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

[Jay Rabe]

My 2cents on a couple of points ...

Bill wrote:
"Follows were told that the lead leads and that they are always right."
Apologies if I appear to be elevating Trenner to mythical status, but I just 
find his philosophy insightful and simpatico with my own. He once said 
something like, "If you [leader] are right [in leading a step], and the 
follower is wrong [mis-steps], then you [leader] are wrong." Leader and 
follower both dance to the same music, sort of. The problem is that there 
are multiple "voices" or
"themes" in a composition. I may be dancing to the bandoneon, and my 
follower may be hearing the vocals or the strings. It has happened, 
especially in milongas, with their faster tempo allowing less response time, 
that I will hear a change in the music and will change my step tempo. The 
problem usually occurs when switching from traspie to regular time. If my 
lead is not clear or quick enough, and the follower doesn't catch the 
change, I consider that it was my mistake, not hers.

"...it is the follow that initiates, for me whether we will dance closed or 
open."
I agree completely. That's the way I was taught too. Women sometimes are 
uncomfortable in close embrace with particular partners, for a variety of 
reasons. Since their comfort and enjoyment is indeed (IMO) our (leader's) 
purpose, we must honor their preference.

     J
     www.TangoMoments.com