If you have been dancing the Argentine tango for a while, you have probably been kicked in the leg by a partner who was trying to perform a gancho or a back sacada. Perhaps you were the one who kicked your partner. No judgements. We'll talk about how to prevent this in a moment.
I have attended workshops on back sacadas where the followers protected their shins by wrapping them with thick magazines. They knew that there was a high probability of being kicked in the leg. I have danced with men in classes, and I have been kicked so hard by poorly aimed back sacadas that I saw stars at the moment of impact.
Preventing Pain
How can this pain be prevented? Let's understand the cause in order to find a remedy.
Imagine that you are watching a couple dancing, and the follower kicks the leader in the lower leg as she attempts a gancho. If you could magically roll back time to just before the gancho was attempted and freeze the couple in that position, you would see their bodies were not in the proper position. The leg did not have a clear path. It was aimed at a bone instead of an open chamber of space.
In this magic scenario, if you could walk over to the frozen couple and adjust their body positions to create room for the gancho, you could "press play" again, and the gancho would work beautifully. No one would be injured.
Practice Carefully
The good news is that improving gancho and sacada technique does not require magic. It requires cooperation. At a practica, or in a practice room - not at a milonga - you and your partner can agree to practice your ganchos and sacadas carefully.
Step 1
Practice the gancho or sacada from a stationary position. Move to a quiet corner of the room where you don't block the flow of traffic. Do not try to dance your way into it, as you may not be ready. Line your bodies up, and when you're both ready, slowly, gently, try to movement. Perform the gancho or the sacada. Did you have enough space? If not, make adjustments and try again.
Step 2
When the movement feels really good, effortless, painless, and FUN, you are in the right place. At this point, capture a three-dimensional mental snapshot of your position with relation to your partner. This is your target. This is the "SWEET SPOT", the place where you want to be in your dance before you launch the sacada or the gancho.
- Where are the hips in relation to one another?
- Where are the torsos in relation to one another?
- Where are the thighs in relation to one another?
- Are the legs bent? How much?
- What modifications were required to the embrace if any? Does it feel comfortable?
If you can get yourself into this exact position, you'll be able perform the gancho or the back sacada safely with very little effort. But if the position feels even a little bit off, don't attempt the movement. You don't want to run the risk of hurting your partner.
Step 3
Dance with your partner and try to get the sweet spot. Agree in advance that you or they will NOT attempt the gancho or the sacada. Just practice getting to the right spot. Do this several times over the course of several songs. Repetition will crystalize the position in your memory. This will help you to build confidence and know that you can get to the position whenever you want to.
Step 4
Dance your way into the position, and let the movement fly. Do this carefully at first. You don't get extra points for the ferocity of the movement. Focus on getting to the right positions first. The ability to get into the right position is more important than executing the movement. Be controlled. Be aware of your partner's position. And always know that you have the right to put the brakes on the movement if it doesn't feel right. It's better to abandon the attempt than to take a chance of hurting someone.
An Effective Approch To Practicing
You can use this same careful, deliberate approach to anything that you would like to improve in your tango technique or any other dance or discipline that you are studying.
- Analyze the problem out of time. Don't try to fix it "on the fly" or expect that it will just magically get better over time.
- Start by determining the ideal body relationship for the movement that you want to perform. (Your teachers can help you with this.)
- Memorize the position of the bodies and practice getting to that point until you can do so comfortably and reliably.
- Get into the right position and try to execute the movement carefully.
- As you build confidence in your technique, try to go get into this position from multiple approaches.
- When the technique is comfortable, mix it with other movements in creative ways.
¡Buena suerte amigos, y muchas gracias!
Daniel
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