This is an overview of the recent programme of our classes. We are determined to keep it up-to-date until the end of the school year (if we forget, please remind us!). We will use it as a means to keep consistency in what we teach and drive meaningful progress. We are also offering it to our students for free as a reminder of what we did in the class. We hope you will also use it to revise and train in the practica!

Linda & Jakub, Prague 2024

Wednesday Intermediates / Spring 2024

“Knowing is not enough; we must apply. Willing is not enough; we must do.”

Goethe

January 10: Simple Sequences with Pivots

• Special guest: Veronika.
• Pivots as warm up.
• Salida Americana, 180° front pivot for the follower, exit to side-step together.
• Alternatively, exit to back-step for the leader and front step for the follower (on leader's right side).
• Ocho del salon.
• Next time repeat ocho del salon, dive in the technique and leading.

Note: Students expressed interest in milonga, vals and close embrace. We love these ideas!

January 17

• Ocho as warm up.
• Sequence from last time, leading, technique.
• Exercise for followers: make sufficient pivot for your forward step, whatever the direction.
• Side-step, salida americana, leading side-step for the follower around, exit in cross system: all in close embrace.

January 24

• Milonga as warm up.
• Sequence from last time repeated.
• Tips for improving the quality. To dance it is not enough, you have to dance it well.
• Instead of exit in forward step and cross, we did another exit: stop after the position exchange, lead a pivot, go into a parada, then a second parada on the other side.

January 31

• Special guest: Veronika.
• Pivots as warm up.
• Sequence from last time repeated.
• Correct dynamics between partners. Exercise for holding each other and using the centripetal force for a smooth turn.
• Later, when you have practised this enough, the gancho possibility opens in there.

February 7: Medio Giro

• Warm up with elastics, walk forward and back.
• A new sequence! Medio giro to right. Side-step to left, change for the leader, two steps forward, leading the side-step for the follower, pivot, exit to back and side.
• Rythm in medio giro, not going on the beat but the standard giro rythm.
• The same sequence in close embrace.

February 14

• Sequence from last time repeated (medio giro to right).
• We polished some of the technique in medio giro: transfer your weight over the heel before the pivot, pivot in axis and the use of dorsals, give space to the follower.
• Different entrances to the medio giro: from ocho, from side-step, from back-step.
• We connected the two sequences from a couple of classes in one fluent movement: medio giro, overturned pivot, salida americana and then leading the follower to the other side again and exit to cross.
• The whole connected sequence can be danced in close embrace as well!

February 21

• Warm up with elastics.
• New sequence: entrance cross system with partner on the left (same as last time), one step forward, one step to side in the same direction (ocho position), leading pivot and going around and repeat.
• A bit of technique of pivot, leading and stuff.
• Connected with last time: dancing either the new sequence or medio giro.

Next time milonga!

February 28: Milonga!

• Exercise for close embrace.
• The rhythm and groove of milonga.
• Simple milonga steps (forward outside, forward inside, left side-step, change).

March 6

• Special guests: Radka & Marek
• Simple milonga steps revised.
• Ocho cortado.
• Rebotes to side (left and right).

March 13

• We did pretty much the same as last time: simple milonga step again, ocho cortado, rebotes to side + a bit of impro.
• How to achieve the milonga groove (dance more with weight in between, step under you, do not expand in space).
• How to manage to do it all on time (tips and tricks, exercise with both slower and common milongas).

March 20

• The triangle.
• Traspie.

March 27

• Our last milonga class of this block!
• Revision of the learned concepts and final blessing from Linda.