[Tango-L] What Does It Take to Dance Tango?

[tangosmith@cox.net]

To Caroline in particular, I want to be perfectly clear that in my original
post, I never meant to imply that women didn’t need classes nor shouldn’t
continue to attend classes.  The points I was trying to make were (1) the
ratio of time some people spend in class compared to dancing seems out of
balance to me, and (2) that one shouldn’t have to learn some extraordinary
number of steps to start enjoying tango.  My comments were aimed equally to
both men and women. 

At the end of my message, as a leader, I stated what I expected in a
partner, which included some knowledge of a few basic movements but nothing
extraordinary.   Importantly, as a follower, you have every right to have
certain expectations of leaders, that they respect who you are, what you
are capable of at that moment, and that they give you clear leads. 
Unfortunately, it sounds like such leaders are in short supply.      

I think many other women feel as you Caroline.  I know my partner feels the
same as you whenever she dances with a bad leader.  She is a wonderful
tango dancer but she is the one who feels embarrassed when she dances with
someone who cannot lead, that she is the one who is stupid.  I cannot
stress enough that you have absolutely nothing to regret or be embarrassed
about if the leader is boorish enough to try to lead something you are not
ready for or more likely, if he simply cannot give you a lead you can
follow.  That is his problem, not yours.  From time to time I blow a lead,
all leaders do, but that is the leader’s problem, not the followers.  It is
my responsibility as a leader to understand what my follower is ready and
capable of doing and to make her trip around the floor the most pleasurable
as possible.  It is not about what steps I may choose for her to perform. 
My guess is that you are probably already a better dancer than the bad
leader who could not give you a mark you could recognize.

Back to lessons.  Unfortunately, no amount of classes will enable you to
follow bad leaders.  You said you were going to keep taking classes until
you’ve learned all the moves leaders tend to do at milongas.  The number of
moves that bad leaders have is infinite.   Many men are too busy going to
classes to learn more steps that they cannot lead instead of learning how
to lead the basic steps.   Again, this doesn’t mean you don’t need or
shouldn’t take classes, just that classes are not a substitute for actually
dancing.  (I wish we had more opportunities for practicas.  Most cities in
the U.S. have few practicas compared to milongas).   

I agree with Astrid’s recommendations about technique classes and other
conditioning classes.  While I rarely take tango lessons, like Bill’s ski
students, I take ballet every week for the same reason Astrid takes belly
dancing.  I find that I learn more about balance, grace, agility, control,
and posture in ballet (yes, Andy, from a far more demanding instructor)
than I do in tango classes where the focus is primarily on the steps.  

And for a man to really learn to lead, again it is not about the number of
classes, but it is about dancing and dancing and dancing, closely feeling
and listening to your partner each and every dance, learning how to
communicate with her, learning how to bring that little smile to her face. 
Not about what step you want.        
  
As far as the comments on musicality, clearly it comes easier for some
people than others.  But I think the same theory applies, you can (and
should) take classes in musicality but at some point, you just have to
listen, listen, listen and walk, walk, walk.  

Thanks to all for such engaging conversation.




Original Message:
-----------------
From: Caroline Polack runcarolinerun at hotmail.com
Date: Mon, 14 Aug 2006 16:19:12 -0400
To: tango-l at mit.edu
Subject: Re: [Tango-L] What Does It Take to Dance Tango?


I'm astounded, so far, there's been several responses to my first post
today 
- both private and public and seems to me that the general consensus among 
men who responded is that women do not need instructions or training to 
dance the tango! That in fact, the less training, the better.

I would like to hear from more women on this subject and I would also like 
to say to the men that unless you've gone through an entire week of
Milongas 
only as a follower - only then would you be able to empathize with how much 
training (or none) a woman/follower needs. When I first went to a Milonga 8 
months ago - I had hardly any training at all and I had never felt so out
of 
place and lost and quite frankly, stupid in my life. I am actually so glad 
that I did take classes. So that's why I'm so surprised by the responses 
I've gotten today from the men.

so men need training and women don't? Is that the general idea?

_________________________________________________________________
Play Q6 for your chance to WIN great prizes.  
http://q6trivia.imagine-live.com/enca/landing

_______________________________________________
Tango-L mailing list
Tango-L at mit.edu
http://mailman.mit.edu/mailman/listinfo/tango-l

--------------------------------------------------------------------
mail2web - Check your email from the web at
http://mail2web.com/ .