To fully understand how to do the following, you will need to understand the single elements of walking in Tango. Review them here:

This is a collection of ways to play with music and your partner while walking by initiating walking steps and then interupting them at different stages.

The names of the moves presented here are not generally established and are only used to structure the idea that there are different ways to interupt a step – to take it back or to continue it after the interuption. Don’t get hung up, if a teacher uses a different name or a name differently: Its not important how its called.

All variants can be done in a forward step, a backward step and a side step.

You will might notice, that for you doing it on one side is easier then on the other. Don’t give in to the temptation to only use the easier side while dancing (as I did). You will later regret being limited that way. Consiously train the other side as well.

Proyección cortado (cut projection)

You can interupt the step right after you initiated it by moving your chest a little foreward (and a little down). Now your free leg should be stretched out, but have no weight on it (zero). The followers free leg should also be stretched out with no weight. You stop for a moment (as long as the music makes it feel right) or not at all. Now you can pick up the foreward movement again or return to the initial position (by moving your upper body back and up). You can repeat a few times if the music invites you to.

More about the projection in general:

You can do a cut projection to go back into the inital closed position and do something different (e.g. weight change, or side step) or do the cut projection stop and then finish the walking step you interupted with it.

Traspié

You can interupt the step before you shift weight onto the free foot. The free leg should be stretched out, you tap the ground and create minimal stop (or even rebound) energy – this can be done either with the verse or the heel. Doing this, the foot will make contact with the ground but have no or very little weight on it (max 10%).

To the leader: The follower doesn’t see what your foot is doing. While you may tap with your foot, you still need to stop the movement with you chest and afterwards indicate with it, which direction to go on.

To the follwer: Be aware that the leader might interupt any step also at this stage. “Listen” attentively.

The followers free leg should also be stretched out and tap the ground with no to very little weight.

No pause here: You now pick up the movement right away again (or use the tap energy to return to the initial position).

The Traspié is usually introduced as a milonge technique, were you need to be able to make quick steps with the beat. But there is not reason not to use it in a tango to accentuate the beat.

More about the traspié:

You can do a traspie to go back into the inital position and do something different (e.g. weight change, or side step) [semantics: some would say, it’s not a traspie then] or do the traspie and then repeat and finish the walking step you interupted with the traspie [thats how its usually taught].

Rebote (aka rebound, rock step, Wiegeschritt)

While the traspie is done without real weight on the free foot, the rebote is done by pushing back from the leg that you just (started to) shift(ed) weight onto. A rebote is done from having the weight evenly distributed between both feet.

You can do a rebote to go back into the inital position and do something different (e.g. weight change, or side step) or do the rebote and then repeat and finish the walking step you interupted with the rebote.

Corte

A corte is danced by transfering all you weight to the front leg (pushing into the ground) and then pushing back from that leg.

  • [so far I havn’t found any videos for this]

Musicality

Extensions

Repeating: All variants can be done in a forward step, a backward step and a side step.

They can also be done in the 3rd line (passing) on both sides or even in turns (giros) – you can interrupt or take back most – if not all – movements you can lead in Tango. And most will allow you to do it at different points during that move – just like during the walking. But this requires more skills, great stability and attention from both dancers. Don’t try it as long as you can’t master the figure 100% and you don’t have a great axis.

Fluid open role approach: By giving the right amount and timing of counter-pressure it is also possible for the follower to initiate all this variations of walking (and beyond), if the leader is attentive and flexible enough. [Don’t try this with a leader only trained in the traditional tango roles and thinking].

Mehr:

Sammlung Tango-Unterrichts-Videos und Tango Tanz-Videos.