[Tango-L] open and close embrace

[Jake Spatz (TangoDC.com)]

Hi Keith,

Keith wrote:
> Women love close embrace and I don't understand why so many guys just don't get that.
You're not the only one making broad generalizations around this topic 
(pun intended), but I wonder why the bad habit has persisted.

I mostly dance close when I'm out socially, but I've had several women 
ask me to dance open & lead more elaborate figures. I mean women who are 
fantastic in a close embrace. (They're good open too.)

To say that "women want this" or "women want that" is bizarre, in my 
view, even if it's a woman making the claim. We treat women as 
individuals when we dance... so why do we write of them as ciphers? Some 
women love dancing open and do it well. In fact, I'd say that in my own 
observation, 3/4 of hard-line close dancers (who dogmatically oppose 
dancing open) are men, not women. And I'm talking about long-term 
community members.

All these generalizations do is close doors for people, especially 
people now learning. Those of us who are teachers ought to be more 
responsible with our language than to dictate preferences, no?

Jake
DC