[Tango-L] Leading with hands

[Sergio Vandekier]

When discussing any aspect of tango dancing technique (LEADING FOR INSTANCE) 
is convenient to clarify what style one is talking about.

This is important because the technique varies with the style and also with 
the individual dancer.

In this context it is totally absurd to say "leading with the hands is 
wrong" because although you may not lead that way there are excellent and 
well know dancers that do it.

There is a world of difference between talking about somebody who uses his 
hands to lead and is a poor dancer and somebody who is an excellent dancer.

The only great dancer that I know that used his fingers on the back of the 
woman to lead was Victor Ayos.  I met Monica and Victor in Mar del Plata 
after their show at the Jockey Club Confiteria in 1992.
I asked them if they could teach me some tango choreography. He said: " we 
will be happy to do it but only for a week as we leave for our tour in Japan 
and the Middle East next Monday.

I met with both of them every day for several hours for the entire week. On 
the next big show they had (Saturday) I was included and had an entire 
number with Monica.

Victor is well known as a dancer and as a choreographer (I know several 
stage dancers that took instruction from him) yet he used his fingers on the 
back of Monica to lead some confusing moves during the show.

Should I say that Victor was wrong and the ones on this list criticizing 
hand lead are right?

No,  They both are right, each person leads as he was taught and as it is 
needed by the type of tango that he does.

Leading with hands:

Let's say I walk the lady to the cross to do a "paradita de la mujer" (a 
stop of the woman).

1 -She is at the cross her lt. foot locked in front of her rt. foot. I place 
my Lt. foot by her Lt. and with my right arm and hand I lower her position 
so that she will extend her right leg to her right side.

2 -When I lead a boleo (back flick) I use the same move to lower her 
position so that she does a "low boleo" or I express an intention upwards 
with my rt. hand and arm on her back to indicate a "High boleo".

In these cases the same as in leading a planeo of the woman there is a 
definite lowering intention of the rt. arm and hand although they do not 
move from where they were placed on her back. This is aided by a lowering of 
the torso as well.

3 - When I walk backwards and she does it forward I "lift" (express an 
upwards intention) my rt. hand and arm on her back to make her lock one foot 
behind the other. This could be repetitive single or double timed.

When I dance milonga I induce a run of double time steps to one side or the 
other by "lifting" my right arm and hand on her back. The arm and hand do 
not move from where they were placed they show an "upward intention". 
Something like what was described by Jonathan Thornton.

We practice leading without arm contact as well. We do many other exercises 
that develop the ability to tune the dancers into each other too.

In summary hands can and are used in leading as well as legs and other parts 
of the body.
This is not only true in tango but in ballroom dancing as well.

Have a good day, Sergio

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