical muscles. In other words, because you can. Which is to say, that just because you can do a thing, doesn’t mean that you should do a thing.

    In Tango music we typically walk on the strongest 1st note and the weaker 3, always. Hardly ever do we walk on the strong 2, and much weaker 4 (especially if it’s Biagi). In Vals we have several options where we can walk on the 1 (which is what typically happens), or the 1-2, or the 1-3, or the 2-3. However this article will not cover those aspects, as dancing to Vals is a whole different idea all together. Nor will this article cover Milonga, again…very different ideas and dynamics.

    Thirdly a Musical Turn can be but is not limited to, as the accent of the dance itself. Because Tango is no longer a walking dance, but in fact a turning dance, the turn itself is the accent itself and becomes the entire construct of the dance.

    What is meant by the word ‘Turn’ ? Most people when they hear the word ‘Turn’ they think of The Follower’s Molinete/Lead’s Giro construct. There’s a good reason for this line of thinking, it’s because this particular type of turn is the first turn that most people are taught. It’s also the one that they see repeated over and over again all night long while social dancing. It is the ubiquitous and common vocabulary. What they may not realize, what you may not realize, is that there are 7 other common turns that we have to choose from. Which are, in case you’re wondering: 1.) Walking Turns. 2.) Calesitas. 3.) The Linear Ocho Cortado or Circular Ocho Cortado. 4.) Rock Step Turns. 5.) Colgada & Volcada Turns (including Single Axis Turns which are in the Colgada family). 6.) Media Lunas (or “half-turns”). and finally 7.) The Milonguero Turn. If you’re having trouble visualizing these ideas, please visit the links so that you can see them in all their glory. 🙂

    It’s important to recognize that we don’t just want to employ one single type of turn constantly. Further that sometimes it’s judicious for floorcraft purposes that the ubiquitous Follower’s Molinete/Lead Giro may not work due to space, time, and the ability of the dancer isn’t quite up to snuff (yet). So for these two reasons it’s important for us to begin to employ other types of turns and make it so that we’re just as facile with these other types of turns to create facility in our dance from a leading perspective as well as from a following perspective.

    About The Video. This video package comes in at 34m:57s in length in 3 Sections.

    Section 5c1 – Turns – Not Technique – 00:06:51
    Section 5c2 – Turns – With a Metronome  – 00:20:57
    Section 5c3 – Turns – With Music  – 00:07:09

    Pre Requisites for Musical Interpretation Section 5c

    1.) Musical Interpretation 1 & 2 with the 6 Walking Systems
    2.) Musical Interpretation 3 & 4 with Alternation & Symmetry
    3.) Musical Interpretation 5a with Traveling Ochos
    4.) Musical Interpretation 5b with The Argentine Cross

  • Milonguero Turn ‘Trick’.

    Milonguero Turn ‘Trick’.

    You’re out social dancing, and you’ve been practicing your Milonguero Turns with your favorite partner, and you feel like you’ve got it down, so now it’s time to take it of the lab and put it on the floor and try it with other dancing partners. This, by the way, is not how we want to create a good practice regime. We do have a treatise on what to practice and how to practice. But more on that later in another article. 😉 You’ve accepted a request to dance with someone else, it’s a Di Sarli Tango tanda, and you smile, and you walk to the floor with your partner, engaging a the Lead’s Cabeceo! Stepping onto the floor, and engaging in your partner’s embrace, you settle into each other. Readjust, hopefully employing the “The Readjustment Phase” of the dance, a very important component, and then begin to dance, slowly, patiently, cautiously figuring out each other, rather than throwing every known piece of vocabulary at your partner in the first 30 seconds. Or some crazy cool move that you think is cool but your partner may find somewhat ‘annoying’ at best. Especially dancing to Di Sarli. Tsk, tsk, tsk. It’s around this time near the end of the first musical paragraph that your partner initiates their first turn. If you’re Leading you discover immediately that what your partner heard as a turn was in fact the Follower’s Molinete and not the Milonguero Turn that you intended. If you’re Following at this point, you’re wondering why the Lead keeps turning or why the Lead is squeezing the living daylights out of your back and what that’s all about. As far as you’re concerned you’re doing what the Lead asked invoking a Milonguero Turn by default because you know the rule but they keep squeezing and turning. Uuuugh!

