25 hours in a day

You’ve probably heard it again and again.

“Delay the free leg”.

And you probably think, ” I know. I am”.

I’ve been conducting my lessons over the past two weeks, asking ladies to specifically focus on this aspect of their technique. But this time rather than incorporating it into every other point of focus – it was the sole focus. In other words, I asked them to not even consider the leg which initiates each step. It will happen naturally, so give it no thought. It cannot be that you will not take that step.

That leaves us in the delicious position of quite literally, and exclusively, relishing the caress of the following leg. Delighting in the delay. Feeling quite feline.

An amazing thing happens. A seismic shift in our perception of time. Christian is always saying in classes, “Time and space shifts” when you have the correct technique. He is talking about creating such elasticity in the step, that the time taken to take each step seems to stretch, and in his words, “The dance changes from a fast dance to a slow dance”.

If you try this exercise with the utmost of concentration, I guarantee it will change your understanding and experience of the dance forever. I know this because, as we finished practicing the basic I heard audible gasps, sighs and exclamations of wonder.

Prepare for a revelation.

For today’s exercise, try to observe simply the free leg, the delay, the caress that follows. After that, come to class. Epiphanies welcome.

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Tags: basic step, centered, dance, dance tango, exercise, exercises, follow, free leg, happiness, la camminada, lead, meditation, now, precision, presence, tango, technique, the present, walking, you tube