Back Ochos

Back Ochos

Start:

• Could start from after Lady does RF to side, or a hip twist changing from fwd ochos.

Lady:

• Basic back ochos in closed embrace throughout:

  • Stay in closed embrace, Lady going backward, not much hip rotation, just legs crossing back over the line, not very deep. Lift the ribs, giving more space to move. Body stays pretty high, steps are smaller, no hip pivots.

  • In this type of ochos, center keeps on one line, not displacing from side to side. Walking straight back in one line.

• Often Ochos are done changing from Closed to Open  to Closed Embrace, allowing more hip rotation.

• After lady's steps RF to side step, Lady collects her LF next to RF, then Lady just waits till Man leads the rotation/pivot (he may lead other figures than ochos, so do not assume.)  For Back Ochos:

  • Finish the pivot, move the hip without torso, then wait, do not extend the leg till feeling Man leads it. Man initiates it, Lady feels it and then extend the leg out, do not stick leg out too soon.

  • Extend the leg without body weight first, toe turned out, inner thighs very tight together, making legs cross more.

    • When Lady turns her hip to L to extend L leg back, think about growing taller, make sure to roll down/open her R shoulder, keep R side of body in one vertical line (don't stick R hip to Man). 

    • Lady stay on balanced axis, don't try to get close to Man. Avoid leaning upper body back with L leg stepping back. Just extend L leg first maintaining body on axis and wait for Man's lead to get onto LF

    • Generally, if Man lower's Lady down, Lady takes bigger step (likely preparing for Gancho)

    • Do not send weight back to back foot too fast, really wait for Man to move Lady's weight back.

  • Then step onto LF (Man moves Lady's weight to her LF). keep R leg extended in front and hold it straight for a second before collecting/drawing RF in. Don't collect right away, not too early nor too fast, wait  (can keep some foot pressure on floor for a split second longer) till Man leads the ocho twist. (Free R leg drawing in straight, don't bend knee too early)

  • After drawing in, stay in "collected" position next to standing leg, do not rush to point back (cuz Man can lead to different things), just collect and wait.  Feet are together when twisting to change direction. Only point/extend back when Man leads/moves.

    • Rotate hip a lot, aim for perpendicular to Man (won't get there, but the feeling is to twist as much as possible and open up hip while keeping shoulder parallel to Man as much as possible.) Especially when Lady opens to the right (when extending RF back), Lady is really almost perpendicular to Man. Lady's left hip is at Man's right (not behind, it's not like Ballroom promenade position)

  • Lady extends her R leg back, R toe turned out,  transfer weight onto RF, keeping L leg straight extended for a bit longer before pulling in. Pulling in  is initiated from moving weight onto RF, do not swing R hip outward making circle.  Try keeping twisted position a bit longer. Always wait for lead. Man may do more back ochos, may twist and switch to fwd ochos, or exit.

  • Focus on twisting hips, less upper body movement. Hips almost to 90 degree to Man. Twist hip as much as possible to keep movement in front of Man and not traveling backward much at all. 

  • Twisting torso and then hip follows and hip needs to do "extra" rotation/pivot to reach a very twisted position (keeping the feet together at this time). After reaching maximum twist, then extend moving leg straight, go the other direction with torso, then hip again. 

  • Keep frame to Man as much as possible, but it will open a bit compared to normal embrace. 

    • Don't take arms with you, give arms to Man. 

    • Shoulder is opposition, counter effect. Shoulder helps to stop onself as well. 

  • For Back Ochos, it's easier to bend the knees and collect, feet are collected next to each other, then swivel on standing foot.

• Head: Keep head at about same position, head does move a little naturally, but do try to keep head stable, focus attention toward Man's middle neck. In open embrace, head could be looking forward, but do not flipping head left and right.   

• Weight is always a bit more fwd, never back. Pay attention especially when it's backward steps, pitch fwd, do not lean back.

  • Back ochos can even move forward, depending on the twist of the body. 

• "Deep" backward ochos, not big steps, small step, but more twisted.

• Many exits, Lady collects and listen for lead.

• Embrace: 

  • When Lady's steps her LF back, slide the L arm embrace (her LH moves more toward his R armpit)

  • When Lady's steps her RF back, her L side side embrace with Man is closer, slide her L arm toward middle of his back more. (Intention is to slide deeper - horizontally to get closer embrace, not sliding up on his arm, but the effect could be arm connection moving up a little.) 

  • Keep embrace "movable", so Lady's L shoulder does not end up in a weird "chicken wing" position.

• Embellishment: leave the free foot to wrap around standing foot for a bit, bounce off the standing leg, a little ronde out to cross back and step.

Man:

• Man pulls back his left shoulder blade, allowing right arm to slide away from follower's back, follower is lead to swivel left on her right foot. 

• Leader steps left, collects, pull right shoulder blade back, slight pressure on left hand, to lead follower to swivel 180 degrees right. 

• Repeat doing 4 ochos. Always an even number. 

• On last ocho, Man rises/lifts to finish ochos, collect. he changes weight onto his RF. Lady will stop movement and collect, her LF will be free. 

• Exit on Man's R side, Lady's L side and her L leg is free.  Lady has to listen to lead, Many different exits:

  • Twist to switch to fwd ochos.

  • Go back into step 3 in basic, Lady's LF back. Then resolution, or into cruzada cross.

  • Can exit with cross system, in which case Lady always does cruzada/cross

  • Can exit with parallel system, in which case Man can lead exit directly to resolution or cruzada