Hi everyone!

Has anybody ever heard of a walz step in a Standard Tango? You alternate between crosses and closes whilst making 1/4 turns. It goes like this (on a 3 count):

[1] RF back
[2] LF side
[3] RF cross LF front
[1] LF back
[2] RF side
[3] LF close RF

(repeat 4x)

It's so unlogical to do in the middle of a Tango. Thought I'd check and see if anybody's familiar with this ...

Tx,
Dutchie

I believe that you are probably talking about the viennese cross, which is actually often used in tango. I remember the first time I did a viennese cross in tango, I was soooo confused, and then my teacehr explained that its pretty normal. Now I see them all the time in steps lke the advanced drag and so on. Don't worry, it's not some unheard of tribal dance step or anything, it's perfectly normal.

No, the listed steps do not compose a viennese cross, unless they have been incorrectly transcribed.

Viennese cross forward:

forward L, side R, cross L in front

Viennese cross backward:

backward R, side L, close R.

This could also be a confused attempt at something like fleckerels.

Thanks Tangoteen, that sounds like the one! But they're pretty annoying to do, I tell ya...

Anonymous, the steps I described are how they are being taught to us here in Europe. Indeed, we alternate between crosses and closes... but maybe that's a European variation.

Thanks for both your help.

I believe that Argentine Tango is sometimes done to 3/4 time music, probably with some kind of change of the step pattern; I'm not sure of this, but I think I saw it somewhere.....

Jerry

Yes, Argetine has a tango waltz.

OB

Dutchie, this sounds like something I just heard from a world champion coach who visited our studio. It is almost like a Mambo step but it rotates left.
Quick quick slow, Quick Quick slow, mabo basic forward, and mambo basic again in counter promenade. It does seem odd but makes sense once you practice it a few times.

Just came from a workshop taught by Alexander Cherdantsev.

He had us doing very flat Viennese as a lead in to a staccato exercise doing the 5 step.

Basically, first 4 steps of Viennese the same as the first 4 steps of the 5 step.

Needless to say this was an exercise focusing on the staccato element and not the exact same steps as would be danced in the 5 step when dancing.

OB

OB

Foot patterns do not a dance make.

Tango is Tango because of the quality of movement; The dramatic, staccato actions, the lack of swing & body flight, the dance position, and even the facial expressions. These are the things that work together to characterize the dance. It hardly matters what foot goes in what direction.

Arthur Murray made a fortune on the concept of the "inter-related system", showing that a simple box step can be characterized in many different ways. Depending on how you dance it, you can have a Waltz, Foxtrot, Rumba or even a Samba. The same goes for the Cross Turn you mentioned, which has been seen in some form in almost every dance, Standard or Latin, American or International style. It's even considered a fundamental syllabus figure in Viennese Waltz, Tango and (yes!) Samba, and has been for years. Many American style syllabi also have it in Waltz and Foxtrot.

The moral of the story: Concentrate less on what step you're doing, and more on how you're doing it, and you will eventually start to make sense of the key elements that characterize a dance.

Regards,
Jonathan Atkinson