Topical Series. Turns, Enrosques and Lapices

Watch this video before starting your learning. Ivan and Sara's lessons program is a well put together whole, comprised of all the collections you'll find on Tangomeet. For best results, we strongly recommend you don't skip collections or lessons. Buckle up! Enjoy this marvelous ride! And get ready to wow your past, present and future dance partners :)

A favorite movement for many dancers, the ¾ turn creates a lovely rotated dynamic for the follower. And is extremely useful to change direction in the ronda. So not only helpful but very much appreciated by the ladies. What more could we want?

Did you love the doughnut from the technique section as much as we did? Well, here is your chance to love it even more!! Using the doughnut to create a turn will allow you to turn on a dime – goodbye running into people in the ronda, hello super-turn!

All kind of good things are happening here – a single axis turn, exit into Americana, rock steps to change direction…. Wow. So much, and yet you will find that it all makes sense. Why? Because you have seen the technique videos, practiced, and now it is time for it to all come together!

If you thought that the last turn was fun, this will be fun AND a challenge. Enjoy!

A sweet little enrosque for him and her. These simple wraps are a real morsel of joy – light and fun, they will become an irresistible part of your dance vocabulary.

The effect of an Enrosque is the snap of the hips – and Ivan really does it with style. However, a good Enrosque for the leader requires excellent turning technique for the follower, so working on these movements is really an excellent idea for both.

While enrosques for followers can be led, like we saw in the first video, they can also be embellished. So while the followers embellish on their forward ocho, the leaders have a challenging front enrosque turning backwards!! You were asking for it, you get it!

And now Sara’s favorite – follower enrosque into a back sacada! Impossible, you say. Too difficult, you say. But actually having worked on our technique throughout the previous videos brings this difficult movement into the realm of possibility!

The lapiz, a favorite element to adorn a turn, for both leaders and followers. But because the leg extends so far beyond the axis in a lapis, it is important to understand geometry and timing when attempting to execute this movement. In this introductory video, Ivan and Sara show a simple lapiz and the basic rules that we need to respect to make the lapiz smooth, coordinated and effective.

A very pretty lapiz into a parada for the follower, with some embellished smaller lapizes ;). Especially nice to use while waiting for the ronda to move, without twiddling your thumbs. A true combination of pratical and decorative, just for you!

A reverse lapis followed by a regular lapiz in a single axis turn. With an aguja in between. Sounds difficult. And it is, because it requires understanding of and coordination between individual body mechanic and the geometry of the bodies. But once you master it, it will be very satisfying! We promise!

Instead of doing a simple calesita from a back step of the follower, followers can embellish and create a beautiful lapiz! And if you want to show this as partnerwork, then leaders can also create this movement for the follower. Lead or embellished, the movement is definitely worth learning!