[Tango-L] "Hiding" weight changes

[Jay Rabe]

Robin wrote:

>... change feet without his partner feeling it - his
> axis remained the same. ...
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I think talking about the axis is off the mark. It's confused by the fact that the axis is a line that is unavoidably through his center of mass and through the center of his foot. So if he changes which foot his weight is on, he undeniably changes his axis.

I think it's more accurate and productive to talk about him maintaining the position of his chest/torso. That's what the follower is following anyway. He certainly can change which foot his weight is on without moving his chest. Structurally what happens is that he slightly moves his hips to the side to maintain his balance. It's not something you have to think about. If you intend to change your weight, and intend to maintain your chest in exactly the same position, then the hips move slightly.

The other solution mentioned was that he can step slightly larger than his follower, keeping her body positioned unambiguously over her standing foot. This implies IMO that she is slightly off-balance,  but regardless she is clearly led to stay on her weighted foot and not change her weight. If he then changes his weight, even if he does so with a completely vertical body (ie not using the hips), she just becomes slightly less off balance and still does not receive a lead to change her weight.

             J
         TangoMoments.com



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