    Scenario over!

    Today’s Tango Topic deals with that moment right there where there is obviously some confusion, a bit of a hiccup in what would have otherwise been a lovely and near perfect dancing experience.

    The Milonguero Turn is one of Tango’s underused but extremely elegant turns. However it comes with a tiny little problem embedded in it. The problem ? Default Behavior and Default Expectation. The Default Behavior ? The Follower’s Molinete as the response to a turn. The Molinete/Giro structure is one of the seven basic moves of Argentine Tango that is used so often and with such ubiquity that we almost don’t even think about it anymore. It’s just that we start turning and magically a Follower’s Molinete occurs. However, as in the case above, what happens when the Lead wants to invoke a Milonguero Turn instead ? A hiccup is what happens and from there things get ugly quickly.

    That’s what Today’s Tango Topic is all about. So without further yappment, here’s Today’s Tango Topic on The Milonguero Turn Trick – Personalized.

    What is the Milonguero Turn Trick ? First and foremost, the Trick itself isn’t a ‘trick’, it’s more of a reliance on Follower Default behaviors. Secondly, the ‘Trick’ only solves the first major hurdle of the Turn itself – The Follower’s Back Cross.

    The problem with the Milonguero Turn, and it is a problem, is the opening step, the Follower’s Back Cross. By default, the Follower will not want to cross behind or back cross, unless this is their default turn or default behavior. Truthfully there are very few Milonguero Turn default based Followers. Usually the Follower has been trained in the Molinete/Giro structure as their default. So the moment that the Lead starts a turn, the Follower thinks and responds with “Molinete”. This is not desirable. While the Molinete is a very sexy turn, it’s not what we’re wanting out of the Follower at all. We ideally want the cleaner, less stressful, Milonguero Turn for a whole bunch of reasons.

    Before you go any further you’re going to ask, “Well, if the Lead led it then the Follower should follow what was led!”. True to a degree but then again, you’re dealing with default behavior, and that stuff is insanely difficult to override, most of the time. That’s why this ‘Trick’ exists.

    The opening back cross presents a problem: How to generate it ? And that’s where the Milonguero Turn ‘Trick’ comes in. It says, “Fine…the Follower has default behaviors, one of them is to come to collection, still another is not to a leg fly away from them, still another they have a desire to make things as small as possible, less work”. All of these default behaviors can be used to the Lead’s advantage if properly invoked. And that’s what the Milonguero Turn Trick does, it invokes all three of those defaults and overrides the Follower’s desire to Molinete. It supersedes it almost immediately so that the Follower never, ever wants to Molinete!

    In its simplest form the Trick is a Simple Sacada, but a fully unrealized one. The reason this is said, is because a Simple Sacada should and would take the place of the Follower, but it doesn’t. In its more complex form, it overrides the Follower’s default behavior to Molinete and replaces it with a back cross.

    Remember that the turn trick only solves ONE problem – Initiating the Follower’s Back Cross. It doesn’t solve the entire Milonguero Turn, you still have to learn to lead and follow those things.

    Notation: When the “What is … ” section of an article is blue, that means that the article is freely available to registered, users. When the section is yellow, the article is still free, but the video is for paid users. 😉 

    Why this video exists ? It exists for 3 reasons. 1.) It was part of a longer lesson for this particular student on the Milonguero Turn, and Elements of Turning itself. 2.) To give the student  a reminder tutorial for when I wasn’t there. 3.) I taught a Milonguero Turn class rather recently and then discovered this a few days after the class, and realized that this is actually a perfect reminder for anyone that wants to play with the Milonguero Turn on how to build it and what should happen.

    Further this video exists with the student’s consent. So don’t get all persnickety that we’re showing you a private lesson without the student’s knowledge. They’re fully aware of the video and fully endorse it.

  • Milonguero Turn – Entry Points & Variations

    Milonguero Turn – Entry Points & Variations

    Reader Note: I am now using an acronym for the following phrase which gets used a lot on tangotopics. In place of “Resistance, tension, force, pushing, pulling, squeezing, compressing the embrace” = We use > ReTeFoPuPuSqeCoEm! 

