Quick notes on aesthetic from this tricky one-legged position. Do it right and you look strong!
Feet, knees, hips, back, chest, arms, and head! Hahaha…everything!
Postural tips during pasadas
- Hips over the standing leg – weight distributed over the middle of the foot. If you’re doing one of those flow-ey pasadas, then your weight may transfer to the front of the foot.
- Feet and knees collected – don’t have one of those situations where both your knees and feet are pointing in different directions, or worse—there’s a giant flare out with a big hole in between your legs like you’re straddling a horse. Try to have both knees and feet pointing in the same direction but with the free leg/foot more turned out. This is the best look and balance this way. Your knees might have space from back to front but not between each other. One big tip is that the free knee doesn’t have to be so stiff and straight as you think, relax it a little!
- Hips straight – don’t stick out your butt (looks bad), and also don’t under tuck (decreases balance).
- Torso upright, strong chest – your torso is upright and looks strong. Your chest is not caved in at the front or back. Look masculine. It’s common to be leaning forward and caving in the chest or sticking out the chest in order to “connect” with the follower. This fix for this is to be closer in the first place so you don’t have to be pulled forward off balance.
- Circular arms – left arm should be as far out to your left side as your follower’s right arm can reach. The right arm should be around the follower’s torso (almost touching her right breast as she spins freely inside your right arm). Common problems are either the left hand is too forward (hindering the follower’s turn) or too backwards behind you (pulling the follower off balance, and looking bad), or the right hand is on her spine (potentially hindering her pivot, drop elbow or not providing enough “surrounding” support, or just not looking as “close embrace” as it could be.