[Tango-L] Not leading vs.leading the cross

[Floyd Baker]

On Tue, 1 Apr 2008 21:34:42 +0000, you wrote:

>My impression is that most people (both in Argentina and abroad) do not lead the cross. 

Sergio...    I believe your impression is very correct.  And I'm happy
to hear that it's so in Bs. As. too.  While everyone wants to keep
talking about the ways the cross *is* led.., cw, ccw, defacto, etc...,
the fact remains that it is done automatically by most ladies.  When a
leader leads the cross, voila...  The lady crosses. 

But he doesn't know she would have crossed anyway.   ;-)

It seems to be ingrained in followers today to do it under its well
known conditions.  Not to say the cross is bad.   All I've said was
that it was 'contrary' to Tango...   A convention.  A contradiction..
While it is a nice one and I sort of like it.., and do lead it.., I
think it should stop being taught as a move for followers to learn...

It probably came in during the European era, and just possibly by the
Castles on their way back to the States?   Earlier canyengue for
instance had a lot of ankle crossing, but it was not thee cross.  Thee
cross seems to have been put in by ballroom 'sylibus' thinkers...

I'm convinced one of its purposes was as a means of transition from
one complicated move to the next and created during Tango's export to
the world.  It's easier to go to a familiar spot before starting
something new and fancy, than directly from four abstract foot
positions that a leader may find he has from a previous step.
Argentines could transition of course.., but the rest of the world was
not brought up with Tango as they were...  There was no 'immersion'.
So simpler easier ways had to be found.

This of course if merely conjecture.   I'm not a Tango historian.. But
all the facts I read and the experiences I've had, with instructors
from Bs.As. and elsewhere.., definately point to it being true. Many
go the easy way and use what we're used to...  'Ballroom' methods...

We are rote addicts.  :-)


Floyd


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