[Tango-L] Directional notation

[Kace]

I agree the words Open and Closed are confusing because of their many 
definitions
in context.  Let me share my own vocabulary that I use in my classes:

- Open / Close = refers to distance between partners in the embrace.  
Range from
   very open (loose arms) to medium (salon, no chest contact) to very 
close (chest to
   chest  contact).

- Side step = no direction needed, since only one side step direction is 
possible at
   any one time

- Inside, outside, blindside = placement of feet during walk, relating 
the leader's track and the
   follower's track

- Parallel / Crossed = refers to the relationship between leaders' feet 
and follower's feet,
  left-with-right or left-with-left.

- Cruzada = a close step with overlapped knees.  I don't call it crossed 
to avoid confusion with
   the above "crossed step".

- Pivot forward and backward = I know the nuevo term is cross forward 
and back, but
   since the "unwound" position of a couple always faces each other, the 
"wound" version
   by definition  must be a cross step.  I also call them ocho forward 
and back
   because they are clear to beginners.

- Clockwise and Anticlockwise turns = clearer than "turn to the left" or 
"turn to the right".

- Step into Line of dance or Against line of dance = no confusion here

-  Floor side or  Wall side  =  in  the perimeter of a studio, one side 
is the wall and the
   other side the floor

Now for the debate on open-side and closed-side. 

I don't recall having to use those terms very often once you have other 
other ways to indicate
directions. 

But if I absolutely must coin a term I would probably say "hand-side" or 
"arm-side",
since that is meaningful to both dancers.

Kace