Embellishments can happen for both leaders and followers and it’s important that you start your embellishment when your partner is more likely to be aware of them. Why? So he or she can accommodate and even dance along with them! Like with many things in tango, it’s more fun when you create a feeling that both you and your partner can enjoy, as opposed to a feeling only you can enjoy.
So here’s the idea:
- All your steps are weight transfers from one leg to the other. There is a moment where you’re on one leg (the “standing leg”), then on two legs (during the transition), and then onto one leg again (the new standing leg).
- Embellishments usually happen on the free leg, naturally.
- And if you want to embellish…it’s best if you START (or generate energy/force/feeling for) your embellishment when you are on two legs. This way your partner can be aware of the embellishment before it happens!
The reason why I believe in this is because your body is most grounded and most clear to your partner when you are on two legs. By channeling energy throughout your entire body during this 2-legged moment, your partner will be more aware of what your soon-to-be free leg will do.
The less ideal method (IMO) would be to embellish only right when your free leg becomes free. Why? Because your partner had no idea you were going to do anything, and then the moment one of your legs became free, it did it’s own thing and kind of distracted from the dance.
I secretly think CONNECTED embellishments are done with the entire body and not just the free leg. At the very least, your connected embellishment is a joined effort using BOTH of your legs. So the standing leg is as much a part of the embellishment as the free leg. If anything, the standing leg plays a bigger role in the embellishment because it’s the engine of the movement and the free leg is simply the final expression.
And again…this is only one way of looking at embellishments. Not all embellishments should be done this way.