[Tango-L] Women's role [Feminism]

[Jay Rabe]

Nina touched on Feminism, the movement in the US of re-balancing the gender power structure. I agree with her, that there's no question that it was "much needed." However, like pendulums tend to do, IMO the pendulum of gender relationships, with the impulse of Feminism, has swung back past center in some situations.  I'm sure I'm not the only tango instructor who has seen cases of a couple coming to learn tango, with a strong and powerful woman, exerting her power and control over the relationship, and a sensitive and caring man, giving in to his woman, letting her have the power she (or her mother) had been denied, effectively letting her "lead" their relationship. Couples like this often drop out of tango almost immediately when they realize that this dance requires a complete transformation of their attitudes and concepts of gender/self, at least in order to dance tango, but fearfully perhaps extending to their partner and other relationships as well. 
 
Conversely, I have seen couples embrace the opportunity that tango presents, and courageously undergo the long and difficult process of nothing less than personal and relationship transformation.  As Nina said, "In a way, struggling and loving tango helps people to become who they truly are and who they were meant to be."-----------------
 
Regarding the masculine/feminine polarity required by tango, I have several paragraphs on my website at:
http://tangomoments.com/ATango.htm
Click on "What's so great about it," then "Gender Relationship"
               J
              TangoMoments.com
 
 
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