[Tango-L] Womans' Front Cross

[ceverett@ceverett.com]

On Fri, 24 Aug 2007 11:00:17 -0400, "Jake Spatz (TangoDC.com)"
<spatz at tangoDC.com> said:
> Christopher,
> 
> ceverett at ceverett.com wrote:
> >
> > The step before the woman's front cross is always an open step
> THIS is not necessarily so.
> 
> E.g.--
> 
> (1) One may lead step 4 of the 8CB (with or without its predecessors) as 
> a back cross step-- i.e., to the leader's right-- and then lead the "5," 
> effecting a CW turn (or not).

I sometimes start down this path up to the point just before the weight
transfer onto the woman's left foot then open to my right to unwind her
and continue forwards in cross foot in 3 tracks.

> (2) (Same as above, different context) One may lead the normal cross 
> during back ochos, as something resembling what I might call an 
> "arrepentida cortada." (Unlike the above context, this one usually begs 
> for a pause afterward.)

Hadn't thought of these as something that would lead explicitly to the
cross.  


> (3) One may (esp in a very close embrace) lead to the cross from 
> nowhere, by using a pivot to place the follower's leg and then a weight 
> change to effect the cross. (Unlike both of the above, this one usually 
> IS a pause.)

However, with the the 3rd option it seem to me that if you place the
followers right leg with a pivot to the left, what she will be doing is
an open step.

Now that you have me thinking, here is a 4th way: when leading extremely
shallow back ochos, so that the follower is just placing one foot right
behind the other, *gently* brush your the inner part of your right thigh
against the outside of the followers left thigh ... If her legs are
relaxed enough and you give them enough momentum with the sacada, she'll
have to cross.

> I've heard things about "the code of walking" too, from reputable 
> people. But I'm unconvinced. Perhaps it has value as a stepping-stone 
> for students. My current practice, however, is to shy away from things 
> the student will have to unlearn.
> 
> (This approach, I admit, may not prove the best; but it's the one I've 
> stuck to for a while and the one I intend to stand by for some time yet.)

I'm a software guy.  I look for things that our bodies do on the brain
stem level and reuse them for tango purposes.  These are things already
built in, we just have to dress them up a bit to look nice.

Christopher