The Simple Sacada. This video has been in the works for a looooong time. It’s actually taken 4 tries over a 3 year period with 3 different partners to get anywhere close to passing what I had in mind, and it may be revised one more time, but for the time being, this is the final form of what Tango Topics calls a “Simple Sacada”.
Argentine Tango has many, many different pieces or types of vocabulary (moves, steps, patterns, and figures) that can be developed as a way to express the music in the dance, so that you see the music in visual form. One of those pieces of vocabulary is what we call a “Sacada”. You see them all the time in various forms, and probably because they’ve become commonplace you don’t pay a whole lot of attention to them of if you’re a beginner Lead, and sometimes the beginner Follower, you look at them and think “OMG that’s complicated!”. The visual of what you’re looking at is seemingly so fast, and so intricate that it just blows your mind. Today’s Tango Topic deals with what some consider to be the very first piece of vocabulary after the 7 Basic Moves of Tango. It’s the first real, seemingly intricate and complex (it’s not) tango move that we’re taught as a way to augment our dance.
So without further yapping :-), Tango Topics presents: The Simple Sacada.
What is a Sacada ? First, a Sacada consists of a walking step that just so happens to intersect with your partner’s walking step at the same time that they’re stepping forward, side, or back. Secondly and this part you have to keep in the back of your mind: It’s an illusion. An illusion of walking, an illusion of technique, and an illusion of execution. To put it simply the Sacada is really just a walking illusion that intersects with someone else’s walk. And that’s the part that most people are confused by. What they see is the illusion, and try to re-create the illusion instead of focusing on the part that will actually help them to get to the root of the Sacada, the walking part! Which is to say that people focus on the flash and not the substance! It’s just a step forward and side (and sometimes back, but not in Today’s Tango Topic), which is going cut through, and step very close to someone else’s step which results in a displacement of someone’s leg. The hard part for most people is the timing of that displacement, not to mention where that displacement goes. Speaking of ‘displacements’ the Sacada is in the family of Tango vocabulary that are called ‘displacements‘, and that’s because of two factors that occur: 1.) Because whoever is initiating the Sacada will take the place of the one who is receiving the Sacada. You are displacing, and sometimes being displaced. And 2.) The one who is receiving the Sacada will displace their free leg as a result of the intersection of the walk. Further down the rabbit hole, the Sacada is one of the 4 common Displacements that Tango Topics talks about which are: 1.) The Sacada. 2.) Ganchos. 3.) Boleos. 4.) Enganches or what is commonly known as an Argentine Wrap!
And just for your further edification because some people ask the question “How many types of Sacadas are there ?”. Answer: There are 22 Types of Sacadas, and a total of 501 variations of those 22 Types. And yes we have done the math, and it comes out to 501. The types, just in case you hadn’t thought about it, but we have, are as follows:
1.) Forward Sacadas (from Linear, Circular, or Over-Rotated Ochos) in Parallel & Cross System.
2.) Side Sacadas (from a Curved Side Step) in Parallel & Cross System.
3.) Back Sacadas (from Back step, or Circular or Over-Rotated Ochos) in Parallel & Cross System.
4.) Linear Sacadas (from a Linear Side Step, or Linear Forward Step) in Parallel & Cross System.
5.) Chained Sacadas (Think: Cadenas) In Parallel & Cross System.
6.) Walking Displacement Sacadas in Parallel & Cross System.
7.) Multiple Forward/Side/Back Sacadas in Parallel & Cross System.
8.) Multiple Alternate A (same foot) Sacadas (You’ll see an example of this in the Forward Sacadas section).
9.) Molinete Sacadas (from the Follower’s Molinete, The Lead’s Molinete, and/or the Anti-Molinete).
10.) Orientation Change Sacadas (See the Anti-Molinete, and/or the American Embrace).
11.) Two Footed Sacadas (jump into the sacada).
That’s 11 Types of Sacadas, and each role can perform these, so we end up with 22 Types of Sacadas. Now there are even further variations on a theme of these ideas where you can theoretically mix and match any one of these ideas with another on the list and create a hybrid of the two. However, it was late and we’d already gone through 1002 possibilities and then someone mentioned the concept of Tango Topology and that just blew everything out of the water by halving everything and so we stopped counting there … so 501, and 22 types is enough for one lifetime. 🙂
Now to the ‘Simple‘ Part. What makes it ‘Simple‘ ? The fact that we’re limiting the Sacada to two of the three basic walking steps: 1.) Side Steps. 2.) Forward Steps. The Sidestep is the more common of the two Sacadas, not the Forward. Usually, in order of precedence, it’s a.) The Lead Sacadas the Follower’s Side Step. b.) The Lead Sacadas Follower’s Forward step. c.)The Follower Sacadas the Lead’s Sidestep, and finally, d.) The Follower Sacadas the Lead’s Forward step.
The Free Tip. Your free tip for today is that the Simple Sacada is quite possibly the gateway drug to other, more complex pieces of vocabulary. With that in mind, it is an imperative that before you try this stuff that your walking technique and in specific how you place your foot on the floor be absolutely clear and clean. You want, from a leading or Following perspective to articulate your feet. That articulation creates a desirable visual relationship that we’re looking for. Versus the sloppy entrance that happens soooo often:
About The Video. This video is 31m:39s in length in 14 sections. Both lead and follower technique are combined and integrated into the video. Bold items below shown in video sample video above.
Introduction – 00:02:32
Follower Technique – 00:02:11
Lead Technique – 00:01:35
Sacada Clarity – 00:00:36
The Lead’s First Sacada – 00:02:06
The Follower’s First Sacada
Parallel & Cross System Sacadas – 00:03:03
Close-up Sacada – 00:00:32
Follower Forward Step Sacadas – 00:03:03
Lead Forward Step Sacadas – 00:01:46
Multiple Forward Step Sacadas – 00:02:35
Close Embrace Simple sacadas – 00:05:38
The Close Embrace Exercise with Sacadas – 00:03:26
Simple Sacadas from the Follower’s Molinete/End – 00:01:38