Tango Notes

Front Ocho

[If you already know about front ochos, skip to the video section to see variations.]

Introduction to Front Ocho

The Front Ocho (forward ocho or ocho adelante) is a fundamental tango move and is taught in the first lessons to beginners. The name “ocho”, Spanish for “eight”, comes from the figure-eight that the follower’s footwork left in the dirt floors of the early tango bars (you can verify this on beach sand).   The Front Ocho has opportunities for follower embellishments and leader footwork variations.  It also leads into many great tango moves.

Look at this if you don’t know what a front ocho is.

If you don’t know anything about Front Ochos, take a look at this video:

  • [Video PA12] How to Do the Forward Ocho 6:23 by Pablo & Anne (Tango Space). Forward Ocho from side step. Good introduction, but a little too wordy. 

Front Ocho Videos

Starting from side step

Starting from Cruzada

  • [Video HC08] How to Do the Front Ocho | Argentine Tango 3:36 Apr 21 2012 Howcast’s Diego Blanco and Ana Padrón show a standard front ocho from cruzada (#5 in the Basic Eight) with the leader doing side touches.
  • [Video DC01] Beginner Tango Lesson #3, Front Ochos 1:50 By Dance Conmigo.  Front ocho from cruzada with side touches.  Refreshing in its brevity.
  • [Video LA30] Tango 201: El Ocho 2:40 demo by LA Tango. Front Ocho from cruzada followed by parada pasada.
  • [Video DA03]  3a The Front Ocho (Ocho Adelante) 4:25 by Dario and Claire.  From the Cross.  The leader’s footwork is to extend the right leg and keep it extended, but not put much weight on it.  Due to copyright violations, the music from this video has been removed.
  • [Video GG01] Ladies Forward Ocho 6:11 By Greg Gillespie. This starts from the cross (step #5 in the Basic Eight). However, the leader steps back with the left (not the right is in many basic front ocho videos), leading the follower into two front ochos, and finishing with the common tango resolution (#6, #7, #8 in the Basic Eight). The leader stepping back with the left is not uncommon and there are other ways to follow that up, not just the example in this video. There is good advice about common mistakes beginners make. The unidentified partner may be a good ballroom dancer, but not an Argentine tango dancer. This is easy to see by the way she leans back and far from her partner, as in ballroom, and not close forward, as in argentine tango.  Her gaze is directed to the open hand hold, which is used in some older styles of tango which use a V embrace.  This video shows clearly what the follower’s posture should NOT be for “standard” argentine tango. 

Videos Showing Follower Technique and Embellishments

These videos discuss details that will be appreciated by intermediate dancers.

Other Videos

Steps in the Front Ocho

The Front Ocho consists of a front cross step (follower steps across the line between the partners), followed by a half-turn pivot to repeat a front cross with the other foot in the opposite direction.  The leader is usually doing side touches.

Entry –  A front ocho can be initiated from almost anywhere, but there are two common starting points for beginners.  Teachers differ in which they teach first, but my experience is that starting from the side step is easier for students.

  • From the open side step as in #2 in the Basic Eight.
  • From Cruzada (the Cross, step #5 in the Basic Eight). 

Exit –  There are many ways to exit the front ocho. If you are just beginning, the easiest is to pivot a quarter turn (in place of the half turn) so the follower is facing the leader.

  • If this is on the open side the follower’s right foot will be free. The leader could shift to their right foot so they can then step forward on their left, eg to go to a typical tango resolution (step #6 in the Basic Eight).
  • If the quarter pivot is on the closed side, the follower’s left foot will be free. The leader could shift their weight onto their left so that they may step back with their right (step #1 of the Basic Eight).

