Going from the SIDE-STEP to the BACK-STEP during the mollinete is the biggest son-of-a-gun step in tango for followers and also for leaders. The follower has to pivot AND step behind her WHILE moving constantly around the leader. It’s a lot of work. She has to aim her foot perfectly while still moving her body and it’s hard to keep the embrace together. It’s the most common place of discomfort during turns and takes the fun out of mollinetes for both parties.
Typical problems for the leader?
- Not enough continuous lead to bring her around.
- Not enough clarity in the spacing to aim her foot.
- Not enough clarity in the timing for her to hit the beat.
Typical problems for the follower?
- Stopping the continuous movement of going around so that she can pivot.
- Over-pivoting or under-pivoting with the LOWER body.
- Over-pivoting or under-pivoting with the UPPER body.
My tips for leaders:
- Keep your right hand on the follower’s back at all times, don’t release too much or she’ll go far or lose your lead.
- Start turning the follower’s upper body right as her trail leg collects during her side step.
- The follower’s upper body only needs to turn about 90 degrees tops. No more, no less.
- The follower’s back-step should stick out from the back of her ribs, not directly behind her. (Her upper torso has to face you, remember?)
- Make sure her upper body moves as well during her back-step. Don’t let her upper body stay still with only her back leg sticking out.
My tips for followers:
- Arrive stacked on your new standing leg right after the side-step. (Don’t rush into the back-step.)
- As your upper body arrives over the new standing leg, turn your upper torso only a little bit. (90 degrees instead of 180 degrees.)
- Your standing foot should only pivot around 90-135 degrees depending on your hip flexibility. (Don’t turn any more than this.)
- Your free leg should stick out not directly behind you but to the side. This way you’re stepping around the leader instead of away from him.
- While you were pivoting and sticking out the free leg, your standing leg should have been pushing off the ground so that your upper body keeps moving around the leader. The common problem is to hold the upper body in place while the back leg pivots around.