[Tango-L] Leading

[WHITE 95 R]

There seems to be a sort of dogmatic conflict going on about the "leading". 
As the Viejo Milonguero says, if one only dances in the apilado style common 
to the milongas of the center of Buenos Aires, one will only know or use the 
chest to chest lead. However, that is not the only style of dancing in 
Buenos Aires by far. I have it from very good sources that there are over 
120 regular milongas in BsAs and 80%~90% of them are in the suburbs where 
the salon style predominates. I know personally several real, authentic 
older Argentinean milongueros (the prefer not to be called milongueros as 
they think the name is perjorative). All of them dance a more elaborate 
salon tango and they definitely used their  arms and hands to leads because 
they are extensions of their bodies. There are many steps which are 
practically impossible to lead by using the chest to chest contact. I've 
also watched many of the best know milongueros in Bs As dance at various 
milongas performing their particular styles for large audiences (yes, real 
milongueros do dance for the public too). Many of them dance a salon style 
and definitely use more than a chest to chest style of leading. I'm not even 
going to mention the newer dancers of Nuevo and other styles which require 
an open or more flexible embrace. It simply is erroneous to say that all 
these people are wrong, who've been dancing for longer than many foreign 
critics have been alive.

Sincerely,

Manuel

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>From: "VIEJO.MILONGUERO" <viejo.milonguero at yahoo.com>
>To: "Tango-L1 mit.edu" <tango-l at mit.edu>
>Subject: [Tango-L] Leading
>Date: Mon, 26 Jun 2006 15:14:12 -0700 (PDT)
>
>I excuse you Ms. Novitz,  I have seen you dancing you belong to the group I 
>described under:
>
>   "Naturally if all you do is to dance socially in close embrace: walking, 
>doing
>an ocho here and there, a little turn and a sacada, yes I have to agree all 
>you
>need is to lead with your torso. "
>
>    You are going to dance with people that only lead with the chest. This 
>is the reason you have not experienced any other form of leading.
>
>   The more complex the way you dance the more you have to use other forms 
>of leading.
>   Is this so difficult to understand?
>
>   Just dance any way you wish but do not go around proclaiming that those 
>that do not dance like you are peripathetic.
>    Viejo Milonguero
>
>
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