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Technique Note for Tango Gold Routine

Note:
  • Tango has a lower base. There is still sway, in addition to rotation. Imagine one is in center of a box, you have to be able to reach both left and right corners. Stretch sides, separate rib cage (e.g. when doing outside partner)
  • Outside partner position: rib cage is shifted to right (for both Man and Lady), chest to partner, it feels like hips is to left, this gives each other room to move legs freely and not feel blocked.
    • The position is accomplished by rotating around spine and then moving rib cage to right (chest to partner.) 
    • If you drop a string with weight from armpit, the body and hip should be on one side of string, separated. 
    • Each person is individually balanced, head and hip stay to left, but rib cage to right.
  • Whisk position: lady's behind Man, Lady's center is dancing "at the edge" of Man's right side, head weight back. Keep rib cage forward toward Man. 
  • Different kinds of balances:
    • Vertically stacked up, on your own feet, each individual is balanced
    • Reshape the body, taking center forward, leaving feet and head back, still individually balanced.
    • Counter balance: partners as a whole is balanced, not individually balanced.
    • "Dynamic balance": partner's movement balances the partner. The movement of the body balances out the body.
  • Posture: avoid the look that the position is "too held", need to stretch the body more.
  • Promenade position: Lady's body needs to be more back into Man's arms. Lady's weight on back foot.

Start:

Begin one quarter down the short side, facing DC
  1. Five Step  (QQQQS) turning left
    • Lady:
      • QQQ: like outside turn, body rotate and take rib cage to right, body connect to partner
      • 4th Q: head to left, shape to left (right side very stretched) before sharply turned to R on last S.
  2. Chase, Chasse, and Whisk Ending  (SQQQQ Q&Q S &S) Chasse and Whisk Ending (Corner)
    • Lady:
      • Chase: 
        • 2nd Q: RF toe turned in, after stepping, no stopping, body/ribcage keep moving to right (separated), guiding Man to step outside, more room for legs.
        • 3rd Q: LF cross back behind RF while body is turning to R, body is very twisted to right, relax the knees, very cushioned, allowing body to turn to R, try stay connected with Man. 
        • Lady: while turning to R, pay attention to open up/extend/lengthen left side, in order to keep shoulder flat (otherwise, it's easy to drop left side)
        • No stop, continuing moving.
      • Chasse: Q&Q
      • Whisk - Close foot finish
        • S: RF back in Whisk position, keep right side up, don't drop right side.
        • &: LF come back to close to RF slightly back, head sharply to left
        • S: RF to side w/o weight, head to PP position.
  3. Promenade Link  (SQQ)
    • 1st step should be very powerful.
    • 2nd step, Man lets Lady keep going forward with power, Lady takes bigger step, passes the Man's feet, get ahead of Man, Man smaller step.
  4. Fallaway Reverse and Slip Pivot  (QQQQ)
    • Lady:
      • Keep head left, shoulders down, don't drop side.
      • Create curving to left by rotating/twisting the hip/leg area on the standing leg, so the step is still back step relative to hip, but because hip is rotating to left, overall movement is curving to left. 
      • 1st Q: body needs to arrive on the RF before moving off it.
      • Keep moving, no stopping.
  5. Reverse Outside Swivel (QQSQQ)
    • Lady: not as much swiveling action (Man does more swiveling in this case), just pointing LF fwd on S.
    • S: in outside position, 
    • Q: Lady LF keep going same direction, fwd, big step.
    • Don't stop the movement, keep the flow.
    • Lady does not need to turn head during outside swivel.
  6. Fallaway Reverse and Slip Pivot  (QQQQ)
    • Continuous into the Oversway, no stopping.
  7. Oversway, Pivot, Chase and Whisk Ending  (QQSS QQ Q&Q S QQ)
    • Lady: 
      • Oversway: Tango style heel turn.
      • Pivot (QQ): transfer weight on LF, pivot, RF fwd, then into Chasse. Keep head very left, lift left side up. Don't dip left side.
      • Chasse and a different Whisk Ending 
        • with Lady's LF stay in place (front of RF, keep the whisk position, just put down LF in place), ending PP. Head flick on last 2 Qs: it's Man's choice. 
  8. Back Open Promenade  (SQQS)
  9. Four Step  (QQ) Step 1-2
  10. Outside Swivel  (SQQ)
    • Lady does not have to turn her head. 
  11. Progressive Link  (QQ)
    • 1st step, RF more cross in the back (CMBP), torque, winding up before flicking to promenade position.
    • 2nd step: LF bigger step to side, so to end behind Man in promenade position.
  12. Closed Promenade  (SQQS)
  13. Fallaway Four Step  (QQQQ) (Corner)
    • 3rd Q: Lady turns head to R in PP
  14. Fallaway Promenade  (SQQSQQ)
    • Ending traveling DW on short wall.
  15. Natural Promenade Turn  (S QQS) add Rock Turning end
  16. Rock Turn  (QQS QQS)
  17. Five Step  (QQQQS)  (Corner)
    • Lady doesn't turn much
  18. Open Promenade  (SQQS)
  19. Open Reverse Turn, Lady Outside  (QQS QQS) Open Finish
    • No stopping, continuous into Basic Reverse Turn.
  20. Basic Reverse Turn (QQ&QQS)
    • QQ&Q: sharp quick timing, reverse turn
    • Q: Lady RF fwd, ending to side, 
    • S: LF closes to RF, shape to R
    • This is also called Viennese Cross
  21. Contra Check  (SQQ)
  22. Natural Twist Turn  (S QQS QQ) Back Corte Ending
  23. Back Corte  (S QQS)
  24. Four Step Change  (QQ&S)
    • In this routine, this Four Step Change has a lot of turn/rotation.
  25. Brush Tap  (QQ&S)
  26. Walk  (S)
  27. Walk  (S) Man facing DC
Repeat from #1 Five Step

End