I really enjoyed the El Pulpo workshop this last weekend at the new studio (Studio99) in Marina, California. Perfecting gancho technique had long been on my list. This was a perfect opportunity to learn from the famous Octopus. Most followers will probably agree with me that getting a good lead for a gancho is almost a rarity. In this workshop, in a class full of near beginners, I, surprisingly, got more good gancho leads than in a whole year of dancing. The technique taught by El Pulpo emphasizes a very close thigh contact immediately preceding the gancho. That ensures a good connection between the partners; it feels surprisingly comfortable; it is really good for your balance; and, last but not least, it is titillatingly sexy. His partner, Luiza, contributed a lot to the success of the workshop, not only by being an excellent Spanish-English interpreter, but also by demonstrating and explaining the subtleties of the moves, and generally by adding an aesthetic dimension to the whole event, because she is unbelievably beautiful. I wish studio owners here in the Bay Area invited this couple more often.
