[Tango-L] Leading front ochos in close embrace

[Michael]

Leading front ochos in close embrace IF the man knows how to move. This is one of the few occasions he is moving backwards. The person moving backwards has to get out of the way of the person coming forward. When leading the woman to step backward, he has to lead the woman to get out of his way. When he moves backward, he has to get himself out of the way so that the woman can come forward. This isn't a posture problem; this is a movement problem.

Men should go to a followers class or follow at a practica. It might open their eyes. It certainly opened mine. I'll never forget the day a woman led me in back ochos. She stepped sideways without waiting for me to finish my pivot to come the other direction. That's the day I understood what my teacher had been telling me for months and clearly didn't understand "WAIT FOR THE WOMAN!!" Following taught me how to move backwards. Men who don't learn how to move backwards are like cars that don't have a reverse gear.

Michael Ditkoff
Washington, DC
Teaching a workshop next week comparing dancing to public speaking
I'd rather be dancing Argentine Tango