Lunge
A preparatory step used as an entry to other movements.
Prerequisites
The lunge allows you to prepare for many moves in Zouk. It’s characterised by having your weight on one leg, but the other leg is already in the place of the next boom step. Another way of saying this is that the PremovementPremovementExtending your foot out to a spot before shifting your weight to it. is already complete. This means that on the next boom step, your step is in place. Generally you enter from LateralLateralA side-stepping movement that creates a lateral travelling pattern across the floor., but you can enter the lunge from many positions.
The most common way to be led into a lunge is from a LateralLateralA side-stepping movement that creates a lateral travelling pattern across the floor.. During the Red PhaseRed PhaseThe first 'boom chick chick' in the music, and every subsequent odd phase. Part of Music & Rhythm, the lead steps into the line of the follow. It can also be done from a Basic Back and ForthBasic Back and ForthAdding forward-and-back to the basic step pattern. or other positions, and the principles are similar.
The lunge enables you to do other moves like simple turns and other kinds of variations.
Follower’s Lunge
As the follow, to be led into the lunge, you need to be responsive to the TorsionTorsionHow the twist of the body communicates movement in Zouk. you receive during the Projection StepProjection StepA step that generates or continues momentum in a direction with energy on the ball of the foot. Part of Stepping. This allows you to overturn the normal lateral step for example, and lead the last chick into a different placement. It is a Compass StepCompass StepThe fundamental footwork mechanic of stepping and pivoting on the ball of the foot to change direction. with additional energy.
Leader’s Lunge
The leader’s lunge is done by stepping in the line of the follow, applying TorsionTorsionHow the twist of the body communicates movement in Zouk. throughout so that when the weight of the follow is on their Control StepControl StepA step that absorbs and redirects energy with energy on the ball of the foot. Part of Stepping, they “swing open” and land in another place. The whole thing is quite gentle. The proximity of the lead’s body to the follow’s body allows the torsion to be communicated properly. If the lead is too far from the follow, the torsion will may not be enough to open the follow.
The energy that the lead gives and how close the lead steps into the follow on the first step determines how much torsion the follow receives, and therefore how far they open up. This leads to the ability to open to different degrees.