Argentine Tango Walk

Walk General Technique

See Also Baldosa (6-step basic) and 8-step Basic.

• Man: 

  • walking forward legs closer (think about crossing legs), gets closer to Lady.

  • Man can do continuous walks forward, Lady backward.

  • Man go in and out of outside partner walk on Lady's Left (Open Embrace) or Right, without going to cross steps.

• Lady, 

  • Keep the slightly pitched forward posture. 

  • When stepping, stretch knees from the hip, brush feet, brush floor, extend straight leg, push from standing foot, then step and onto moving foot.

  • Always think about brushing thighs and knees before stepping. 

  • Free foot is lightly lifted (hip is slightly lifted), toe turned out.

  • Feet walk on one line, one lane. The stepping foot is turned out. Walking is always crossing, upper legs together.  Try to show only one knee (when looking from front).

  • During walk, Lady always don't let Man pass, Lady's hip doesn't get behind Man, always in front. The feeling is letting Man place Lady's weight onto her new standing foot, there is resistance (when Lady walking back)

  • Lady's LF fwd step: 

    • don't go "under" Man, think about "metronome" from "top", small step. not a lower, under Man drive step. 

    • After transfer onto LF, then lower L knee, extend R leg out to side. 

  • R leg back:

    • Feeling like stepping with thighs together, R leg brush L leg/L thigh first before stepping back (no gap between thighs)

    • Don't go diagonal, don't go to Man's track.  CBMP, R big toe is inline with L heel. makes it easier to get to cross for next step.

  • LF cross: 

    • don't drag on the floor, it's soft sliding on the floor, slight lift to cross.

    • At crossed position: R leg straight, L knee bent. 

  • Salida closing: 

    • RF back, L knee closes to R knee, thighs together (no gap between thighs) before stepping LF to side then close RF.

Three Walks

• In line. 

  • Leader's and followers feet are in line. When leader is walking forward, leads follower to move leg before stepping himself.

• On his right side

  • Man walks on his right side, his LF to his own right side (outside Lady's LF).

• On his left side. 

  • When walking on Man's left side (Man steps his RF toward his own L side, to Lady's R side) , Lady always crosses (cruzada). This provides a known point in figures during improvisation. 

Parallel System & Cross System

• In Parallel System (Normal System), the left foot will move with partner's the right foot. 

• In the Cross system – The left foot will move with partner's the left foot. 

  • Lady's footwork is the same

  • Man needs to fake in and out to change system.