[Tango-L] Close all the time vs all ranges debate

[Euroking@aol.com]

Thanks Ed,
 
Interesting, it really is the teacher. The major difference with my early  
beginning classes was the constant reminder of the importance of the walk,  
posture and the connection.  Teaching was figures, and separating the lead  and 
follow did occur, but we (leads) were encouraged to vary our patterns, to  
instill with in the follow that they can't or should not anticipate.  This  
approach help eliminate " If you are going to change the order..."  problem.  Follows 
were told that the lead leads and that they are always  right. But as a 
consequence of that responsibility we had to ensure the  follow looked good.  The 
point is that leading and following is a shared  responsibility, and as I 
continue to learn, I find it is the follow that  initiates, for me whether we will 
dance closed or open. I offer and where she  connects is where we will dance.  
Exceptions abound but I was taught it was  not my position to dictate but to 
share. The key is mutual enjoyment not self  gratification.  I was also told I 
am only as good as what my partner feels,  and it will change with every 
partner.
 
Again just some thoughts,
 
Thanks,
 
Bill in Seattle

 
In a message dated 5/5/2006 10:02:53 A.M. Pacific Daylight Time,  
doyleed at gmail.com writes:

Hi  Bill,

You make a lot of good points in your post below. I thought I  would
share my experiences as a beginner with now one year  experience.

My very first exposure to tango was 8 weeks of group  instruction in
open embrace.  We learned figures like ballroom dancers  do.  Somehow,
the dance immediately captured my heart and soul, but  also, almost
immediately I knew we were learning and doing it wrong.   The
instructor would line the ladies up on one side or the room, and  teach
them their part, then teach the men their part, then put us  together
and with a microphone she would call our each step and we  'danced
tango' all together like a square dance. Immediately I sensed that  the
ladies did not need us leaders since they had the instructor with  her
microphone.  This was confirmed to me after class when I tried to  lead
one of the ladies but I put the figures we learned in a  different
order and she said, if you are going to change the order, could  you
write the steps you want to do on a card and pin it to your shirt  and
I will do them with you in the order you want.  I knew we were  in
trouble.

I went to my first milonga with real tango dancers and  found I had no
way at all to move around the room in line of dance.  I  knew some
figures, but they were all done in one place. I was always in the  way
of the other leaders.  So I sat down and watched.  The  couples on the
floor were dancing so beautifully, I knew there was  something there
and I was missing it.

Next I went to a few group  lessons with a wonderful instructor of
close embrace.  I didn't know  ahead of time it would be close embrace,
it just happened to be that way.  Here I learned to connect with my
partner, to move around the floor, to  respect and enjoy the other
dancers.  I'm certainly not saying this  couldn't have been done just
as well in open embrace, just that my  particular experience was with
close embrace all the time.  I took  some private lessons, and danced
whenever I could in close embrace.  I  loved it. For six months, I only
danced close embrace because I felt I  would be overwhelmed and not do
anything right if I tried to learn two  styles at the same time.  In
retrospect, I'm not sure if this would  have been true, but I believed
it at the time and stuck with close  embrace.

Next I moved to a place where it turned out all the  instructors  all
taught open embrace.  So - when in Rome, do as  the Romans do.  So I
put my whole heart and sole into learning open  embrace figures, but
maintaining the connection and actually leading my  partners, not the
square dance like tango of my first exposure.  This  was very
rewarding.

Today, I love both styles, open and close  embrace.  I choose which to
use based on many factors, my partner, my  mood, the music, the floor
(crowded, open, etc). Usually I do any single  dance in one style or
the other, but sometimes in a tanda I will switch  from open to close
and maybe back to open again.  As you point out,  some partners
immediately enjoy close embrace, and some perhaps for  cultural or
other reasons are more comfortable at least at first in an  open
embrace.  To me, it is all about I and my partner connecting and  if we
connect better in open, fine, and if we connect better in close,  that
is fine to.  Both ways, the dance can be heavenly.

Well, I  really haven't any advice here or points to make, just sharing
my  experience as a one year beginner.  I certainly would not yet say I
am  'good' at either style, but I have had some wonderful moments in
both  styles, and that is about as good as it gets I think.

For me, if the  floor is very crowded, or if I have a partner who is
not very experienced  in tango, but is willing to dance close embrace,
I can get around the floor  without being disruptive to the other
dancers and make a pleasant  experience for my partner better in close
embrace than in open.  If  the floor is more open and other dancers are
less a consideration, and if  my partner allows me to lead i.e. is not
an ocho machine as discussed in  other posts, I can make a pretty nice
experience for both of us in open  embrace.  Again, this is me
personally with my experience and should  not be taken as a legitimate
comparison of open and close embrace.   This dance is different for
each of us and I am just sharing how it works  or doesn't work for me.

Have a wonderful tango  day.

Ed