[Tango-L] Who leads what who follows what

[Alexis Cousein]

WHITE 95 R wrote:
 > The man follows the woman's each step immediately and leads the next step
 > +after+ she has finished her previous step. Both dancers add musicality,
 > style, nuance and embellishments.

I'll be looking like I'm splitting semantic hairs, but the wording
can leave a wrong impression. There is no "after" and "before" for
both partners during a step, as if there were discrete events in which
one of the partner "does" something followed by others where (only)
the other partner "does" something.

There is a conversation at the beginning of each step and then
both partners move *together* to the resolution of the step (or not,
depending on whether the leader choses to leave the step hanging
unresolved to change direction or pause on the music - even the
follower can do so, though she has to give a lead back to make
sure the leader *understands* the step is not resolved naturally).

THe follower doesn't start nor finish her step autonomously.

As another poster has said, there is no autonomy - but not only
not for the follower, but also not for the leader. You're either
dancing together or you're not dancing as a couple.

I hate leaders that throw their women around without consideration, just
as I dislike followers who do their own thing without telling me
they want to (even if they look good doing it); and I dislike leaders
and followers alike who're more obsessed with how they look than how
the connection works.

That said, it's obviously not forbidden to surprise each other
(I'm renowned for my inclination to refuse to go where a follower
expects me to go when I feel she's on autopilot and anticipating).

But after that should come conversation (or, for the strong followers,
even negotiation ;) ), not disarray or disbelief on one side and
stubornness on the other .

-- 
Alexis Cousein                                  al at sgi.com
Senior Systems Engineer/Solutions Architect     SGI/Silicon Graphics
--
<If I have seen further, it is by standing on reference manuals>