[Tango-L] front ochos or crosses in close embrace?

[Eero Olli]

Hi Mario,

I have a few suggestions, and will not talk about posture, as you for sure have thought about 
that already.   Trying to put words on the front ocho in circular system of movement is difficult 
and obviously my explanation is not sufficient.  Get somebody to show it to you! But know you 
know what you shold be asking for :-)

On 23 Sep 2008 at 12:18, Mario wrote:
> I am focusing on the front crosses or front ochos however they are called
> in close embrace.
>   It often feels to me that there is not enough room to do them in close
> embrace.

First, when dancing close and taking a crossed step forward it is a very common mistake to 
let hip go forward.  In other words, during a crossed right step forward, the right hip often 
goes forward too (rotates counterclockwise).  Try to resist this.  Try even to counter this by 
pulling your right hip one centimeter back while you stretch your right foot forward (this is just 
a image that helps).  The same applies for men and women.  If both know how to walk while 
holding their hip back, you can use a crossed front step almost everywhere time. 

Second, front ochos in close embrace works best if you use circular system of movement, 
(not linear).  This variation of the front ocho is difficult, but delightful when it works.
During the circular system front ocho in closed style, there are only two kinds of steps: the 
circular sidestep for the man, and the circular crossed forward step for the woman.  
Unfortunately, both steps are difficult.  In addition, between each step is a turn of the 
direction.

Two different systems of movement

The way I use this concepts, in linear system of movement the center of both dancer (their 
weight) is moving in same direction, the lead is more in leader's chest,  and a follower's 
response to a leaders weight shift is a weight shift (a step).  In circular system of movement 
(used in most giros), the dancers weights are moving in the same direction in a circle (and 
thus in opposite directions in relation to a line), focus moves away from the leaders chest to 
leaders back, and a follower's response to a leaders weight shift is turning their hip (a pivot). 

Thus in the a front ocho upper bodies are together at all times, and one complete front ocho 
can be described as circular movement  clockwise, change of direction with pivot, circular 
movement counter clockwise, change of direction with pivot.  
During the circular movement, the woman takes a crossed front step through the circle and 
the man takes an open sidestep following the circle with his back.  Use a prologment of the 
women´s front step to place it. 
Change of direction is given by the leader's weight shift, which must be timed and placed so 
that initiates the pivot for the follower and gives the speed, duration and degree of her pivot.  
Because the follower is twisted, when the weight shift comes, this initiates a turn in the 
follower´s hip and foot.  
Leader initiates a new step through the circle for follower with movement of his back (in giro 
we both follow the circle, in front ocho the woman´s walk is through the circle) leader uses his 
back to turn the circle (think of it as a rope around the couple, grab the rope and rotate the 
circle).   

Getting started

To start a circular forward ocho, first the man needs to communicate the change to circular 
system.  Therefore, the easiest way to start is a circular sidestep clockwise, thus leader 
moves to the left, and follower to the right.  (If this sidestep is linear, it is unintuitive, but 
possible, to change system of movement during the next step.)  
Now the leader keeps the circle rotating clockwise and invites the follower to a forward 
crossed step in circular, which is the first step of the ocho.

An easy exercise is to alternate between starting the front ocho and ocho cortado from the 
circular sidestep.  While in Ocho cortado the direction of movement in the circle changes, 
before completing the side step, while this particular forward ocho starts on the next step, if 
the circular movement from the sidestep just keeps going...and the rest of the lead is there.


The circular sidestep

A common problem is that the line of movement of the dancer´s weight does not follow the 
circle.  Imagine that you are dancing inside a barrel or tube, and your back caresses the 
inside of this, at all times, during the ocho.  No exceptions!  Leaders are often lazy and do not 
turn their bodies enough prior to the followers pivot.
Exercise for sidestep in circular system for both: 
Stand in the middle of a side step.  Grab each others shoulder blades or hold just below 
them.  Have some distance between the couple, so that the feet form a perfect square, and 
are placed directly below the circle created by the arms.  Now imagine that you have wings 
and you want to fold them open, stretch your wings out, and around your partner.  Imagine 
that you are inside the barrel and you need to move your back a little bit back to make 
contact with the inside of the barrel.  Now start rotating the circle you have created.  Move 
clockwise and counter clockwise, forth and back.  Start with a small movement, and make it 
larger.  Keep your back in contact with the barrel.  Allow a small pivot in the feet, but keep 
both feet firmly placed on the ground.  Keep making the movement larger, all way to their 
axes on both sides.  
We are so used to making linear sidesteps that these circular sidesteps are commonly poorly 
executed if at all. 