    First and foremost, if this is your first time seeing a ‘Milonguero Turn’, then stop reading right here and go look at the Milonguero Turn video. This video and article will NOT cover the technique behind the vocabulary. Further, if you do look at the video and think, that it’s a simple series of crosses. Think again. It’s not that simple. That said, then let’s dive right into the Milonguero Turn Entry Points and Variations.

    Why are we talking about Entry Points and Variations for the Milonguero Turn (Type 2 Turn) ? Because for a lot of people the vocabulary exists in isolation. It doesn’t fit into their reality until you show them how and where it can work into their reality. Hence the entry points and variations on a theme.

    In short the term ‘Milonguero Turn’ is a bit of a misnomer. The reason being that until about 40 years ago, this was the predominant turn in Argentine Tango. That is until Gustavo Naviera and Fabian Salas came along and changed everything by rediscovering the Follower’s Molinete to the Lead’s Giro, or what Tango Topics refers to as a Type 1 Turn.

    This article is a companion to the (2024) Milonguero Turn video. It’s meant to show you the different entry points of how you can enter a Milonguero Turn but also how you can vary it so that it’s not the same ole same ole constantly.

    The Common Entry Points.

    There are 4 common entry points to the Milonguero Turn or pieces of vocabulary that you can use to set up the Milonguero Turn. Or that naturally lend itself to Milonguero Turn.  While we won’t go into any detail as to the entry points because all of these things are in your library, we will briefly mention these things here.

    Entry Point #1 > Lazy or Milonguero Ochos.
    Entry Point #2 > Back Crosses/Double Back Crosses
    Entry Point #3 > Linear Ocho Cortado 
    Entry Point #4 > Parallel or Cross System Rock Steps w/o Resolutions.

    All of these entry points lend themselves to the Milonguero Turn itself, most especially #2 because you’re already set up to do them.

    Variations on a Milonguero Turn. 

    Because the turn isn’t that complex, there aren’t that many variations of what you can actually do in terms of variations. The obvious variations here are starting with a forward vs back. OR a Side step to Forward or Back step. While, technically, there as many variations to Milonguero Turn as their are to the Molinete/Giro structure (6,724), that changes dramatically BECAUSE we’re no longer talking about steps, but rather crosses. Huh ? Take for example the following 27 common steps for the Follower’s Molinete:

    … SUBSCRIBE at the BASIC or PREMIUM LEVEL TO SEE THE REST of THIS SECTION

    The Wrap Up

    The Entry Points and Variations are a valuable tool for you to have an awareness about as a Lead or as a Follower. Do you need this stuff to dance ? No. Does it create expansion and variation in your dance experience ? Certainly. Is that desirable ? Yes. It is. Very much so. So on the whole do you need it ? NO. Is it a ‘nice to have’ ? Yes. And that’s one reason why this video and document exists. We want to create as many options and opportunities as possible for both roles. Secondly it’s important that both roles, not just the Lead be aware of these things. Why ? Expectation. Frequently what happens is a bit of stumbling when something out of the ordinary is led. This stuff is out of the ordinary but not really because we’re using the same simple vocabulary over and over again. The sticking point is the transitions between the elements that makes things tricky. So to address that, we play with this stuff a lot just to get familiar with it and later on start to incorporate these items into our dance. 

  • Single Axis Turns

    Single Axis Turns

    There are Eight Turns in Argentine Tango that Tango Topics has identified as Commonly used or Social Turns. There are a few others that are outside of the common eight but for the most part, accept for now that there are eight.

    Just in case you were curious, the Eight Common Turns are, in order of precedence and commonality: 1.) The Follower’s Molinete/Lead’s Giro. 2.) Milonguero Turn. 3.) Rock Step. 4.) Ocho Cortado. 5.) Calesitas. 6.) Media Luna Turns. 7.) Colgada Turns. 8.) Anti-Molinete.

