8-step Basic

8-step Basic

Knowing the foot position number is helpful.

• • Pos 1: Lady LF fwd, heel lead.

  • Pos 2: Lady first lower into L leg, RF to side,  before moving weight onto RF, "collection point", no rush

  • Pos 3: Lady LF back (roughly inline with RF) Man steps OP.

    • At this point, Man can resume normal walking. Or Man can continue with lock step next. Lady listen to lead.

    • Embellishment: RF can embellish to left of her L leg and then reach back to go to next Pos 4. 

  • Pos 4: Lady RF back, CMBP,  Hip rotate to R a bit, RF turned out, this is not a straight back step. RF crosses the track.

    • Lady will feel a lift which indicates to cross foot next. After feeling lift, Lady goes on ball of RF, swivel RF inward a bit to allow LF to draw back to cross for next step.

  • Pos 5: Lady RF swivels a bit, LF draws in cross in front of RF, L knee bent, wrapped around R leg.  (Lady goes to Man's track.)

    • Lady RF on ball of foot, R leg is more straight than left leg. 

    • This is a "collection point": Lady's weight is really on LF, lower before stepping next step, do not fall into next step.

    • To finish the 8-step basic, next 3 steps are often called "resolution" 

    • Pos 4, 5: can do S S, can also syncopate QQ.

  • Pos 6: Lady RF back, "collection point"

    • Before going into resolution, lower into LF first. then R leg reaches behind.

  • Pos 7: Lady LF to side.

  • Pos 8: Lady RF collects next to LF. Man can change weight or he can choose to not change weight.

Note:

• Very often, Man skips Pos 1, first step as it goes back for him, against LOD. So he often starts with weight on his RF, Lady's LF and in this case,

  • Both Man and Lady can do foot circles: Lady's  RF can start going forward in between Man's legs, and then do little clockwise circles till he's ready to move.

• After pos 5, lower into LF first, then various finishes:

  • Resolution, or

  • Use rock step, and then repeat with side step, or doing Cortada

  • Swivel on LF into Forward Ochos with Lady's RF.

• "Salida" (e.g "Exit") Tango close - like a "period" of a sentence to end a figure and get ready to start a new figure.

Leader

1. RF small step back. Tango is a traveling dance, you don't want to back into another couple.

2. LF side

3. RF forward, outside partner

4. LF forward

5. Turn frame a little left to lead follower to change tracks to get in line with leader, and bring RF to LF

6. Next 3 steps are the resolution. LF forward, in line

7. RF side

8. LF feet together