Before I taught close-embrace, I taught tango using the 8CB and produced successful leaders. So Id say its the bad or inexperienced teachers that give the 8CB a bad name. But I also have to agree with Keith that one basically has to make a decision to overcome a habit and practice it over and over and over again. But what is nice about habits is that if you form them into longer dance phrases, it makes it easier for a woman to be relaxed and to dance. If a woman is constantly hit with surprises, then it becomes work for her.
My solution to avoid going to resolucion as a habit was to not invite my follower into the cross. If you think about it, theres really no other reason to go to resolucion in and of itself. However, I like using the cross because it gives the follower a natural breathing point, otherwise, youre liable to be running her all over the place. So I suggest learning to use the cross as the ending of a step sequence in lieu of resolucion. When you bring her to the cross, relax down into the floor, which puts a period onto your phrasing. I do this by exhaling and settling down into my right hip (as if waiting at a bus stop). This also gives me a powerful step out of the cross. Matching it to the phrasing of the music will also help you with this. For example, if you start your side step (step #2) on beat 5, you can get to the cross on beat 8. For beats 1-4, just walk forward beginning with your left foot. Do this over and over. Once this makes sense, then start working on getting rid of that side step. One thing at a time. The more you practice getting into another step right after the cross, the easier this becomes. And heres a fun solution. Take your follower to the cross, but then take her out of it before she shifts her weight onto her left foot, sorta like a fake crossing. You lead the cross the same way but be more sensitive to when shes about the change weight completely. Then, with a light lift up and pivot you can uncross her and send her for a back step. Since resolucion will not feel like a natural way to end this, youll be forced to continue dancing. This might help you disassociate the cross from resolucion. So how can the 8CB be taught successfully? I focused on using steps 3-8 and used the other steps as accessories. Since as a follower I was sick of the side step as an entry to just about every sequence under the sun, I taught the men to step outside partner with their right foot without using a side step. Also, when teaching steps 1-2 and resolution, I made them turn the thing so that they werent against the line of dance. I also added rock steps. But I switched teaching methods completely when I began teaching close-embrace. Hope this helps. Trini de Pittsburgh PATangoS - Pittsburgh Argentine Tango Society Our Mission: To make Argentine Tango Pittsburghs most popular social dance! http://patangos.home.comcast.net/ ____________________________________________________________________________________ Looking for last minute shopping deals? Find them fast with Yahoo! Search. http://tools.search.yahoo.com/newsearch/category.php?category=shopping _______________________________________________ Tango-L mailing list [email protected] http://mailman.mit.edu/mailman/listinfo/tango-l
