Zoraida Fontclara and Diego Alvarez: Milonga and Vals: Beginner/intermediate V310

0:0:34 Milonga demonstration

0:2:58 Introduction

0:7:18 Walking in normal and cross system.

Changing systems may be done by the leader taking one more or one less step than the follower. Diego typically takes an extra step by crossing behind. These are demonstrated with practice embrace.

0:13:45 Walking steps to music.

0:15:14 Basic step, in open embrace.

This is done in two styles, stepping backward or opening to the left. The final side step is pivoted to go along line of dance, so the figure goes back and forth along the same path. This may be done in all slow steps or with a double-time cross.

0:19:17 Quadrato.

Back (leader R), side, front, front, side, back (repeat), in all slow beats. Leader is on outside (follow’s R) on all front and back steps. This step or figure turns easily (to the left).

0:22:00 Quadrato and basic step to music.

0:22:36 Forward ochos for the woman.

From cross in basic step, woman does 2 forward ochos, finishes basic step. The leader shifts weight in place. The follower crosses in back after forward step to speed pivot, and thus arrives back in crossed position after second ocho.

0:24:22 Variation, "receives the ocho".

Leader pivots 90 degrees left and steps back L parallel to follows front step. Leader changes weight in place for follows 2nd ocho: the follow pivots only 90 degrees for the second ocho.

0:26:26 Variation, "accompanies the ocho".

Apparently the leader is stepping R as the follow changes weight, and stepping L as the follow does the first ocho, and changing feet as the follow does the second ocho.

0:27:08 La Marca, lead and follow.

0:29:50 Forward ochos to music.

0:30:39 Back Ochos.

Follow walks backward with slight pivots, leader steps to outside on R step and inside on L step, i.e. the leader does front ochos.

0:32:08 Variation.

Leader steps forward with R foot and crosses behind, with something of a step, with L foot.

0:35:58 Back ochos to music.

0:36:50 Normal basic, including a traveling turn to the left.

After the cross in basic, leader steps forward L, side R, back L, back R (repeat), with all steps along line of dance.

0:37:51 Basic steps to music.

0:39:47 Crossed system.

Leader double-step on 3, and wait with tap on 5.

0:40:36 Variation: double time cross instead of wait with adornment on 5.

0:42:00 With music.

0:42:35 Forward ochos in crossed system.

Leader crosses behind on 5, steps back R with first ocho, waits on second ocho, and finishes basic L front, R side, together.

0:44:10 With music.

0:44:34 Same crossed system ocho, but getting there with a normal basic step.

Leader taps in back cross on 5 (a wait), then steps back R for first ocho, waits with tap for 2nd ocho, walks out.

0:46:42 With music.

0:47:18 Back ochos, three ways.

Change system on 3, lead non-traveling back ochos with side steps: double-time step to get out. Or, lead to cross in cross system, and wait or double-time cross.

0:49:24 With music.

0:50:12 Figures.

0:51:05 Space-saving backwards turn to left.

Leader steps back R, side traspie L (double time), change to L in place. They used seven steps to return to line of dance. Sometimes they start with the side traspie.

0:52:00 With music.

0:53:17 Corridas.

Leader, after step 3, does three double-time left side-step-together: R forward as step 4 in cross-system, pause for 5, walk out. Follow, after step 3, side R, cross in front L, side R, back L as step 4. Alternatively, leader can do two double-time side-step-together, then third step L, forward R, forward L as step 5. Even though the follow is doing two crosses, they describe this as the follower doing the basic step.

0:54:30 Follow is led to take the double-time side steps as well, in both variations.

0:57:20 Forward ochos, with leader stepping opposite to follow, turning to R.

Leader crosses in back R on step 5. Leader steps forward L, crosses in back R.

0:58:40 variation with double step to end pattern.

For last two ochos, leader steps onto L, back R (traspie), front L, change to R.

0:59:05 variation with leader double-time steps onto L, back R, cross in front L, single-time side R, tap left, step forward L.

0:59:35 Back ochos.

First variation, step 3 is leader R front, cross behind L: side R, together L, repeat.

1:00:20 Second variation, exit is side R single step, go to cross in cross-system, and tap for step 5.

1:01:00 showing how system changes on every step.

They claim to have shown three endings but I see only two.

1:02:30 With music

1:04:30 Vals.

Demo

1:06:56 Introduction.

We can put all the elements from the milonga into the vals, the difference being the cadencia.

1:08:42 Demonstration of all the milonga steps in vals.

1:11:08 Turns.

1:11:38 A right turn.

Basic step to the cross: leader crosses R behind. Follow does giro to right, leader sacadas L, R, step outside L for back-side: Leader places R forward in opposite direction to follow’s R forward step, pivot 90 deg but retracts as follow does front ocho as L forward step, pivot: leader changes weight to R and walk out steps 6,7,8.

1:13:23 Same turn, but entering with R.

Here, the leader steps onto L with follows last R forward step, and changes weight with front ocho.

1:16:12 Homework: do the same turns to the left.

1:16:50 Another left turn.

On step 3, follow steps back-side-forward-pivot-side-pivot and leader steps side-pivot-back-side-front(-pivot). The follow’s giro is not very square: the leaders giro is not at all square. The first side appears to be a front step accompanying the follows back step: the back step twists behind rather than having a proper pivot.

1:18:41 Demo of these three turns to music.

1:20:00 Rythmic structure.

The syncopas are all 1-2 rather than 1-3.

1:21:10 Left turn variations.

Double time step with follows R back of giro, where leader steps outside.

1:22:20 Turns to music.

1:23:09 Variations.

1:23:36 Cross-feet basic with boleo.

On step 4, leader basically sacadas follows L foot, causing a back boleo. Follow then steps across in front of leader, and walk out 6,7,8.

1:24:42 Cross feet basic with different boleo.

On step 3, leader walks on outside (follow to L): step 4 is L front, step 5 is R side, which leads the boleo.

1:25:46 Another right turn.

On cross, leader crosses behind, sacadas L, R, and stays on R for follows back step, but catchs L foot for a barrida/parada. Follow closes, does a boleo, passes over parada, front ochos, and walk out.

1:28:16 Demo with music.

1:29:04 Another right turn, entering with leader R.

Leader stays on L, and kicks between follows legs on back, not side, forward, side, back not side, maybe forward, then ocho and walk out. Leader may step or cross in back to adjust position for ochos.

1:31:06 L turn with back sacadas.

Walk to cross, sacada front step with R foot, then lead ocho and L back sacada front and side steps, then R side sacada back step: this gives a front-back boleo. Follow steps forward R, ocho with L forward, then walk out 6,7,8.

1:33:12 Demo to music.