    Today’s Tango Topic deals with one of those common eight turns. This particular turn is an unusual one even though it’s part of the eight. It’s unusual because it’s a variation of a class of turns called “Colgada Turns”, and furthermore it’s also not used all that much, and for good reason. Why ? Because it’s a difficult turn to pull off at first. This one is not for the faint of heart, but once you master it, your coolness factor goes right through the roof. Not to mention you will have also mastered one of Tango’s more difficult aspects that hasn’t been around all that long in the dance: Off-Axis Movements. Tango has traditionally been a couple in Close Embrace type of dance that almost never opens once the Embrace begins. Nor does that Embrace change other than to get closer and closer and closer, and more refined. This type of turn, while done in Close Embrace, creates a version of Close Embrace that from the outside looking in, doesn’t look all that different, but from the inside (the couple’s perspective) feels very different. Today we’re going to explore both sides of the embrace, for both roles, so without further yapping, Tango Topics presents: The Single Axis Turn!

    What Is A Single Axis Turn ? It is tango specific language to describe a type of rotation that occurs between Lead and Follow where the word ‘axis’ refers to not the Follower’s Longitudinal Axis (which is the typical axial line that is referenced with the use of the word ‘axis’) nor is it the Lead’s, but rather a shared Longitudinal Axis between the couple. Truth be told, that axial line is always present. It’s generally the point of contact between the couple. However that longitudinal axis almost never gets used in Social Tango. Almost never. Except, and there is always an exception to these things, when the couple or partnership engages in what’s called ‘Apilado‘ (please follow the link for more information if you need a clear definition of this word). When Apilado is engaged, then the couple is dancing, depending on how it’s done, in either a supported way (shared) or unsupported way (forced). In the latter case, the Follower is being forced to fall on top of the Lead or to place all of their weight on the Lead. While there are times when that is desirable, in the case of the Single Axis Turn, that’s not desirable.

    Another way of looking at the Single Axis Turn is by understanding that this is a Colgada variation. However, unlike most Colgadas though which tend to be executed in Open Embrace, this variation on a theme is done primarily in Close Embrace! So while it can be done in Open Embrace, and doing so will generate more of a ‘whoosh’ factor (see below) than you would normally like to have in a Single Axis Turn, this is generally a Close Embrace movement that is small, social and fits within the line and lane of dance that you’re in. At no point in time, should a Single Axis Turn exit that line or lane of dance at all. The Single Axis Turn is Floorcraft safe, when done properly.

    Another piece of Tango vocabulary that uses very similar methodology and uses the same principle of ‘Apilado’ is the Argentine Volcada. It is also a shared axis movement. The Single Axis Turn is exactly the same in that respect. However, where as in the case of the Volcada, where the couple goes towards each other thereby creating more dependence on each other, in this case, in the case of the Single Axis Turn they go away from each other!

    Put simply the Single Axis Turn is a rotation around a shared longitudinal axial line where the couple seemingly in close or open embrace, rotates around this axial line, thereby creating a ‘turn’.

    The Free Tip. Just as in the case of the Volcada, where there is a natural ‘kickstand’ for all Volcadas, a safety mechanism that the Follower can invoke, if they’re not supported in the initiation phase of the Volcada…the same thing is true here. That same safety mechanism exists in the Single Axis Turn in exactly the same way in EVERY. SINGLE. ONE.

    About The Video. This video is 13m:49s in length in 9 sections. Both lead and follower technique are combined and integrated into the video.

    Introduction – 00:00:34
    Forward Steps – 00:03:09
    Follower Technique for Forward Steps – 00:01:26
    Further Rotation – 00:00:32
    Close Embrace Side Steps  – 00:01:47
    Follower Technique for Side Steps – 00:00:53
    Multiple Single Axis Turns – 00:01:47
    The ‘Whoooosh’ Factor – 00:00:42
    The Hurrican Turn/End – 00:02:09

  • Walking Turns

    Walking Turns

    The Walking Turn. Right from the start the 2nd or 3rd thing a Lead must learn is how to turn the Follower. Usually, most Leads are taught the sexier turn, learning to lead the Follower’s Molinete to their Lead Giro. It’s a harder turn to learn for a variety of reasons, not the least of which is that the Lead must master disassociation first and foremost, and secondarily not to use their arms or hands to push or pull the Follower. That along with the timing of certain aspects of the guidance of the Follower’s Molinete can make it rather challenging. So you would think, given all that, that teachers would eschew teaching the Lead how to generate the Follower’s Molinete in favor of a much simpler turn. Nope. Most teachers go right for the Molinete/Giro combo and skip right past the simplest turn of all: The Walking Turn!

