Beginner Curriculum: Argentine Tango Foundations – 8 week series
Taught by Sabine Ibes and the Tango & I Team
This is an 8 week series, starting at the beginning of every month at 6.30 pm on Wednesdays and Saturdays at 10 am
Throughout the series we will work on etiquette, musicality and partnership.
Video review of Foundations 1 (Wed 6:30 class)
Curriculum Overview
8 count basic in parallel (normal) system.
Parallel system = Leader and Follower walking with opposite feet. (Leader left and Follower right)
Week 1 - The 8 count basic
Week 2 - The 8 count basic with 2 forward ochos
Week 3 - The 8 count basic with 2 backward ochos
Week 4 - A review, line of dance, partnership, music
Week 5 - The 8 count basic with forward ochos plus full turn
Week 6 - The 8 count basic with backward ochos plus half turn
Week 7 - intro to cross system
Week 8 - Review all the material and learn to improvise
Detailed information about the curriculum per week available on each tab.
Week 1
8 count basic: Leader / Follower
1 Right leg steps backwards / Left leg steps forward
2 Left leg steps side/open / Right leg steps side/open
3 Right leg steps forward outside partner / Left leg steps backwards
4 Left leg forward step / Right leg backwards step
5 Right leg forward (collect with left) / Left leg backwards, left foot cross over right foot
6 Left leg forward / Right leg backwards
7 Right leg steps side/open / Left leg steps side/open
8 Left leg collects next to right / Right leg collects next to left
Step number 5 is a quick step
Step number 6 is a quarter turn
Step number 8 is a weight change!
Week 2
Adding the forward ochos to the 8 count basic
Leader and Follower: Step 1 -2 -3 -4 are the same
Leader / Follower
5 Right leg forward, right foot crosses behind left foot / 5 Left leg backwards, left foot crosses right foot.
A Left leg steps back / Right leg steps forward (1st ocho)
B Right leg collects, switch weight to right foot / Pivot on the ball of the right foot and step forward with left (2nd ocho)*
Returning to the 8 count basic, closing steps:
6 Left leg forward / Right leg backwards
7 Right leg steps side/open/ Left leg steps side/open
8 Left leg collects next to right / Right leg collects next to left
The embrace will shift at step #5 from close to open embrace, and after the second forward ocho* to a close embrace again.
Week 3
Adding the backward ochos to the 8 count basic
Leader and follower: step 1 – 2 are the same
Leader / Follower
3 Right leg small step back / pivot on right foot and left leg back wards (1st back ocho)
A rock from right to left / pivot on left foot, right leg backwards ( 2nd back ocho)
4 pivot on left foot, step forward with right / Step back with left
Steps 5 – 6 – 7 – 8 are the same as a regular 8 count basic
The embrace will shift at step #3 to an open embrace, after the 2 back ochos it will go to a close embrace again
WEEK 4 Review the 8 count basic, adding the forward and the back ochos What is parallel system? What is a forward cross? an open step? a back cross? WEEK 5 Forward 8 with a full turn : starting with the followers forward cross followed by an open – back – open – forward The open and forward steps AFTER the back step are usually 2 quicker movements. WEEK 6 Backward 8 with a half turn: starting after the followers back 8 – open and forward WEEK 7 Cross system, walking with same legs moving.(left to left, right to right) WEEK 8 Review all and improvise 8 count basic : PLUS: the open and the closed embrace, the music, the tango etiquette, dancer technique and FUN!