[Tango-L] How much lean. ( Energy -- Grabbing the Floor)

[Igor Polk]

Ming Mar wrote:
"...In those days women here were taught to lean forward
or to push against their partners.  Unfortunately they
weren't told how much of a lean nor how much of a
push.  The result was that men ended up with sore
arms, sore backs, and being destabilized.  I
complained to Hernán about it, and he said that, yes,
it was a big problem here.  I asked him what I could
do to protect my back.  He said that after the dance I
should say, "Gracias.  Hasta la próxima vida."

If it did not work - you did not do it right. The correct lean is going to
protect your back. Let us see..

How much to lean? To begin with, make a small distance between you and your
partner. Boldly lean against each other. I varies, but the best is you touch
with the area from abdomen to chest. May be a little to the side if it is
more comfortable. Knees are little bend. You should push a little with you
legs from the floor into your partner chest. Into the chest: arms are free.
Not hanging. Move yourself a little. Find most comfortable position. It
should be much easier and lighter then you stand on your own. The feeling is
as if you are resting. It is exactly the same when you lean against the
wall, when you are tired.

When you step - your goal number 1 is to preserve this position. When you
move - she does not step over the ball of her foot - it breaks the position
and that what generates you being tired. She must preserve the lean always,
on or between steps. Yes, you will fall without each other. It is not easy
to separate, do not try it.

It seems to me if your back was sore, you tried to lean, but she did not.
She did not provided you enough support. So you had to overtense your
muscles trying to hold her and keep the position during the steps. This
should not be an impression of a lean, it is a real one!

It is not the geometrical position you should keep, but the feeling of
easiness and floating in space. Scientifically: "force between the chests =
constant". That is the precise answer how much to lean.

If you had a sore back - you might not lean trusting each other, so you kept
your muscles alert "just in case". The position should give you relaxation,
not tension.

Your legs should be very precise. They step right into the right point. She
should step a little back. If she does not: you can compensate stepping a
little back, but that is not good. Your body, and therefore your position is
moved and supported by you legs, so they should work. ( I hope it is not
strange to hear :) )

When you lead, you lead with your chest....

...and so on.

Igor Polk