[Tango-L] Help to find masculinity in tango!

[WHITE 95 R]

Hi Igor,

I appreciate your question and the sentiment behind it. You want to get more good men dancers into the tango scene and that's an admirable goal. However, I don't think it's a matter of masculinity vs. femininity or any such gender identity issues which keep some men away from tango. The men who think that dancing is for sissies and that men who dance are homosexuals, are not going to dance any dance unless it involves lots of alcohol and/or drug consumption and a sure fire chance to grope women ;-). This leaves all the other men who are not threatened by dancing. These guys might not stay with tango mostly because it's too hard to learn. 
I will admit that watching the standard ballroom "Latin" dances, the men end up looking a little in the effeminate side. I think this is because the mannerisms that they do look more like a parody of the dance, their exaggerated hip movements don't help much either... This effeminate posturing is not prevalent in real salsa dancing or swing or tango. Still, when a jock type thinks of dancing, he perhaps thinks of the ballroom competitions he saw on TV.... Forget those guys, they'll never get into tango or any other dance. As for the rest, just teach them and encourage them to hang in there until they gain some confidence and a sense of achievement.

Manuel



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> From: ipolk at virtuar.com
> To: tango-l at mit.edu
> Date: Sun, 30 Sep 2007 13:39:35 -0700
> Subject: [Tango-L]  Help to find masculinity in tango!
> 
> Thank you very much all those who took time to write good answers !
> Now there is a lot of material for thinking !
> 
> While in the middle, since I see that I was very unclear in my question,
> I'd like to clarify ( and I am able to do it thanks to your answers, thank
> you again ! ) what I feel masculine and feminine power is.
> 
> Being masculine means when other men, say friends of a dancing men, admire
> the dancing of the dancing man. And all them want to look and act like him.
> Probably, it should include confidence, strength, agile movements, control
> over the situation, and admiring expression of the face of his lady ( an her
> loving embrace).
> 
> Inner Men's power is like that - confidence, ability to control the
> situation, providing freedom and security to his lady, and may be at the
> same time playfulness, risky, sharp, powerful dancing style - just to prove
> his mastery in the first group of his abilities: "See? No matter what she
> dances great!" 
> 
> Shortly, ability to make her dance well with him and to show his friends
> that it is very easy for him, and at the same time look the way men like.
> 
> Woman's power is not surrendness ( even though it is a pre-requisite to it,
> as very well described by Krasimir ). It is ability to control the situation
> by other means than direct. Ability to influence her man in such a way so
> that he leads her what she wants and the way she wants. ( Surrender to fool
> him that that it is he who in control ;) ) Ability to handle the situation
> no matter what and look like a queen always. Ability to make him dance well
> with her.
> 
> Admirers of the good women are... men too. They all want to rush and invite
> her for dancing.
> 
> 
> Well, I've just made it up, do not judge severely,
> Igor Polk
> 
> 
> 
> 
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