How to Do a Sacada in Tango
The sacada is a dramatic move in tango where a dancer moves into the space that his partner has just left, creating the illusion that he has displaced her. Though once you learn the basics, there are a number of places to incorporate sacadas into your tango, the molinete, or grapevine, is a good place to start.
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Instructions
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Sacada as a Leader
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Lead the follower in a molinete. She must take steps that are long enough to give you space for the sacada and regular enough so you know where to place your foot. Once you can lead the follower to do this, you're ready to try the sacada.
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Recognize when the follower is taking a forward or side step. Her forward and side steps are much easier to sacada than her back step, and they are less likely to trip her if you don't get the sacada.
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Aim for her trailing leg with your foot as both of you take a forward cross step, or as you take a forward cross step while she takes a side step. Your goal is to land your foot at the point where hers has just been.
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Pivot to face the follower and continue leading her around you. You can add multiple sacadas as she continues her molinete.
Lead a Follower to Sacada
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Be exact in your leading. Though this applies to tango as a whole, ambiguity can make sacadas especially confusing for followers. Know where you want her to go and lead her to the exact spot you intend.
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Use your regular leading technique to lead a sacada. She should feel you leading a regular forward, side or back step when you lead the sacada, though you might lead a longer step than usual to ensure that she sacadas you.
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Lead the follower to step into the place that your foot is leaving. Move your foot into your next step as she arrives.
Sacada as a Follower
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Be aware of your leaders' axis. You should maintain the same relationship between his axis and your axis throughout the dance, so being aware of your leader's axis helps you know where to step when he leads a sacada.
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Follow the lead even if it feels like you're being led somewhere you can't step. Following a sacada lead can feel as though you're going to run into the leader. If you step confidently (and if he's a good leader), you won't run into him.
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Aim for his trailing foot. Your step should land where his foot has just been. You can feel where you should step if you maintain the same relationship between his axis and yours.
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Keep following his lead. The sacada is not a move that requires a pause of any kind after you complete it, so just stay open to his next lead.
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Tips & Warnings
Keep leading the follower clearly around you as you do the sacada.
It can be difficult for a beginning or intermediate follower to remain stable in her molinete as you change the center of the circle. Unless she is an experienced tango dancer, be prepared for her to use you as balance for the first few times you lead her in this way.
You can do a sacada on almost any step once you master the basics. Be creative once you can sacada the follower in a molinete.
Leading a sacada is dependent upon good timing. If the sacada doesn't work, adjust your timing.
Be aware that followers feel nervous when they are first learning sacadas because it seems like you're asking them to step in an impossible place. If your lead is clear and the follower hesitates, it's probably because she's afraid she's going to step on you or run into you.
A sacada is often led from a molinete but may be lead from ochos or other turns and pivots.
It can seem safer to aim for the space between the leader's feet rather than aiming for the trailing foot. However, this doesn't allow you to sacada, and it may actually trip the leader.
