PATTERNS AND ROUTINES FOR AMERICAN TANGO -copyright Jonathan Tyrone Rowell, 2003 Notes: 1) Slow steps should be delayed. 2) Emotionally, American Tango can range from stalking, jealousy, quarrelling to seduction. Bronze 1) Closed Basic - Rhythm is SSQQS. The two slows are fwd walks. The QQS is "Tango-close", a resolution step used throughout (Fwd-Side-close w/out weight) 2) Open Basic - as the closed Basic, but step OP with the RF on the second slow. 3) Promenade Basic - aka Closed Promenade. Having ticked open to Promenade, two steps fwd in Promenade, then turn woman to face (&). Finish with Tango-Close. 4) Promenade Basic to Back Tango Close - ?? 5) Argentine Walk - Dance 1-4 of Closed Basic (no rotation). Now dance 1-4 of Closed Basic again (no rotation). Finish with Tango Close. 8) Forward Rocks - aka Tango Rocks. Rocks are done (QQS) between the Slow walks and the Tango Close. More adept choreography may use independently. Rotation with each rock (L and R) possible. 9) Turning Rock - ?? 10) Rock Changes - ?? 11) Simple Corte - Step back on the first slow, turning bodies L (W turns L, RF fwd). Recover on second Slow, and finish with Tango-Close. Opinions differ on the styling of the Corte, particularly on the amount of lunging that the woman does. Personally I like the "vampire" head shaping - man looks down at woman's neck while she looks away/down her line. Another style used, more international in flavor, is to take the first step side and curve body R. The Corte may be held for a longer count. 11b) Corte with Lady's leg Drape - do the corte but then body turn L as you turn on the toes. W will rise up and drape her L leg on his R hip/leg. 12) Rock with Corte - Dance a LF Tango Rock (SS then QQS). Use the Slow of the Rock as the first step of a Corte. My only complaint about this combination is that after recovery, you are off by a half measure (assuming 4/4 time). Three possible fixes: 1 - forget the close step, 2 - do an argentine walks type close (QQ QQS), 3) wait an extra slow before starting again (pausing is acceptable in Tango) 13) Fan/Outside Swivels - "Fan" in tango can mean either Fan Position as in Latin dancing, or it can mean a swivel and/or ronde action. Here it is an Outside Swivel. The Man steps LF back (S) and crosses the RF along his shin (optional). Woman steps RF fwd OP. She then swivels to the R on her RF, tracing out a small circle with L toe (ronde) (&), then steps fwd in PP (S), swiveling to face partner. May be repeated in which case she rotates a little further to prep to OP. Timing may also be changed to Q&Q(&). Stylistically, the woman flirts with the men around her on the slows, and expresses irritation with to her partner on the quicks ("leave me alone I'm having fun"). 13) Rock with Fan - As with Rock and Corte, uses Slow of the LF Rock to initiate the Fan/Outside Swivel. 14) Open Promenade to Fan - Here fan means Fan Position. Two main ways of doing this, both from PP. 1 - Paseo method: take Promenade down LOD (SS), then turn away to face aLOD taking LF (RF) back, RF (LF) side in LSP, and brush LF (RF) without weight. Method 2 - Cross Body method: take Promenade down LOD (SS), turning woman normally, but lower hand (link Rumba Fan), and lead woman away (back-side-brush) while dance together-side-brush. Method 1 should always end in a straight LSP, but method 2 should be ended between 90 and 120 degrees. Endings: Step fwd (S) and fan-swivel 3/8 to PP pointing back with off foot (&) then continue with a Promenade 2-5. Amount of swivel is less on method 2 because of decreased angle, and woman should strive to place her pointing L leg behind M's R leg. 15) Promenade Walkaround - ?? 16) Promenade Pivot - Perform 1-2 of Promenade Basic, man stepping across woman's line. Use the QQ to pivot 1/2 turn like in Am. Foxtrot and collect (S) in PP. 17) Promenade Underarm Turns - actually the Turns are in Fan Position (or different nomenclature). Open up into Fan Position from Promenade as above. On the two slows the lady walks underarm turning either L or R, as is led. Finish back into Fan step-side-brush. From a practical standpoint, the amount of rotation achieved is different for the two directions. Conclude with the normal ending to Fan. 18) Corte with Rollout - ?? 19) Turning Corte to Outside Swivel - ?? (unless it is a Corte followed by left turn with Outside Swivels) 20) Continuous Basic - ?? 