The crossed forward step with circular movement

The leader should first place the womens forward cross step on the floor, with a movement of 
his whole body (back against the barrel). Leader should keep his back and the circle turning, 
while allowing the follower to strech her foot forward.
Followers often have a problem with their forward cross step across the circle.  Most 
importantly, their torso also crosses the circle, when it should not.  Even if the follower´s 
shoes move through/across the circle, her centre (the weight of the body) must follow the 
circle.  If the couple must open their abrazo to do the front ocho, one possible reason is that 
the follower does not know how to move her torso in the line of the circle.  Thus, during the 
forward step, the followers back moves along the circle formed by the abrazo.  Imagine being 
inside the barrel, and keeping your back in contact with the barrel through the whole step.  No 
excuses!  It is a hard thing to do, requiring a lot of dissociation.  Keep your chest with the 
leader, turn your hip to the direction of the step, reach out with your foot, place it on the floor, 
and move your weight (not linearly to the point above your foot) in a circular movement 
caressing the inside of the barrel with your back.  Wait for the follower´s weight shift, before 
turning your hip and pivot to complete the movement.

The turn of direction and the pivot

Allow the follower to arrive into her axis, by turning leaders chest/back until she is there (ie. 
Rotate the circle until both arrive their axes)  then leader completes his own weightshift in the 
sidestep, which causes the follower to turn her hips towards the leader. Make this weight shift 
marked.  If it is too gradual, followers hips will not turn enough, and she might be inclidend to 
continue the circular movement with a sidestep as in a giro.  Because the leaders weight shift 
is strong her hips turn a little more, making the next forward step possible.  During the 
weightshift give her an intention to move inside the circle, by changing the direction of the 
movement of the circle from clockwise to counter-clockwise.  This change should came 
during the follower´s pivot, but before she has turned her hips and feet so that they are 
pointing towards the leaders weight.   The change of movement happens first in the leader´s  
back.  Thus there is a very short moment, while the leaders weight is completing a step 
(going down) and the circular movement in the back is allready going to the other direction.   
Allow the inertia in followers hips to move forward, across the circle. Give the follower time to 
do her part!

The speed of the followers pivot depends of speed of the leaders weightshift.  The size of the 
pivot (degree of pivot) is given by a combination of timing of the weightshift, the dancers 
placement in relation to each other, and the degree of dissosiation prior to the pivot.  This 
allows for many different ways to manipulate the pivot, which is great.  Now, it is important to 
notice which way the direction of movement changes and the timing.  If leader gives a strong 
weight shift for a large pivot, but waits a little to long for giving the direction for the next 
forward step, the follower is on the way to a forward boleo. 

Exercises:
Experiment with the degrees of pivot and speed of pivot in forward ocho.
Do many planeos, both small and large, and observe what the leader can do to pivot the 
follower without using his arms. These principles apply also in this kind of ocho.

Timing and continuity

The front ocho in circular system of movement is characterized by its fluidity.  It is impossible 
to do this chunked to many parts.  The sum is more than its parts. The bodies are in 
continuous movement, with a natural flow.  Even if there is the change of direction, at this 
moment, the follower´s hips are turning, containing some energy that can be sent into the 
new direction. 
It feels like an ocean wave.  The follower is the wave, and the leader is the beach.  If you 
time the movements right the waves are smooth, and but if you time it wrong, they break 
hard.  The leader and follower never do the same thing simultaneously.  This can be 
confusing, but it adds a layer of complexity to the dance.  The dancers are of course perfectly 
timed in relation to the music, but the "steps" are not synchronized like in a march.  They are 
much more connected to the roles, and are more like: step - response - step - response. 

Happy ochos!
Best,
Eero

-- 
Eero Olli
http:\\eero.no