[Tango-L] Strong Lead - resistance effect

[steve pastor]

First, I want to thank Igor for bringing this up, more or less bolding going where
  no man has gone before (I exaggerate, of course.) I came close to commenting
  on a light is characteristic of better dancers post a short time ago.
   
  "Resistance" creates a better connection between two bodies. 
  It can help create a feeling of two bodies being joined so well that the man feels the
  woman's steps almost as if they are his own. It is similar to the sense we have of
  where the parts of our own body are - proprioception. (Good posture and clear transfer
  of weigh when stepping are also required.)
  I have seen over and over again, that women learn to "give more resistance" from
  their instructors. As time goes on, they forget this lesson as they are told repeatedly
  by male dancers that they are "being too heavy".
  This is think of as the community leveling effect.
  There seems to be a desire to achieve technical excellence and the ability to follow
  with barely a touch.
  This comes at the expense of the more earthy feeling of two bodies being joined in
  dance.
  And, as Igor points out (I think), it also comes at the expense of eliminating some
  movement vocabulary.
  This "lite" form of tango, to me, has more of a intellectual flavor. I've begun to 
  think of it as "Nice Tango".
  And, by the way, more resistance can be achieved without "muscle tension", just
  as running downhill can be done without much effort by letting gravity move your
  body.
   
  Neither way of dancing AT is more right, except in the preferences of the dancer.
  I prefer more resistance, rather than less.
   
  I admit though, that I too, am awaiting Igor's post on scientific evidence. 
  The complexities of the human body have so far defied my feeble attempts at 
  quantification.
   
  

Michael <tangomaniac at cavtel.net> wrote:
  Igor:
I now exactly what resistance is-- and why it's bad for dancing. There's a big difference between a firm lead--and resistance. Why would I want a woman to resist my lead? I want my partner and I to move around the floor like figure skaters, effortlessly, with minimal effort. Resistance causes muscles to tense and it's difficult to move a tense muscle. I went to a yoga therapist for three years to squeeze the tension out of my body, there was so much.

I am so sorry you feel you have to dance with resistance. I'm even sorrier for your partners who have to dance with resistance.


Michael
I'd rather be dancing Argentine Tango

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Igor Polk" 
To: "'Michael'" ; "'Igor Polk'" ; 
Cc: 
Sent: Saturday, September 22, 2007 3:48 PM
Subject: Re: [Tango-L] Strong Lead - resistance effect


Dear Michael

I am so sorry you have no idea what resistance is..
Once you learn it, you will find it for yourself that you do not need any
"substantiation". 
You just will not want to dance in any other way.

Still, there is substantiation. I wrote quite a lot about in on my website.
Not complete yet, sorry..

Igor Polk



-----Original Message-----
From: Michael [mailto:tangomaniac at cavtel.net] 
Sent: Saturday, September 22, 2007 12:23
To: Igor Polk; shepherd at arborlaw.com
Cc: tango-l at mit.edu; Michael
Subject: Re: [Tango-L] Strong Lead - resistance effect

Igor:
I agree completely with Carol that less resistance is desired. Resistance
causes muscles to tense and when they tense, it's difficult to move them.

However, you wrote that there is strong scientific substantiation. Where is
the substantiation.

Michael
I'd rather be dancing Argentine Tango
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Igor Polk" 
To: 
Cc: 
Sent: Saturday, September 22, 2007 2:00 PM
Subject: Re: [Tango-L] Strong Lead - resistance effect


I missed that, sorry..

Carol: "the more advanced the dancer, the less resistance is desired,
because it allows more nuance."

Actually it is opposite: Stronger resistance in body and in hands allows way
more nuances. 

And there is strong scientific substantiation to that.
Igor Polk

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