21) Basic Left Turn - Identical to Int. Tango Open Reverse Turn. Preceded by Slow walks and concluded with the Tango-close resolution. The Turn itself is an Open Left Box to the rhythm of QQS QQS. Woman may step into man on the first slow (In-line), or she may step outside (Outside). Usually for American Tango, the man will use an open finish (the RF fwd slow is OP) and end with the Tango-Close. 22) Basic Left Turn to Corte - Use the LF back Slow as an initiation into the Corte. Typically repeated so as to maintain rhythm. Woman must be led to dance In-Line. 23) Basic Left Turn to Swivels - Use the LF back Slow as an initiation into the Swivels/Fans. Typically repeated. Woman must be led to dance Outside Partner. 22) Contra Rock to Circular Fans - ?? 23) Oversway - either the variant to the Corte (see above), or the Gold Int. Tango move of the same name. 24) Tango Walks - may be used in isolation as necessary 25) Right Side Fan/Outside Swivel - ?? 26) Linking Action to and From PP - the International Progressive Link and the Promenade Link. These last three are from a variant list that might have been trying to make American Tango a bit more international in pattern. 27) Shadow Rocks - historically, this is a silver move, and in fact it probably still is on every syllabus, but it has been used in Bronze without comment almost everywhere (DCDI is the big exception). Roll out into Fan position as described above at 90 degrees. Man steps fwd to lady, leading her towards him (S) and posts his arm for her to spin off of (QQ) as he steps back (S). Her spin is clockwise and taken towards the man (either 1/2R or 1 1/2R) to end with weight back on RF on his R side (perhaps a little advanced). Man takes shadow hold and the couple walks two steps fwd (SS). Now do any even number of rocks on the same foot. After a RF rock, Man will step together-side while leading her to go forward and spin to her L (Q&Q) and brush back into Fan Position. On the rocks, woman may gather and sashay her skirt. 23) Promenade Turn to Corte-ISTD Routines Master of Bronze Syllabus Routine (44m) Basic, Left Turn, Promenade Pivot x2, Promenade to Fan, UAT R, UAT L, Shadow Rocks, Fan Finish, Open/Outside Basic, Rocks, Argentine Walks, Corte, turning Rock to Swivels (SS-QQ-SS), Basic, Promenade 1. (2m) Basic 2. (6m) Basic x2, Promenade 3. (8m) Basic, Argentine Walks, Basic 4. (8m) Basic, Rocks, Basic 5. (8m) Basic, Rocks, Promenade 6. (12m) Basic, Rocks, Argentine Walks, Promenade 7. (6m) Basic, Corte, Basic 8. (10m) Basic, Rocks, Corte, Basic 9. (10m) Argentine Walks, Corte, Rocks 10. (8m) Basic, Promenade Pivot x2, Promenade 11. (10m) Basic, Rock with Fan Swivels, Basic, Promenade 12. (6m) Basic, Promenade to Fan, Fan Finish 13. (12m) Basic, Promenade to Fan, UAT R, UAT L x2, Fan Close 14. (13m) Basic, Promenade to Fan, Shadow Rocks, Fan Close 15. (8m) Basic, Left Turn, Basic 16. (9m) Basic, Left Turn to Swivels, Basic 17. (18m) Basic, Left Turn, Rocks, Argentine Walks, Corte, Promenade 18. (16m) Corte, Promenade Pivot x2, Promenade to Fan, Fan Finish into Left Turn with Swivels, Promenade 19. (11m) Rocks, Basic, Rocks to Swivels (SS-QQ-SS) and close * Basic / Basic OP / Reverse Turn / Rock and Close * Basic / Forward Rocks / Promenade Basic / Basic Corte * Basic / Reverse Turn / Rock and Corte x2 / Promenade Basic * Basic OP / Promenade Combination Silver 1) Checked Promenade -NDCA ?? 2) Walk and Link-NDCA ?? 3) Double Fan-NDCA ?? 4) Turning Rock to Contra Check-NDCA ?? 5) Fallaway to Fan-NDCA ?? 6) Cobra Fan- 1-2 of Promenade, man cutting off in front woman on 2, with LF pointed back. LF back, and both point away in PP. Repeat as desired. 7) Samefoot Lunge-NDCA ?? 8) Promenade Twist-NDCA - possibly the Natural Twist Turn 9) Pivot to Fallaway Lunge-NDCA ?? 10) Same foot Fans - ?? 11) Double Ronde - ?? 12) Shadow Open Left Turn - In shadow position, (see Shadow Rocks in Bronze), both partners dance the man's footwork for the Left Turn. 13) Pivots to Open Same Foot Lunge - ?? 14) Corte to Leg Hooks - woman flicks her legs around man's legs. This is as close to real (Argentine) Tango as it gets. 15) Promenade Flicks and Twist to Trap - ?? 16) Rock Turn to Turning Lock - ?? 17) Fallaway to Open Check - ?? 18) Corte and Walkaround-ISTD ?? 19) Rock and Ronde-ISTD - ?? 20) Continuous Ronde-ISTD ?? 21) Back Turning Rocks-ISTD ?? 22) Quick Change-ISTD ?? 23) Turning Rock to Same foot Lunge-ISTD ?? 24) Oversway - Identical to the Int. Tango Oversway "Gold" # Pivot Hesitation # Right Rocks with Fan # Grapevine to Chair # Whip to Chasse and Circle Walks # Syncopated Gaucho # Back Fans and Kicks # Parallel Rocks and Gaucho Lunge # Alternate Promenades to Chair # Double Lunge # Fallaway Locks and Flick