What are Alternates ? Alternates are the 6th Way of Walking which is a Tango Topics ONLY construct. An Alternate is where the Lead steps with the same foot in one of 2 different spots, over and over again. Spot #1 is the Inside spot which is the Inside the Follower’s step (either foot) or Spot #2 is the stepping on the Outside of the Follower’s foot (either foot).
Example: The Lead steps with their Left to start, and they will keep stepping with their LEFT, over and over again. They could have started with their right, it doesn’t matter. You’re always stepping with the same foot (left or right). And then they step into either the INSIDE of the Follower’s Step, or the OUTSIDE of the Follower’s step (as shown).
If this sounds like gobbly gook to you and you’re thinking that you’ve never heard of this before, that’s because it’s out in the weeds and again, A TANGO TOPICS ONLY CONSTRUCT, and yet it is a valid way of walking and happens more times than you think it does. But in those cases it happens as an accident to correct for a problem that may have occured. In this case we use that ‘problem’ as a way of walking and make it a very useful tool.
There are 4 Common Alternates – Alternates A, B, C, D, and 2 operational constructs. Those last 2 allow you to ‘Walk Across the Embrace‘, known in Tango Topics parlance as Alternates E and F.
Lastly let’s be clear about something, in all of these Alternates, the Follower’s walk does NOT change at all. They will continue to walk backwards, on two tracks!
Notation: Alternates should NOT be confused with Alternation which is a Music Construct and has nothing to do with Alternates.
