[Tango-L] Surrender: Trying again

[Roger]

Leading with abandon: See Lack of navigation - or Lousy floorcraft.

While the follower is abandoned, surrendered, or atuned only to the 
music and the partner with whom she (he? it?) is dancing, the leader is 
also dancing with the couples next door, and to a lesser extent those 
next door again, and also with ... everyone.

Many years ago, the racing driver Mike Hawthorn was asked "What is most 
important when driving on the road" - and his answer was that not only 
should you be aware of a car behind you, its distance and rate of 
closure, but you should know its make, model and approximate market value.

There is a similar requirement for any leader. He needs to know where 
nearby couples are, who the leader is,  and the propensity of that 
leader to reverse without warning, turn right regardless, lead high 
voleos,  stop for endless figures, whether  he is a garden gnome dancing 
with an amazon he can't see over,  whether he has  a habit of dancing 
with his eyes closed, etc.. In fact, whether he dances with abandon.
 
This information (and more) needs to be indexed by shape of haircut, 
because he may only be visible from behind.

One of the things that struck me on a recent trip to BsAs, was the way 
the women, in even the most crowded milongas, could shut their eyes, and 
be enveloped in a cone of tranquility (and trust), oblivious to the 
whirling elbows of neighbours only inches away from them - in the 
knowledge that their partner would ensure their safety.  

(Spearing off at a tangent here - I think the lexicographical 
nit-picking over follower Surrender/Abandon should embrace the notion of 
Trust as well.)

cheers
rde