Technique

Front Ocho Follower Technique

  • Dance on one level.  Dance smoothly, keeping on one level. Do not bob up and down. To do this keep your knees soft throughout the movement.
  • Pivot with legs together. Followers should keep their feet and legs together as they pivot. After stepping with the working leg, which pivots, the free foot should immediately be brought next to the working leg.   As dancers get better, they may make other choices.
  • Dissociate to keep chests facing each other. Follower dissociates to keep chest somewhat toward the leader.  If the leader moves back and forth with the follower, as is most common, the leader will be dissociating much less.
  • Follow only what is led. The follower must wait for the lead. If nothing is led, the follower should wait and do nothing. Beginning followers get into the rhythm of front ochos and often want to keep going. Resist this urge.

Front Ocho Leader Technique

  • Dance on one level. Dance smoothly, keeping on one level. Do not bob up and down. To do this keep your knees soft throughout the movement. This is the same advice as for the follower.
  • Chest, not arms. The leader should think about leading primarily by turning the chest slightly and the arms will follow. Don’t overturn the chest.
  • Leader must lead every ocho, don’t just assume the follower will continue doing ochos.  Altho we practice by repeating ochos, when dancing it would be unusual to do more than three in a row.
  • Don’t rush the follower.
  • Dissociate to keep chest facing follower.
  • Axis.  Allow the follower to stay on their axis.

Flow Diagrams

Front Ocho Flow Diagram – This shows steps that often follow a front ocho.   To make use of these diagrams you should be familiar with Compact Tango Notation and the Flow Diagram Guide.

There is a less detailed overview of moves that can follow front and back ochos: Flow From Front and Back Cross (Ocho) – Overview

Front Ocho Lesson 1 for beginners

[Need to distinguish between starting from side step versus starting from Cruzada.]

  • Discuss and show the Front Ocho as a combination of a Front Cross and a Pivot.
  • Where to start the front ocho
    • Crossing in front: From #2X, #2
  • Leader Technique
    • No bobbing up and down.
    • Don’t do too much.  Light lead from chest. No truck driving (using the arms excessively to turn the woman).
    • Leader footwork: Use side touches.
    • Don’t rush the partner.
    • Use side touch steps.
  • FollowerTechnique
    • No bobbing up and down.
    • Follower’s knees should be soft.
    • Follower’s free leg, knees, ankles should be close.  How close should the free foot be?  It’s a style issue: some bring their ankles together immediately.   Others trail the free foot, turning the upper body first, then hips, then legs and feet.
    • Follower: Generally make larger rather than smaller steps, but of course be guided by what the leader is leading. Longer steps look better and offer sacada possibilities, but don’t make them so large they affect balance.
    • Follower: Only ocho if there’s a lead.  Don’t go on automatic.
  • Where to go with Front Ocho
    • Review: Facing on open side.  Permits spiral cruzada.
    • Review: Facing on closed side.
  • Added back ochos
    • Stop and reverse from both front and back ochos.

Front Ocho Lesson 2

Review

  • Review: From side step: From #2, Quarter turn to face, Stopping and reversing between forward and backward ochos.

Where to start the front ocho

  • From Cruzada & WL back rock.

Leader footwork and leading: 

  • Review: Side touches.
  • Back on left or right to turn couple.
  • Rock fwd and back on side ochos.

Where to go from the front ocho

  • Parada on pivot.
  • Americana [Move FC12]
  • Sailor
  • Sacada

Common Mistakes

  • Follower: Should not look in direction of forward step, but more toward their partner. 
  • Leader: Give space and especially time for the follower to complete the forward ocho on their axis.
  • Follower: Don’t sink down to get power in the pivot of the forward ocho.  Unless the leader sinks down, otherwise the connection is broken.
  • See [Video PA05] above..

Leader Footwork

The front ocho is usually taught with the leader moving feet side to side.   While this is easy for both the leader and follower, there are many other possibilities.

Side-to-side. Leader does side touches to move with follower [Move FC14]

  • Leader steps from side to side, touching free foot to standing foot.
    • Styling: With free foot toe touch behind or tap next to standing foot.

