Standard lesson with GP 2/4/2012

What a fantastic lesson today.  We worked on techniques.

1. Lady's job is to only move forward and backward. Let the guy to the job of direction and turning,

Reverse Figures
Eg A: Applying this in big top: Big top is three forward steps, with a swivel and pivot in the middle. after the outside swivel, on the big top steps, just step forward, do not try to get around, just go forward (down line of dance) on left foot, then forward with right foot, as soon as the right foot touches the ground, swivel on BOTH foot, then close left foot to right foot, pivot (meaning turning body and foot at the same time), then step forward with left foot.

 Eg B: Fall away slip pivot. first three step is stepping straight back, At the end of the third step (right foot back), rise and continue to go back with head, then the man will turn the lady and make it a slip pivot.

Eg C: weave from PP: forward with right foot
a. forward left
b. forward right, do not try to cut across him.
c. swivel, (keep head right).
d. forward left.

Eg D: double reverse over spin:
back step on right foot, left foot close to right foot, and heel turn, forward with right foot, swivel with both foot once right foot touches the floor, (turn head to right), cross the left foot in front of left foot. right foot back, pivot on right foot.

Thoughts: tumble turn is similar to the second part of the double reverse over spin.

Questions:
1. How to apply this to reverse step in reverse outside swivel in tango? Is it back right foot, pivot foot and body, forward left step,


Natural figures:

Eg E: Natrual Spin turn and Pivots: remember to go forward, not going around.
a. turn body right to match with the partner as stepping forward on the right foot. (very important, do not try to go around).
b. then step forward on the left foot, (not around).
c. swivel both feet to the right, as soon as the foot touch the floor,

d. move weight back to left foot,
e. pivot on left foot. (turn body and foot at the same time)
f. forward with right foot again, repeat a.

2. In forward movement, the power of the movement come from the bending of the the shin of the front foot. It is like a horse that pulls the carriage(body) forward. The incorrect way is to push from the back foot.  This provides more control of the movement, much less likely to let the momentem of the body taking control. Especially so in tango. 
Eg: reverse outside swivel. In syllabus, the reverse outside swivel is a reverse turn+ swivel. The difference in open step is that the lady doesn't swivel, only the guy does the swivel. The girl only just turn the body to the left to face the guy, As I'm moving the left foot forward, I need to keep my body to the left as the guy is moving from my right side to my left side.  But I continue to move forward on my foot.

After the reverse outside swivel, do not stop, continue with the forward step in the big top right away.

Standard Lesson with Ieva on 6/1/2011

Questions:
1. Turning lock: how does the hip eye align with the ball of the foot during turning lock?
Answer: The hip eye always align with the same side foot. (left with left, right with right). It's the shoulder that may cross sometimes to the opposite foot.

2. How to do the double reverse with
The routine goes as the following:
1. chasse close.
2. quick open reverse with a pivot (1 2&3&)
3. double reverse overturned(1 2&3&)
4. left whisk (123)
5. run around.

There are a lot of syncopation and turns here. In turning, need to remember the following
a. get out of the way when in inside of the turn. This is used in after the pivot step and after the double reverse. Basically overturn a bit to get to the right position, and then step the right foot toward under the right elbow to get out of the way.
b. use arm to help partner get out of the way when on outside of the turn, this is used in the last step of the quick open reverse, to prepare for the pivot step
c. She also suggested to do another reverse turn, instead of a pivot after the double reverse to turn around.
d. on runaround, keep the inside hip (i.e. right keep) down. this helps with the turning. But to keep a nice picture, still project left/up on the shoulder/upper body.

3. How to do the develope picture line (Need to ask her on this again when Charles is around)
a. Look up/forward, not down.
b. bend left knee before stepping back.
c. there are two choices on the shaping here, which leads to either keep the lady's head left, or turn it right. Not really sure how she lead these two.
d. slight left foot forward before getting onto left foot.
d. move the weight forward to left foot, and pick up right knee.
e. extend right foot, and do both foot rise and body rise. (do foot rise if possible, can skip it if need it for balance)
f. on coming out of this figure, the first right step is around leader's left side, then the next step is around his right side. there are similarity to this in fall away whisk.
e. She also mentioned that this is a definitely a waltz picture line, with the rise and fall. And most of the picture line should be phrased on the first bar 123 in the 8 bar phrase.

4. We then worked on foxtrot a little bit.