    What is a ‘Walking Turn’ ? It’s a turn where the couple walks in a very tight circle within the line of dance. Obviously this type of turn has issues, in that 2 of it’s steps will go AGAINST the line of dance. However, this can be alleviated by ‘cutting’ the corner of the first turning step, thereby curving the turning step towards being even tighter.

    There are many benefits to this type of turn even though it isn’t taught that often if at all. One benefit is that the turn allows for the continuation of walking with your partner. Still another benefit is that it also allows one to engage any one of the five of the six ways of walking! Usually this turn is done in Close Embrace, and in Parallel Walking System. However, that doesn’t mean that it has to stay that way. 🙂 It can be a very nice exploration, musically speaking, of Close Embrace walking on 3 tracks or Milonguero Ochos or a host of other things.

    The primary reason we use this turn is to add to our repertoire of available turns. We could use the Follower’s Molinete or the Milonguero Turn, or it’s kissin’ cousin, the Calecita. Which, as a side note, is a great addition to the Walking Turn itself. You can go from Calecita to Walking Turn in a continual cycle back and forth. Just a thought. 😉

    The Problem: There’s a reason why this turn isn’t taught all that often. Actually 3 reasons. 1.) It is all too easy for The Walking Turn to become a navigational hazard, meaning that the turn can go outside one’s line and lane of dance when executed by a beginner Lead. 2.) It’s not sexy by comparison to the follower’s molinete, but rather it is very functional. And for some reason we like sexy and eschew functional. 🙂 The problem is that the turn itself while being very easy to learn, can be difficult to execute.  3.) Probably the biggest issue is that after about 2 or 3 steps, depending on the size of your steps, you will invariably be facing against the line of dance. And this is a major no-no!  And if this something your teacher has not told you about, then fire that teacher immediately! Because this is one of those things that you should have drilled into your head! One never, ever, ever walks or dances against the line of dance!

    For these 3 reasons, this is why the turn is almost never taught to beginner leads, because they’ll end up doing all 3 things, thereby freaking out when something doesn’t go right, and thereby screwing up the line of dance which in turn creates a navigational nightmare!

    However, with a little judicious study, and some hard work, the turn can be taught, and then executed with a great deal of control and precision, and eventually can become a useful staple of every Lead’s arsenal of turning tools in today’s modern version of Argentine Tango.

    The Free Tip: This turn can be used in a tight space, but the turn gives up one of its elegant pieces, it’s not gradual anymore. At the same time, there is no more force in the arms in any way, shape, or form. 🙂 That said, the tightness of the turn, the size of it, can be controlled through foot placement, and rotation of the new standing foot. So wherever that foot lands it wants to rotate towards the inside of the walking circle.

    About The Video. This video comes in at 1hr:8m in length in 19 Sections. Both lead and follower technique is combined and integrated in the video.

    Section 1 – Introduction – 00:01:00
    Section 2 – Set Up: 5 Embraces – 00:01:20
    Section 3 – Basic Floorcraft – 00:02:00
    Section 4 – Tango Hapitcs – 00:01:02
    Section 5 – Without The Lead Back Step – 00:00:37
    Section 6 – Set Up – Relationship = Alignment – 00:01:23
    Section 7 – Starting The Turn – 00:02:00
    Section 8 – The Walking Turn – 00:00:58
    Section 9 – The Walking Turn with the 5 Embraces – 00:07:47
    Section 10 – Follower Technique – 00:06:11
    Section 11 – Lead Technique – 00:01:37
    Section 12 – The Relationship – 00:03:21
    Section 13 – Footwork: Close-ups – 00:04:59
    Section 14 – Why Walking Systems – 00:00:58
    Section 15 – Walking Turns with 6 Walking Systems Explained – 00:06:49
    Section 16 – Walking Turns with 6 Walking Systems Applied – 00:11:38
    Section 17 – Walking Turns – Errors – 00:05:44
    Section 18 – Embrace Reminders – 00:04:46
    Section 19 – Closure – 00:02:07

