[Tango-L] variable embrace

[Carol Shepherd]

In terms of following experience, close embrace to me pretty much means 
variable embrace.  I was in a class at CITA with Naveira and he was 
coming around to each of the pairs and corrected my partner of the 
moment, who was a pretty new beginner.  We were dancing more-or-less 
close embrace (having learned as a beginner in open embrace it was 
extremely close embrace to me) and my partner was trying to dance me 
into a space that my body simply couldn't occupy, for front ochos and 
for giro.  Naveira told him "you have to change and make the space for 
the woman, and then you change and go back."  Obviously ochos and giros 
can be made bigger and smaller (hence the stage and salon style 
discussions) but at some point the space inside of the right arm for a 
front ocho is either big enough for the follow, or it's not.  Depending 
on the amount of COD moves the lead chooses to lead, there will be a lot 
of transitions in the embrace.  I applaud the men with whom I have 
danced who have made this a seamless experience! :) The reality, 
however, is that this adjustment is a pretty difficult challenge for 
beginning dancers who lead, and it is not an issue in open embrace.  I 
am not "advocating" open embrace over close embrace...just acknowledging 
that it is really important to teach leads the space transition for COD 
dance vocabulary and it is a lot for a beginner to handle.

-- 
Carol Ruth Shepherd
Arborlaw PLC
Ann Arbor MI USA
734 668 4646 v  734 786 1241 f
http://arborlaw.com

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