[Tango-L] Followers' voices

[Alexis Cousein]

TangoDC.com wrote:
> The question I'm curious about now, and which the recent discussion has 
> been leading to, is this: How can followers participate more actively in 
> the dance? No one has disputed the statement that leaders learn to 
> listen more easily than followers learn to speak, so I think it's 
> important to spend a little time on the matter. It might help some of 
> the dancers here to advance their skills, and it can certainly help many 
> of the teachers explain _how_ the tango (successfully) becomes more than 
> a one-way street.
> 
> Here's what I've discovered so far...
> 
> Followers can "insert" their own steps when the leader leaves space for 
> it, but this can be very disruptive. Not only is the follower stepping 
> without a lead to, but she's interpreting the "space" provided by the 
> leader as an invitation to autonomy. Leaders can get frustrated by such 
> things, because both navigational problems and musical problems can 
> arise (esp. if the leader was deliberately leading a pause).

The follower does have a duty to "counterlead" (I'll just use another
word to distinguish it from backleading) when doing her own steps or
even adornos - let's just say she must display resistance and an
unwillingness to be moved (or moved too fast, or in a direction she
doesn't want to move) by the leader.

[I'll add a footnote saying that there's something particular about
Argentinean women in , that they'll also tend to resist vehemently
when you're trying to do something wrong even when they're "just"
following, a skill I haven't seen in that many European or US
followers.]

If the leader trusts the follower(and listens), that's usually enough,
given the leader should be expecting a signal when he leaves room for
the follower to be creative.

But in my opinion *good* followers do this all the time - they do
have more than their bit of responsibility in determining the precise
*timing* of a dance.
> 
> It _might not_ be such a problem, depending on the leader's mood (or 
> intentions) and the music; but it _can_ be a problem.

Of course it can. But then, followers should not insert adornos,
their own steps or backlead something surprising unless they feel
the leader leaves room for it.
> 
> If I'm dancing to the bass-pulse in Di Sarli's "Corazon," for instance, 
> and leading my partner to dance to the violin solo; and if I lead her to 
> pause when the violin pauses, but she steps to the bass-pulse instead; 

She can't step to the bass pulse if you have a good connection and you
aren't. She can either adorn the pause if she understand you're
pausing, or try to convince you to forgo your original idea (luring
you into moving to the bass pulse instead) - and if she fails, well,
you're the leader, so she'll just have to compromise (and curse you
for your thick-headedness ;) ).

> Also, if her "inserted" idea isn't stellar, I'd likely
> be disappointed.

If you'll pardon the expression, shit happens. Wonderful things also
can, and they don't come without taking any risks. But see below -
there's a way to be courageous without being reckless ;).

> but not the best possible decision, all things considered.

If you want to play safe and dance "cleanly", no.

> 
> There are, of course, differences in leading a pause and leading 
> free-space moments for the follower, but I think a follower has to know 
> you pretty well to read the difference. 

Bingo. That's why in a social setting you've got to have your antennas
out - if you're dancing with someone you don't know, you'll always
explore safe havens first, and then gradually challenge each other
just a bit, just to test the flight envelope...and who knows in
what unchartered waters you'll end up, depending on the follower,
the mood and the connection?

> In any event, followers can use the collection to influence the dance 
> without being disruptive.

You're taking the words right out of my fingers. Really good
followers, BTW, can influence timing throughout the step, not only
in the collection.

> In any case, I think learning this type of interactive following is what 
> propels a dancer from an intermediate to an advanced stage, or from the 
> advanced stage out of (the need for) group classes entirely.

Gosh -- you're sending shivers down my spine when you're defining
people as belonging in strata like that.


-- 
Alexis Cousein                                al at sgi.com
Solutions Architect/Senior Systems Engineer   SGI
--
Bad grammar makes me [sic].