[Tango-L] Is tango a dance of percentages?

[Michael]

As a former statistician with the Bureau of the Census, I read with great interest about the percentage contribution of each partner to the dance. (I should have asked for the standard error to determine how much the percentages could be off, in terms of 80-20,60-40, etc.)

The percentages will ALWAYS change based on who you're dancing with. There are very few women who play when given the opportunity. The best example is the man leads a stepover, and the woman steps over the foot without embellishment.

At the New York Tango Festival (the original that occurs during the Summer, not the other one that used the same name in October) Virginia Kelly used to teach a class called "Interleading." Interleading is not back leading the man for a figure. Interleading is the woman stopping the man so she can do whatever she wants. To me, this is the ultimate in dialogue. The woman doesn't have to hope for a specific lead; she finds the right moment and signals the man "I'm going to do something special. Don't go anywhere. I'll let you know when I'm finished."

A woman who interleads will have a higher percentage of the dance than one who doesn't. If the goal is maximum enjoyment for both, then the percentages don't mean anything. If women are bored, this would be an opportunity to expand YOUR possibilities. The man's response will show his maturity as a dancer.


Michael
Washington, DC
I'd rather be dancing Argentine Tango