Counter side-to-side [Move FC07]

  • Counter movement side to side (ie in parallel system).  Keep chest facing W and step slightly around to keep a good connection.

Leader stands with wide stance (ugly if not done for good reason) [Move ????]

  • Wide stance with weight shift but no foot movement.  Good to start boleo, but ungainly if distance is too great.
    • Wide stance with weight shift but no foot movement.
    • Counter movement with wide stance and weight shift.
  • Weight on one foot, eg ML.  From Cruzada lead forward ocho and extend leader’s right foot but put little weight on it as follower ochos back and forth.

Feet together.  Leader stands with feet together using dissociation [Move FC19]

  • Feet together with follower circling around to pivot on alternating sides.  Follower must be led to stay close and step around leader.  Because it isn’t easy for the leader to give an indication of the step size, follower tends to make small steps. With very large steps the follower can be hip-to-hip on each side of the leader.
  • Stay planted on left foot while follower ochos.

Forward and back.  Leader shifts forward and back with follower on closed side [Move ????]

  • Often starts from Cross (5).  M can step back on either ML or MR.
  • M shifts weight back on ML and forward on MR as W ochos on closed side.
  • As above but with MR back and ML forward.  M can rotate +90 to transition to classic W ochoing in front.
  • Styling: As with above either way but steps and free foot taps behind or front boleo.

Underturned front ochos. Leader walking backward [Move FC06]

  • M Walks back with underturned front ochos. Only good for a couple of steps. Can easily turn to walk forward (cross or parallel) by letting W pass by and turning 180.

Overturned front ochos.  Leader walks forward with optional Sacadas

  • M Walks forward with overturned front ochos.
    • Diagonal sacadas: [Move Sac16] Sacada (ML, WL) then Sacada(MR, WR) walking forward with overturned ochos.  Difficult because M has to pivot more, but probably more interesting because of M’s pivot that is required on each step.
    • Across sacadas: [Move Sac20] Sacada (MR, WL) then Sacada(ML, WR) walking forward with overturned ochos.  

Leader Asymmetric causing couple to turn

  • [Move FC16]  Asymmetric. ML back cross as WR front cross.  Stand as WL front cross.  Repeat. Results in turn.  Can be done symmetrically.  
  • [Move FC08]  Asymmetric. ML side as WR front cross.  Stand as WL front cross.  Repeat. Results in turn.  Can be done symmetrically.

[Move FC18] M back ochos as W front ochos.

[Move ????] M QQ–pivot style of back ochos as W front ochos.

Leader double time forward and back [Move FC17]

  • In vaiven type of move either with feet side by side or displacing the standing foot.

Leader left cruzada [Move ????]

  • As W does WR fc, ML locks in front of MR to do cruzada.   MR back on next W fc.
  • ML slide over MR into Cruzada and mirror image for other side.

Leader Front crosses (is there room?) [Move ????]

  • ??? ML front cross as WR front cross.  Stand as ML front cross.  Results in turn.
  • ??? Symmetric version of above.
  • ??? M2-step-QQ–pivot style of front ochos as W front ochos..
  • ??? M front ochos as W front ochos.
  • ??? M crosses in same dir as W or opposite???

Leader Sacadas and pivots [Move Sac??]

  • Sacada (MR, WL), both  Pivot +180.
  • Sacada (ML, WR) Pivot -180.  Mirror image of above
  • Sacada MR on each of the ochos while M pivots back and forth on L foot.  With M adornos can be very nice move, but hard to keep balance.

Milonguero Dip

  • See videos

Misc unorganized notes

Entries

  • From facing with both on left feet (Face:L). Similar to Cruzada.

Blocks

The M steps to the right in front of the W and stops her forward movement.

  • From DC lesson (Jake)
  • Romantic ccw turn (Jon)

Paradas

Parada(MR top, WR top/ankle)
From: Cruzada or WalkXC; Rock(MR, WR)
Do: Catch WR with ML near the end of W step forward,  Barrida back