ISTD Waltz Syllabus: descriptions, step by step diagrams, videos

There has been a lot of updates on the website! For the International Waltz Newcomer and Bronze Syllabus figures listed below, in addition to timing, step by step descriptions, alignment, footwork, technique notes, we've also added step-by-step diagrams, including all the official variations, preceding and following figures and instructional videos that demonstrated the patterns.

Newcomer level:

1. Closed Changes
2. Natural Turn
3. Reverse Turn
4. Natural Spin Turn
5. Whisk
6. Chasse from Promenade Position

Bronze level:

1. Closed Impetus
2. Hesitation Change
3. Outside Change
4. Reverse Corté
5. Back Whisk
6. Basic Weave
7. Double Reverse Spin
8. Reverse Pivot
9. Back Lock
10. Progressive Chassé to R

Happy Dancing!

Tango Technique

Tango Silver practice routine:

1. Walk  (S) starting Man DW
2. Walk  (S)
3. Progressive Link  (QQ) ending traveling DC
4. Promenade Link  (SQQ)
5. Open Reverse Turn, Lady Outside  (QQS QQS) Open Finish
6. Four Step  (QQQQ) ending traveling DC in PP on new LOD
7. Open Promenade  (SQQS)
8. Outside Swivel  (SQQ)
9. Progressive Side Step Reverse Turn  (QQSS QQS QQS)
10. Progressive Link  (QQ)
11. Natural Promenade Turn  (S QQS)
12. Rock Turn  (QQS QQS) 2-7 Closed Finish
13. Progressive Link  (QQ)
14. Natural Twist Turn  (S QQS QQ) underturned, ending traveling on new LOD
15. Promenade Link  (SQQ)
16. Open Reverse Turn, Lady Outside  (QQS QQS)
17. Progressive Link  (QQ) toward corner
18. Back Open Promenade  (SQQS)

A couple of technique points on Tango:

• On Progressive link: Man: step diagonally forward with left foot, pushing follower's right leg out of the way. step 1 is very strong CBMP. Man should turn his frame when his weight is on his left foot, then put down right foot under shoulder, in promenade position.
• On Promenade link: when in PP, lady has to stay behind Man. on second step, when Lady steps LF forward and across in CBMP, it needs to stay behind Man, so after turning to face Man, the left leg can be in the right position.
• On Four Step: The first part is like Open Reverse Turn, it ends with Lady's LF closes to RF, but slightly back to give room for Man), in PP. This is different from the ending position in Progressive Link (where LF steps to the side.)
• On Open promenade, when this is followed by Outside Swivel, as Lady is quickly back into closed position, the Lady can keep her head position in Open Promenade all the way through Outside Swivel.
• Both Man and Lay should pay close attention to correct footwork and alignment.

History of Tango

Some interesting pages on the history of Tango.

Newcomer class on Tango

Progressive Link

The man steps forward in CBM. He steps beneath the lady. There is the effect of a windup before the second step. When he takes the second step, it is to the side of the left foot. This step release the tension of the CBM of the last step. 

Closed Promenade

Man's first step needs to be side, not forward, i.e., he does not turn his left foot out to point the direction he is stepping. The ladies were tending to step away from the man as they performed the figure. The lady, in promenade, should always step forward toward the man. She should always stay connected. 

Tango Frame

The book says that the man's right hand should reach to the lady's spine. Our instructor said that Man should place his hand so that his thumb touches the bottom of the lady's shoulder blade. The main point is that the point of the man's elbow should be in the crook of the lady's elbow. The lady's elbow should extend the man's frame. In the context of the Promenade close, the instructor said that the lady should stick to the man's right side at all times. If she ever loses contact with his right side, she has no lead.

Bronze Tango Class

Choreography and technique pages have been updated on the web site.

Posture

As we have heard before, elongate the body between the hips and the ribs in the front. Man also extends through his right side. The knees are soft, but the torso is elongated. While the lady does look left, the man does not. He extends his right side, in order to shape to the left, but his head always faces the same way as his spine. He also has a "strong" left side, to keep the lady to his right.

Footwork

Slow steps are "stalking" steps, and quick steps are "attacking". The slow steps should take the length of the beat to complete. If you are saying the time aloud, you begin the step when you say "slow", but don't change weight until after you have said it. Otherwise, you will have stepped, and then have to weight for the beat to complete before the next step, so it just looks like a quick with a hesitation. The other way of counting it out would be to used numbers, e.g., "1, 2, 3, 4". If the first step is slow, start the step on 1, but don't land and change weight until 2.

Left Foot Rock

Maintain the body position, rotate only on the man's back steps.

Outside Reverse Turn, Lady Inside

For the lady, this is the Tango equivalent of a heel turn on the first two steps.

• All heel turns are characterized by early rise. On step 1, the man uses body rise at the end of the step to signal that a heel turn is coming. The rise should induce the lady to straighten her knees, which in turns signals her to bring her feet together.
• The man steps across the lady on step 2. In contrast to the outside partner version, where step 2 is oriented BDW, this step should end backing LOD.
• The man keeps his weight forward on step 2. When he places his right foot, it should be on the ball of the foot. If the man were to stop on step 2, he would be pushing off the ball of his right foot. If his weight carries too much too quickly to his heel, he will pull the lady off her balance, and prevent her from executing the heel turn.
• The man stays on his side (the left) on step 2, lest he knock the lady over on his right.
• The lady keeps her head left and back on steps 1 and 2. If she does not, she will not be able to bring the feet together beneath her on step 2, she will need to step to the side to maintain balance.
• In contrast to the swing dances, the lady does not drag her left heel, she places it. That means that at the end of step 2, her feet will be turned out, the right foot pointing DW, and the left foot facing LOD

Newcomer lesson on Tango

Nothing new in terms of technique that hasn't been seen here before, but sometimes it's worth repeating till it gets down into the body.

