[Tango-L] How to Tango

[Floyd Baker]

On Fri, 19 Jan 2007 15:18:56 -0000, you wrote:

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

Twelve years worth of 'work'.   :-)    Thanks for giving me your take
on it.   My writing may not come through as intended and it's nice to
know where it needs help.  

>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".

That's a different problem.   

>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?

I guess if you were supposed to be doing a Tango, it would be...   :-)
But I think you're asking a better question.   Do you think I'm
contradicting myself?   I hope not and don't believe so.  

Yes, you would be accomodating yourself too,  if you went along with a
bad follower.   You must.   If only to remain a gentleman.   But Tango
is already not there.   It's a moot point.  :-/   

Btw, so I'm not misjudged...  This section was written to and about
followers.   I'm certainly not forgetting that leaders have their
faults too.    I can swear to that in fact.  <g>  

We can't be 'impolite' because things are not as they should be.   I
follow a follower who isn't following me.   For many dances even.  But
for everyone's sake, leaders should just not make a habit of going
back for more of the same..   

Everyone needs to decide for themselves what to do, based on being
asked to dance or not.   If they want to.    True Tango is not for
everyone. 


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

Indulge away.  It's too late... <g>  You're already on the floor and
not doing Tango.    

When you find yourself with a follower who thinks they're a leader,
you must indulge them.    Perhaps ask them to switch the frame too?
<g> 

As for the other extreme, heavy lead, there are followers who want to
be pushed and leaders who push.  They go together..  They enjoy each
other for their own personal  satisfaction.   But that way it only
takes one to tango.     

The fun part comes when a want-to-be-pushed follower dances with a
no-push leader.   Or better yet, the other way around.  :-)   

These things happen.   It's how often they do  that makes the real
difference.  I feel that to accept them, without trying to make things
better, causes everyone to lose and Tango to be mocked. 

>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 will make more of a point of that in the text...

I do mention that the lady sets the distance at the beginning of the
dance.   In another area I remind both partners that the leader should
know his place, because the follower put him in there, right at the
start. :-) 

>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.

The 'Styles' page was an early attempt at putting some instruction
things together on  the site.  Most of it was *not* written by me and
I supply URLs and a name or two as the actual sources.    I intend to
improve on this in the near future to the extent I see necessary.. But
to be honest, since I only dance my own style, I still won't try to
write much of it myself.  :-/  

>All this is nit-picking of course. Floyd has created an excellent site which
>all should visit.
>
>John Ward
>Bristol, UK

Many thanks John...   I appreciate it very much.  You'll be in the
remix...  :-)    If you see any more where something might be worded
better, please email me.   

Floyd


     Argentine Tango - Buffalo Tango - Sun Tango 
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