Virginia Pandolfi 1-2 March 2025

Notable features:

  • In the first class she indicated that the toes should not be stabilizing or supporting any weight, at least before engaging with the leader.

  • Her version of contrabody has the chest stable and the hips twisting under them. This results in both legs twisting at the hip joint on every front/back step.

The Art of the Walking Embrace

Imagine the leg extending from the bottom of the ribcage to the ball of the foot.

Contrabody has chest stable and hips turning, following the idea that the leg starts at the ribcage.

(Successive approximation) Standing on both feet, move your weight forward so your toes are involved, and then back so the balls of your feet almost lift off the ground. These are the extremes, and the most stable point is somewhere in the middle. Shift back and forth, less each time, past the point of greatest stability, until you have stopped moving on the point of greatest stability. This is a good starting point, and from here you can adjust to the leader (how, specifically?)

Solo single-step exercise

  • extend back, rebote keeping foot extended

  • step back, lifting front knee, keeping back heel up

  • step back, lifting front knee, stepping back with extended foot, then return. Allow the initial standing leg heel to touch the floor.

  • same but don’t lift front knee, dragging free foot

Avoid hip up-and-down motion, it tends to lead to collapse and imbalance.

Couple walking exercises

  • follow walks backwards, leader at side, hands on back and front. Continuous motion of free foot on 2-3-4, step on 1. Leader steps on 1, 3

    • first , pause after 3 (leader’s together)

    • then do in rythm

  • walk in close embrace, on 1, and 1 and 3

  • "tiempo": leader’s heel lands on "t", followers heel lands on "o"

Action and Reaction: The Consequences of Change in Tone of the Embrace

Always match tone with your partner.

More tone moves the follower’s response motion lower in the body.

Basic exercise

I believe these were front pivots

  • 1/4 turn with chest, hips catch up (more tone)

  • 1/4 turn with chest, hips catch up

  • 1/2 turn with almost throwing chest, using momentum to do turn. (less tone)

Now with boleos:

  • 1/4 turn with chest, hips catch up, 2 or 3 knee together toned back boleos

  • 1/4 turn with chest, hips catch up, 2 or 3 knee together toned back boleos

  • 1/2 turn with almost throwing chest, using momentum to do turn: extend free foot straight back, pivot, then knee up to keep hips in position and keep balance.

Lead these in close embrace.

High tone can be very close embrace. Medium tone needs somewhat opened embrace. Low tone swoopy can be in close embrace or more open embrace.

Sequence:

  • leader side L, change: follow side R

  • leader front step on outside L, follow back L

  • Leader side step on outside R, follow back R

  • lead 2 or 3 tight boleos and pivot follow to front

  • Leader side L, follow front L

  • big swoopy front ocho, leader swings R back, almost like a back parada

  • leader back R, change weight, follow front R

  • leader back R, follow front L

The Technique of the Giro

Front pivot: first pivot, then swing leg. Back pivot: first swing leg, then pivot. This avoids being pigeon-toed.

First linear exercise (solo)

  • On R, L out to side, toes pointed, facing front.

  • Keep facing front, L cross behind on line, with minimal pivot.

  • Pivot on R, to face back, changing to L

  • Side step to R, facing back, with slight homolateral twist.

  • Pick up L, and place it down again, front step onto L, pivoting to front.

  • End on L with R to side, toes pointed.

Second (mostly) linear exercise (solo)

  • Start on L, 1/4 turn to line, R out to side, toes pointed

  • Swing R, pivot back, back step onto R along line.

  • Pivot 1/4, side step to L along line. This side step has homolateral movement to keep pointing towards the "leader".

  • Pivot 1/4, front step to R along line.

  • Pivot on R, lift knee, L out to side, toes pointed.

(this was very confusing, there might have been more steps)

With a leader

  • Start hip to hip, e.g. R hip to R hip.

  • Follow steps back L, side R, forward L, pivot, swings R to touch leaders R heel.

  • Reverse

Leader can either follow the follow or lead the movement.

Full giro with parada

  • Start hip to hip

  • Follow steps back L, side R, front L, side R, pivot with leader snappng around, back L, side R, front L with leaders parada L and perhaps follow touching leaders back foot with R.

  • Follow unwinds and goes the other direction.

Full giros, with ornaments

The leader can twist to follow the follow until their pivot for back step, at which point they pivot, snappily. During the non-pivot time they can do a lapiz, cross in back with each step, change weight, do boleos, barridas, perhaps do ganchos.

The Center as Principal Motor of Circular Movements

warmups

1/2 turn top first followed by hips, 1/2 turn hips followed by top.

Keep hand in same place to stay with leader

Now combine to 1 turn

Now change foot and bring knee up, with more twist, at end.

Now change the knee up to front boleo, followed by twist and step back, with pivot after leg is behind.

Now back side forward, front ocho, change weight, ready for other side.

With embrace with tone, be sure follow finishes step before leading pivot. WIth less tone, twist can start earlier.

Couple exercise

In embrace there is a range of twist that does not need pivot. Straight back leg, or back to side,

Back to side, pivot front and touch leaders back heel, then cross behind and repeat on other side.

Front and back ochos, with tone in embrace

Switch between front and back ochos with a boleo.

Arms always closing around leader, never pulling or retracting.

Do in close embrace, allowing partner to roll in the embrace, but there’s still some contact with fronts. This uses tone, so the reaction is lower in the follow, at the hips. With tone, it is essential to leave time for the follow to finish the previous movement before leading the next.

Musicality, Retention, and Technique of the pivot

Exercise, leading to salida of the 40’s:

  • Slow-mo side steps with minimum quantity of movement

  • Add back diagonal stretching up before setting foot down. Movement never dies.

  • Sequence side step R, twist back. Another back step. Cross. Unwind, side step,

  • Now side, twist back quick, pause…

Leader:

?? Side L change feet, l to side on heel slow motion, r forward

The pivot…​ lower body going back, arm on that side is going forward, around. This is expansion.

Now the leader just pivots, no weight changes, the pivot leads the follows weight change.

Add giro:

After cross, side r, back ocho, pivot Leader r parada follower r back, side. Sacada l follow front r, parada r follow r pivot.

Maximum pivot before the sacada

Now pass and do a parada on left

  • Out of cross, follow steps side R and pivots back: leader accompanies with side L

  • Follow steps back L and pivots for a back ocho

  • Leader parada R next to follows L as follow steps back R, side L

  • Leader L front sacada follow R front and pivot, with maximum leader pivot before the sacada.

  • Optional:

    • Leader R front sacada follow L side and pivot.

    • Follow back R, side L: leader pivots on pivot to back.

  • Leader R parada follow R front and pivot

  • Follow step over L front and pivot as leader transfers to L and parada L.