COVID-19 has limited some of us to dancing tango solo, and a lot of my students bemoan not getting to try moves with a partner. HOWEVER, I have almost always practiced solo, so I have a lot of ways to practice on my own that I am sharing in my classes. This quarantine gives us an opportunity to step back and improve our own technique, without the stress of repeatedly trying a move that doesn’t work yet, on some unsuspecting soul.
Tools
Why no great YouTube video on this, Elizabeth?
I promise that I will put all of this up on YouTube soon. I have new video editing software on my new computer, so I again have video-making capabilities. However, for those of you who have seen me on video recently, you know why I am putting this off. For the rest of you, I can suggest that the best tool for practicing sacadas is: crutches!
Frankly, I had never thought that having a torn ligament would be helpful for teaching tango. It does make many moves difficult, as I cannot currently pivot on my left foot. However, the crutches are great for showing how my leg is moved by the other person’s leg. And you should see my self-led volcadas!
Now, let’s look at more likely suspects.
The traditional practice tool of leaders without a follower!
Two sticks
For those of you trying to figure out how the four legs of the partners interact, I suggest the traditional two sticks or two brooms or two dowels. You can get dowels at the hardware store: I prefer the 5/8” thickness by at least 48” long dowels. If you are taller, longer dowels will help. If you have hiking poles or brooms around, both of those will also work; after all this is the age of COVID: use what you have around the house!
As you think through each move of your pattern, put the sticks where the follower’s feet/legs would be, and then figure out where YOU have to step in order for the next move to work.
Alternately, if you are new to leading these moves, using the stick will help you see where the follower’s next step will go (Are you blocking a “leg” that will need to change direction? Are you starting a leg in a big swinging motion where you will have to pivot? etc.).
When I did my thesis work on leading and following in Buenos Aires in 1999-2001, one of my interviewees who also took Tete’s vals class with me, told me, “I get up in the morning, make my coffee, and then I grab my two sticks and I practice.”
Your hands
The best tool for learning the kinesthetics of the leg receiving the sacada, is your own hand.
The sacada is best done as high on the moving leg as possible, so if you relax your arm, your own hand will be at about the perfect position to learn about the weight of your leg and the movement in the hip joint to make a good sacada. In the drills I use, as soon as my leg becomes the free leg, ready to do a sacada, I can push my leg with my hand, simulating the interplay of the partners, and feel where my leg will go with different angles/amounts of force/timings.
When I have you try this in class, many of you are loathe to do this in class. Maybe you are uncomfortable touching your body in front of other people? No problem! No one else can see you practicing at your house! NOW try it!
Paper and colored pencils or a Painting app on your phone
Here are a linear sacada from the follower’s side step; and a linear sacada from the follower’s back step. Purple (and the heart) is the follower, and red (and the star) are the leader, showing and where each person moves, and where it’s important to stay, or to regain balance in place.
These days, I spend a lot of time on Zoom, sharing my screen and drawing all sorts of arrow-based pictures of where each person goes in a move. For the engineering inclined of you, it may be very helpful to plot out where each person goes in different colors. You can then envision both people’s movements, and better understand the geometry of what you will need to do to keep a move going down the line of dance instead of spiraling into the people behind you :-)
I hope that gets you started on your sacada practice, and more will be coming as soon as I heal up!