  • Ocho Transitions: Milonguero Ochos into the Milonguero Turn

    Ocho Transitions: Milonguero Ochos into the Milonguero Turn

    There are 8 types of Ochos, but only 2 of them are used routinely to lead into other things. The 2 types ? “Lazy” or Milonguero Style Ochos, and Traveling Ochos, what you folks think of as an ‘Ocho’. Traveling Ochos ? You know the one where you’re supposed to lead Disassociation and you frequently don’t especially on the closed side of the embrace (tsk, tsk, tsk), and where the Follower infers that led Disassociation and fills in the gap and starts Applying Disassociation all over (what you erroneously think of as a ‘pivot’) ? That ocho ? Yes. Frequently these two types of ochos are used as transitions into other pieces of tango vocabulary without a stop or a pause. There is a natural flow in a good number of these transitions and one of them is from the Lazy Ocho into the Milonguero Turn. They align themselves rather nicely. However with the alignment of these things, and the frequency with which you see these things, you would think that there would be more classes on this stuff. But sadly there isn’t. A good portion of the time, you’re taught the under lining vocabulary technique and then shown for 2 minutes near the end of the class where this stuff could (operative word in the sentence, ‘could’) fit. It is for this reason that this topic and the resulting video exists: Ocho Transitions – Milonguero Ochos into Milonguero Turns!

    What is an Ocho Transition ? It is exactly what it sounds like. It’s a transition between a commonly used type of Ocho into another commonly used piece of vocabulary. There are 4 types of Ocho Transitions that rely on 2 of the more common types of Ochos. Milonguero Ochos, which are sometimes referred to as “Lazy” Ochos because the hips of the Follower do not rotate. This type of Ocho is absolutely perfect for dancing in a small space, and requires very little effort to lead and very little effort to follow, hence the reason why they’re called “Lazy” Ochos. The second commonly used type of Ocho is the one that everyone is familiar with, these are called “Traveling Ochos” because they do exactly what they say they do, they “Travel” down the line of dance! A Lead will typically engage one or sometimes both of these types of Ochos as a way to transition into another type of vocabulary, usually as a way to lead upto one of the Eight types of turns that are used in Argentine Tango.

    What is a Milonguero Ocho to Milonguero Turn ? It’s quite possibly the single most used transition the Tango world, for those that are Dancing In A Small Space (DIASS). This transition employs the Follower’s natural diagonal backstep (which is the Lazy Ocho part) and uses that as the opening step for the Milonguero Turn to be engaged!

    Free Tip – Learning to lead and follow a Milonguero Ocho will open up doors for you in terms of nuance and clarity that you never even imagined. The reality is that the Milonguero Ocho is quite possibly the mic drop that you’ve been looking for in your dance but didn’t realize it because it looks sooo dead simple. And yet it is that dead simple stuff that can change your dance! This is that toy!

    Pre-Requisites: So that we’re all clear on this part, note the difficulty rating below, it is not an exaggeration! You would think this is just walking and turning. That would be a mistake. 1.) You must have mastered your walk first and foremost to the point where you are not using your partner (either lead or follow) for stabilization. 2.) You must be familiar with the Milonguero Ocho from a Leading perspective as well as from a Following perspective. 3.) You also must have mastered the Milonguero Turn from both sides of the embrace. While this transition is a natural extension of both ideas put together it’s important that you have them both clearly in your mind before you attempt to put them together. The reason this video exists is to clean up the issues of the transition itself so that you don’t run into the common problems that most people do when they put these things together. 

    About The Video. This video is 22:40 in length in 4 Sections. Both Lead and Follow technique is co-combined. 

    Section 1 – Reminder Technique (Milonguero Ochos & Milonguero Turns) – 00:07:02
    Section 2 – The Transition Point – 00:07:17
    Section 3 – Review – 00:01:13
    Section 4 – An Important Detail/End – 00:03:34

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