…IT’S ALL ABOUT THE PIVOT.

A good pivot can transform your tango, making your response to the leader’s markings quicker and lighter. You will improve your connection to the dance floor as well as to your partner, creating leverage for better balanced side-steps and more controlled leg extensions. For the leader, an improved pivot can take your giros and ochos to another level, allowing you to guide your partner easily without having to resort to rowing of the arms.

Many leaders and followers are afraid to keep their weight forward on the balls of the feet because they think that they will balance better with weight on the heel, however this means that they cannot pivot properly as the heel acts as a brake. Some beginners even insist on keeping the weight on two feet which often causes them to set off on the wrong foot and means that they have a hard time pivoting. Often they even try to break up the pivot step into three steps!

Tips for a better pivot:

• push downwards into the floor to pivot rather than just thinking of turning. This improves grip and makes for smoother movement connected to the dance floor.
• Keep your thighs, knees and ankles pressed together to help you turn (when applicable). The outer foot can help the inner foot turn.
• make sure that in giros or turns you do not side step with an out-turned foot in order to shortcut the pivot required for the forward half-ocho (a small turning out of the toes is ok for aesthetics)
• Don’t forget to pivot before the backward ocho as, technique and aesthetics aside, you will also strain the knee of your supporting leg.
• The hips and the feet must work together for the pivot, in conjunction with the shoulders which need to compensate for the torsion by keeping aligned with those of the dance partner.
• Contrary to what some people believe, the movement for the pivot is not limited to the hips and below, there is also some torsion right up to the underarm when a wide angle such as for an ocho is required.
• As well as practising ochos, make sure to practise, 180 degree and even 360 degree pivots.
• Lastly, make sure you have the correct soles! Leather or suede is best, most rubber soles will be counter-productive (although some specialist dance shoes have rubber soles).

Here is an update of our current calendar which will not change until April:

• Tuesdays: Drop-in class at Danceworks from 7.00-8.30pm, 16 Balderton Street W1K6TN – £10 per class (6th class free) plus Danceworks membership fee at reception.
• Thursdays: New drop-in class at Chelsea Sports Centre, Studio 2 from 8.00-9.00pm, Chelsea Manor Street, SW35PL – FIRST CLASS HALF PRICE! £7.50 – £15 per class (6th class free) or only £10 when pre-paying for 5 classes. There is no membership fee at reception.
• Fridays: Drop-in class at Dance Attic from 7.30-8.30pm, 368 North End Road SW61LY – £6 per class (6th class free) plus Dance Attic membership fee at reception.
• All classes are drop-ins and open to all levels as the studios are large enough to integrate everyone.

I will be in Buenos Aires from the 12th to the 24th of February enjoying some sunshine and tango, and during this period I am delighted that my classes will be covered by a good friend of mine; she is multi-talented in tango, being not only a dancer, but also a singer and a musician! More about my cover teacher in the coming days…

The classes will therefore continue throughout February, with my last class before leaving being on Thursday 11th February at Chelsea Sports Centre and my first one back being on Thursday 25th of February.

There are still 10 classes to go until the trip, so I look forward to seeing everyone at Chelsea Sports Centre, Danceworks and Dance Attic until then!

An update on the classes we are running through the Christmas & New Year Holidays:

Please note, all the classes are drop-in so there is no need to book and you do not need to bring a partner

Tuesday 22nd December: 7.00-8.30pm at Danceworks, 16 Balderton Street, W1K 6TN (opposite Selfridges clock) Price £10 plus Danceworks membership fee at reception

Friday 25th December: DANCE ATTIC IS CLOSED – no tango class!

Tuesday 29th December: 7.00-8.30pm at Danceworks, 16 Balderton Street, W1K 6TN

Friday 1st January: DANCE ATTIC IS CLOSED – no tango class!

Tuesday 5th January: 7.00-8.30pm at Danceworks, 16 Balderton Street, W1K 6TN

Thursday 7th January: NEW CHELSEA CLASS BEGINS! 8.00-9.00pm at Chelsea Sports Centre, Chelsea Manor Street, SW3 5PL – Price £15, no membership fee

Friday 8th January: 7.30-8.30pm at Dance Attic, 368 North End Road, SW6 1LY – Price £6 plus Dance Attic membership fee at reception

“Classes run normally from 2nd January”

There’s no better way to tackle holiday season weight gain than dancing, so I’m please to report that our Argentine Tango drop-in classes will continue right through Christmas and the New Year.

