[Tango-L] To cross automatically or not?
LGMoseley@aol.com
LGMoseley at aol.com
Fri Aug 24 06:48:58 EDT 2007
Trini asked a question and Manuel answered. I shall give my own answer and it is different from the one given by Manuel.
In my view (and I'm from the UK not the USA), the lady should never cross automatically. In fact she should never do anything automatically (unless she has been given the 'over to you signal', or has indicated that she wishes to do firuletes or something else of her choice).
The general reason is that at the end of every step (at the point at which both partners have 'gathered', 'collected' or whatever word you use to describe the part of a step when the weight has been transferred to the man's front foot (lady's back). On every step, the lady will have no idea what is going to come next. She has to wait for a lead. That wait is commonly only a fraction of a second, but it is a wait.
For example, if she is in the cross, he may step forward, backward, sideways, swivel, turn his shoulder so that she swivels, lift her for a colgada or whatever. He may be about to walk forward inside, outside, in parallel, or in crossed. He may be about to lead a cunita, a forward ocho, a backwards ocho, a forward giro, a backwards giro, a front or rear sacada, ochos cortadas, or whatever. That is part of the richness of Tango. If she has chosen to do her own thing, the partners cease to be a couple and become two individuals – usually uncoordinated and non-communicating individuals.
Tango is, in my view, a conversation between two bodies, but without words. As in all conversations, the content of the communication comes in the surprises. If, in a normal conversation you could predict exactly what you interlocutor would say in all circumstances, I would not describe it as a conversation. It would be (a) a series of set-piece monologues (b) non-communicating, and (c) boring. The conversational element occurs when something unexpected enters into the exchange. If the lady does not know what is coming next (until it is led), everything is unexpected.
With regard to the cross, if the lady crosses automatically it cuts down on the richness of the potential conversation. If she does it as a response to a lead, it is part of the conversation – like saying “I see”, “Yes, but”, “On the other hand”, “Therefore” or any of the other connections that we use in verbal conversations. Any of those phrases make sense only in response to an utterance by the partner. They make no sense in isolation. Similarly, a cross makes no sense in isolation.
Of course, at milongas one sometimes dances with ladies who have been taught to cross whenever they get the opportunity. If the man wishes to lead in that situation, he has to treat it like any of the other variables at play – the closeness of the embrace, the balance of the lady, the conditions on the floor, the music, the state of inebriation of either partner, etc. and do something about it. For such ladies, a simple solution is not to give her an opportunity to cross until you wish it to happen. One way of doing that is to crowd the outside of her right thigh with the outside of your right thigh. In that situation she will be unable to cross. When you stop the crowding and make space for her, she will cross – and you will be ready for it.
Of course, with a a lady who walks to the beat (unless otherwise led) and does not cross until it is indicated, there are many more conversational and communicative possibilities. I’d happily discuss on another occasion the many possibilities that getting into and out of the cross present, but I have rabbited on long enough for one posting.
Brazos tangueros
Laurie (Laurence)
24 August 2007
> The automatic crossing was what I found a little curious.
> When I started tango many moons ago, automatically crossing
> was the norm. In the States it is not for the most part.
> However, Jon indicated that in BsAs, it was still the norm.
> Any comments about this?
Trini,
Many very respected teachers have taught me the same thing.
The tango has a code which is that the woman dances around the man with the
grapevine pattern (open, cross front. open, cross back, etc.). when the man steps
outside of the line, he becomes the center of the circle. In the typical sacada of the
8CB, the woman begins her giro with a side step to the right. Since the man
is going forward along the LOD, the nest step is obviously a back step. The next step
is an open or side step but since the man is guiding the woman along the LOD, it
looks and acts like another back step. It is not, it's an open step... If one obeys the code,
the next step of the woman is a front cross...... It's inevitable, the cross at the 5th step
of the woman is the logical sequence of the molinete or giro.
For some reason, the Americans have mystified the front cross and many teachers
teach all kinds of crazy contortions to cause the front cross and they also teach that
the front cross must be led in some mysterious way or the woman will just continue walking
backwards without crossing. This is wrong, it would be like having to lead every crossed and open
steps of the giro and that's obviously not the case.
Regards,
Manuel
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