[Tango-L] How to Tango

[John Ward]

Great stuff Floyd. Obviously a lot of work has gone into this and it
deserves serious study.

I had a bit of difficulty once the discussion had got to the "heavy lead". I
get the concept perfectly. A lot of ballroom teachers actively encourage
treating the lady like a recalcitrant horse, needing a metaphorical whack on
the rump with a riding crop when she doesn't do exactly what you want. But
two paragraphs after that, we are warned against allowing the follower to
"fake it".

Does this refer to adapting your own behaviour to a lady who refuses to
follow your lead? I once danced with a lady who had absolutely no sense of
rhythm and I had to dance to her random movements rather than the music.
Another partner insisted on dancing cha-cha figures exactly as she had
learned them, in the order she learned them. I accommodated myself. Is this
allowing her to fake it?

Three paragraphs later we read "Many followers . . . enjoy a heavy lead"; so
perhaps "allowing her to fake it" means indulging such followers.

Close embrace is mentioned on the Connecting and Styles pages. It might be
worth reminding leaders that one may not crush the follower to one's bosom
if she doesn't want to come close; or worse, push her away if she does; or
worst of all, ask her what she wants. And one must release her if she is
getting hot or claustrophobic and wants to pull away.

I got a bit confused again with the V embrace. Salon style had already been
described as an inverted V and I thought at first that this was the same
thing.

All this is nit-picking of course. Floyd has created an excellent site which
all should visit.

John Ward
Bristol, UK