The tango calendar is as follows:

Tuesdays 7.00-8.30pm at Danceworks – 16 Balderton Street, W1K 6TN

Fridays 7.30-8.30pm at Dance Attic – 368 North End Road, SW6 1LY

From the New Year, starting 7th Jan, the Chelsea class will also begin:

Thursdays, 8.00-9.00pm at Chelsea Sports Centre – Chelsea Manor Street, SW3 5PL

Our new Chelsea Tango classes start Thursday 7th January 2016 at Chelsea Sports Centre.

This is a Drop-In class from 8-9pm each week, suitable for all levels. Studio 2 at the Chelsea Sports Centre is very large with full-length mirrors and practise barres, and has recently been redecorated as part of the whole centre’s refurbishment.

What you will learn in addition to technique, improvisation skills and styling: (the spanish terms are in inverted commas)

Basic 8-step and Cross 8-step or “salida”

Figures of 8 or “ochos”

Half-turns or “medio giros”

Full turns or “giros”

Leg whips or “boleos”

Hooks or “ganchos”

Stops or “paradas”

Displacements or “sacadas”

Short step sequences, more complicated sequences and chains for more advanced students.

For more info contact Jane on 07901551955 or tango167@yahoo.co.uk or simply turn up on the 7th!

It is incredible how much of a difference the right pair of shoes can make to your dancing. I never expect people to come to the first class with proper tango shoes since they might not be ready to make the investment, but regular dancers are doing themselves a disservice by using normal street shoes for tango.

Street shoes are heavier and less flexible, and often do not have the right sole. Unless a floor is very slippery, it is hard to pivot with a rubber sole. For ladies, open-toe shoes allow the foot to grip the floor better than closed-toe shoes. Men’s street shoes can be twice the weight of dance shoes and compromise balance and footwork.

So I was pleased when Capezio in Covent Garden contacted me yesterday about the special offer they are currently running, a 30% discount on selected Dancesport shoes.

The address is 33 Endell St, London WC2H 9BA and, should you wish to call first and check which styles are included, their number is 020 7379 6042. Please mention Tangolicious when you shop, to make sure the offer is applied to your purchase.

There are common mistakes that beginners and intermediate dancers make, which I find myself correcting over and over in every class. If they are not corrected early on they can become bad habits and linger for years. This is something I have had to work on in my own dancing, so I want to make sure others correct their technique faults as soon as possible!

• In tango, the rule is weight changes onto alternate feet, so if you have just stepped with the left foot, your weight should be on the left foot and if you have just stepped with the right foot, your weight should be on the right foot. When you collect (bring the other foot next to the foot that just stepped) you DO NOT change weight onto that foot unless it is led by the leader with a weight change.
• Followers, when you are led to do backward ochos, please remember to pivot first. I have noticed that for the first back step, followers tend not to pivot but just to step back into the ocho. This can wrench the knee and is unsightly. Pivot first with feet together, then step.
• Leaders, you probably know this and will read it everywhere, but please don’t row with your left arm. Keep the arm in a firm but relaxed position and just let the trunk and shoulders move to lead your partner. Think, holding a violin pose or flexing your  biceps in the mirror pose. Do not transgress into your partner’s side of the embrace.
• Leaders, think ahead and remember to take the correct size side step for your next move so that you are well positioned for walking outside to the left, outside to the right or straight in front of your partner. Often leaders twist their hips because they took too small a step, or perhaps they can’t complete a sacada (foot or leg displacement) because they stepped too big.
• Followers, relax so that your partner doesn’t feel you are in a hurry to move. Wait for his next marking to move without tensing in anticipation.
• Leaders, remember to lead the follower with a marking in good time. This means before you step, if you will be stepping together. Especially important if she has to pivot before stepping. She needs time and warning. Also, remember to give her time for weight changes, and keep in mind where her axis is at all times so you do not disturb her balance.

That is all for now, Happy Tangoing!

Studio 2 at Chelsea Sports Centre is the new venue for Tangolicious Chelsea, with classes starting on the 7th January 2016. This will be a Drop-in class from 8-9pm and there is no need to book or bring a partner. All levels are welcome. The class price is £15 and, as with all our classes, your 6th class is free!

The studio is extremely spacious, with full-length mirrors and large windows, and has jsut been redecorated as part of the complete refurbishment of the Sports Centre. Facilities include large, recently upgraded changing rooms with showers and hair-dryers.

Chelsea Sports Centre is on Chelsea Manor Street, just off the King’s Road (opposite Waitrose) and the nearest tube station is Sloane Square. I will post some photos of the studio as soon as possible, so please check-in again here soon!