• Man's body is turned 1/8 to left relative to hips and feet in closed position.
• Lady positions head so that she is looking out over her left elbow.
• Man positions head so he is looking at his left hand.
• Walks should be distinct from side steps. In a progressive side step, man's right foot is placed directly to side of left foot, relative to foot's orientation. Instructor said that directions in The Ballroom Technique, (RF to side and slightly back) refer to feeling more than to foot placement.
• When stepping backwards, step is initiated by standing knee moving forward (bending) and hips moving back. Body moves before feet.

Practice Routine:

1. Two walks (SS)
   
2. Progressive side step (QQS)
3. Rock Turn (SQQSQQS)
   

Bronze Tango Practice Routine

Tango Practice Routine:

1. Walk  (S) start DC
2. Walk  (S)
3. Open Reverse Turn, Lady Outside  (QQS QQS)
4. LF Rock  (QQS)
5. Open Finish  (QQS) ending BDC
6. Back Corte  (S QQS) ending DW
7. Walk  (S)
8. Walk  (S)
9. Progressive Link  (QQ)

Standard Dance, Tango, Rumba

Standard dances:

• For the man, compress knees more to make it easier when partner is much shorter.
• For the lady, do not think about tilting head back, just keep it straight, shift it over to the left a bit, so that head is not above sternum.

In Rumba,

• New Yorker: A check is how we change direction from forwards to backward. On the check, the back foot is kept in place, the weight is split. Rather than an abrupt stop and reverse of direction, it is a circular redirection of momentum.
• In the standard check, step on 2, check on &. The standard check is more difficult, and correct execution shows better control. 
• In the syncopated check, the check happens immediately with the step.
• On the Hand to Hand, however, the weight is fully committed to the back leg, since it is much easier to change direction from back to forwards than forwards to back.

The slow steps have three possible timings in Tango. The step takes two beats.

1. Step on 1, hold on two. For example, stepping with the left foot in a Tango walk, the left foot steps on 1, and the right foot comes under the body with out weight. This timing is used for walks.
2. Hold on the 1, and step on 2. This is the timing for closes.
3. Step on 2, with the moving foot movings smoothly through the whole step, like in the waltz or foxtrot.

Make use of this idea of breaking down the beat into fractions for sharpening slow steps in Rumba and Cha Cha as well.

More on Tango Technique

• Feet are placed. It means one will often have his/her feet turned in when placing a foot.
• 90 degree rule. When I place my feet, I should never place a foot so that they are turned out more than 90 degrees. It is OK to turn them in more than that, though.
• In the manual, in the Back Corté, the first step has the left side leading. That is not how any competition dancers perform it, they always take that step in CBMP, winding it up a bit.
• On the reverse turn, on steps 3 and 4, the shoulders stop rotating, giving the hips a chance to catch up. It was described as a hover in the orientation of the frame. When reverse turn is preceded by another reverse turning figure with many quick steps, some dancers even reverse the rotation of the shoulders a little on this step, to slow down enough for the close at the end of the pattern.
• There was some discussion of how the trailing foot is lifted on the Back Corté. Mirko Gozzoli lifts the heel and then the toe last. Marcus Hilton lifts the whole foot. But Mirko, and contemporary dancers, take much longer steps than Marcus did.

Tango Technique for Ladies

Tango (for the ladies):

• Step 1 on progressive link: CBM is very important, don't worry too much about crossing the line (the book says "on the line"). If there is not enough CBM, lady's R leg is going to block Man's leg.
• Step 1 on tango walk: CBM
• Step 2 on tango walk: keep wider two tracks, to leave room for Man's R leg to step forward. Same for LF steps in rock turn. The position feels awkward, but that is correct.
  

The hold, how to create volume (for general standard dances):

• Left curve: really need to curve more to left, don't lift R hip much (maybe a little bit), squeeze R side, extend L side to make shoulders level with Man. Head extend the curve to left, 45' degrees.
• Frontal curve: slightly bend legs forward, don't bend back the neck, flex the upper back backward, head goes with it. keep middle frame straight and connected with Man.
• Nothing that you do to create volume should disturb the center alignment. Man and Lady's center move together (L, R, up, down, forward, back).
  

Tango Technique

• When man closes, he should close feet together, ball of right foot even with arch of left foot.

• Progressive Link: when man steps on left foot, he should turn his frame when his weight is on his left foot, then put down right foot under shoulder, in promenade position.
  

• Head should always be at the same level. Some people have a tendency to lower on awalk, and then rise back up on the side step on the progressive link, which causes the right side to go up relative to left side.
  

• Turning frame on progressive link should be quick and short.

Tango Technique

International Standard Tango section of the web site has gone through some major updates including Tango Technique, as well as pages for syllabus figures.