84  Variations of "La Calesita"

Date: Thu, 12 Jul 2001 12:48:44 -0700
From: Sergio <sergio@NCINTER.NET>
Subject: Variations of "La Calesita"

Steve from Tejas wrote in reference to "variations of la calesita":
"One option is to lead the woman in what I think some call a solendeo. The
woman's upper body is led in a gentle rhythmic rotating motion that..."

I think that Steve refers to "Meneo", the lady is in the position as
described (on her right foot, left foot in an embellishment position such as
locked behind or in "T" the inner part of her left foot applied against the
heel of the right one which is off the floor) then there is an oscillating
motion, back and forth, to the left, to the right, and repeat, the motion is
rhythmic, just a small oscillation which is lead by the upper chest.

This figure and the second described by Steve use meneo, they are also
called by some dancers as "seduccion" (seduction).

The second one, the lady with the left leg extended can be finished with a
gancho. She has the left leg extended, she draws a circle sector on the
floor as she oscillates back and forth, She goes with her leg right, left,
and repeats. The last one when she is coming to her left the man leads a
little stronger so that she will hook her left leg around the man's right,
then folows a boleo. cross front, etc. This is not the typical gancho where
the lady hooks with her leg back here she hooks forward.

As to leading the calesita I think that by now everyone agrees that all that
is needed is to place the woman on her right foot(#2 of the base)keep her
there on her axis and start rotating, the man walking backwards, the lady is
on her right foot ( on the ball of the foot,the heel is off the floor) the
ending could vary, stop, boleo amague, cross front for instance. Or stop and
walk forward (step #3 of the base) or stop and walk backward with right (#1
of the base), etc.

As to the bridge there is no problem if done by dancers that know the move.
He brings her to his chest and in some way he walks backwards as she stays
in the spot. I say in some way because some people will just step back but
others like Gavito will lead back ochos as he does back ochos at the same
time all with object of becoming apart, this last variation is more
difficult.

Once the lady is in the bridge, apilado position. She could be pushed,
pulled or rotated as if she was a stiff board .

These last moves should be practiced with advanced followers, who are
healthy and better if they are not too heavy; a shiny somewhat slippery
floor helps the pushing part a lot.

We have discussed the backward Calesita what about the forward calesita?

Lots of "meneos", "seduction" and "calesitas. :0)

Date: Fri, 13 Jul 2001 00:31:09 -0700
From: Mark Sussex <doktordogg@YAHOO.COM>
Subject: Re: Variations of "La Calesita"

--- Sergio <sergio@NCINTER.NET> wrote:

> We have discussed the backward Calesita what about
> the forward calesita?

Can we just drop it? I SUCK SO BAD at that! YUCK!

I haven't had even a hint of success at that one.

Mark

P.S. I love those variations. The seduction is
charming. I recommend using the name as a mantra
while doing it. Yayyyy

Date: Fri, 13 Jul 2001 09:55:02 -0500
From: Stephen Brown <Stephen.P.Brown@DAL.FRB.ORG>
Subject: Re: Variations of "La Calesita"

Sergio wrote:

>We have discussed the backward Calesita what about
>the forward calesita?

Mark replied

>I haven't had even a hint of success at that one.

How about trying a somewhat different forward calesita? It is a little bit
easier and more interesting.

To enter lead the woman in a back ocho. After she rotates on her left foot
and steps back with her right, displace her left leg into the air, and at
the same time give her an indication to keep her weight on her right leg
and foot (as we have been discussing). In response to the displacement,
she will lift her left foot into a position that forms a triangle with two
sides provided by her left leg and one side provided by her right.

Note: She needs to learn this movement, which is a normal embellishment.
Our displacement lifts her leg, but she must learn to make the displacement
look good by lining her left foot up with her right leg.

If we do not begin the forward calesita at this point and give her the
space to lower her left leg, she would normally slide her foot down along
her leg to complete the embellishment.

If instead of letting her lower her foot, we begin walking forward slightly
maintaing the pressure of the displacement, that will prevent her from
lowering her left leg and we have a foward calesita. End by giving her the
space to lower her leg.

--Steve de Tejas









Mark Sussex
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07/13/01 02:31
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Please respond
to Mark Sussex







P.S. I love those variations. The seduction is
charming. I recommend using the name as a mantra
while doing it. Yayyyy

Date: Fri, 13 Jul 2001 08:50:28 -0700
From: JC Dill <tango@VO.CNCHOST.COM>
Subject: Re: Variations of "La Calesita"

On 07:55 AM 7/13/01, Stephen Brown wrote:
>Sergio wrote:
>>We have discussed the backward Calesita what about
>>the forward calesita?
>
>Mark replied
>
>>I haven't had even a hint of success at that one.
>
>How about trying a somewhat different forward calesita? It is a little bit
>easier and more interesting.
>
>To enter lead the woman in a back ocho. After she rotates on her left foot
>and steps back with her right, displace her left leg into the air,

This movement (without the embellishment) can also be led without
displacing her left leg, merely by not leading her to step further after
she has stepped back on her right leg and you have moved her weight enough
that she starts to step back with her left. Place her on her right leg,
and then leave her there by merely not leading her to step off of it as you
move. (My partner quickly learned how to do this when I complained that my
right foot was getting hot and sore from all the pivoting over and over and
over (on that one foot only) when we were practicing this movement at a
practicita after learning it earlier in class.)

If you can lead "reverse crosses" from the walk (which can be led when
walking to the right of the follower), you can also lead this by simply
leading a reverse cross (where she crosses her right leg in front of her
left) and then, again, not leading her to step. This usually requires that
you be the type of leader who actually leads the cross every time, where
you can lead the follower to cross or not cross with *either* leg when you
are walking.

jc

Date: Fri, 13 Jul 2001 14:53:50 -0700
From: Mark Sussex <doktordogg@YAHOO.COM>
Subject: Re: Variations of "La Calesita"

--- Stephen Brown <Stephen.P.Brown@DAL.FRB.ORG> wrote:

> displace her left leg
> into the air, and at
> the same time give her an indication to keep her
> weight on her right leg
> and foot (as we have been discussing). In response
> to the displacement,
> she will lift her left foot into a position that
> forms a triangle with two
> sides provided by her left leg and one side provided
> by her right.

Sounds pretty cool, uh... do I have enough legs to do
that? I think I'm supposed to have two... wait a
minute... yup, cool.

That position sounds like it could resemble a
ballerina's coupe position. Is that right? How did I
lead that? I'm stepping onto my right, so how do I
displace? Am I simply walking forward into her left
leg?

Thanks for the variations. I need to add a few hours
to the day in order to try out these cool ideas.

Mark