[Tango-L] Buffalo's Ladies Only lesson report.

[Floyd Baker]

Sorry for the time delay.  It's difficult for me to put things into
words the right way, the first, second, or even the third time I try.
:-)

But you *can* give more than one lead at a time, within a single step,
or followers weight change.  The leader's entire body is in fact the
lead.., including every movement it makes.  The follower needs to be
in tune with all of it...  

I know most everyone goes the single lead way.., I have been teaching
that way myself.  So with that in mind of course..., no one is to be
faulted..  ;-)   But now I'm seeing that perhaps single leads, given
and looked for each and every step, are a pretty basic way of teaching
and explaining how to Tango.  Perhaps a way for non Argentine people
to learn?  Perhaps the only way most anyone who was not brought up in
an A/Tango household *can* learn??   But I'm sure, it is a
'simplificaton' of Tango.  

Examples of *multiple* leads are everywhere...  But they're camoflaged
as special things the follower must know and remember 'when the time
comes'.   Like when they sense the leaders stance and his foot near
theirs, they go into the *barrida* mode    

Take a simple step backward by the leader while 'dropping' a bit,
which causes the follower to drop too, with her knee then extended so
the leader can hook behind it with his trailing leg.   That was two
leads together., and if both were followed at once, the move would
work for the leader without the follower knowing what was coming. In
fact I would go so far as to say *any* move can be done without the
follower knowing anything of what's coming..., IF she truly  follows
ALL the leads she feels from the leader's body at any one time.   

Another multiple lead would be to start the follower back on her right
foot but then to cross your left foot behind you so it ends up to the
right of your right foot.  This would give the follower a lead to the
back and to her left too, thereby throwing her off balance.   Her
right foot ending up to the left of her left foot.    

Along with the music, one can also increase or decrease the tempo of
the dance by the speed of the leads.   Speed or squeezing the air
between partners are leads too, right?  They being done while also
leading the particular step itself..

The four main leads that I've always considered basic are for the
follower to stay centered, keep the distance constant, keep the
shoulders parallel and respond to right palm pressure, at least via
the hips if not the entire body, depending on the shoulders,  when
pressure is applied or released.  

I only consider followers taking single steps only.  I never consider
multiple steps, which I call 'moves'.

Within any single 'one of three' steps taken, there may be two or
three 'leads' applied to that step.  There may be more.   Some coming
sequentially within the step and some paired with another one or two.
There can be sub (foot) leads thrown in too.  Not to mention stops,
reversals, obsticals to the step, etc.

I was trying to say that the follower must keep her senses open for
many leads at once.   Coming all the time within each step she takes..
To be ready and able to perform the various steps and the
modifications she feels..,  as opposed to the vanilla one of three
step leads, coming one at a time.   

The followers need to become totally 'sensuous' with the leader... 

I hope it makes sense...   It does to me...  

Floyd 




On Wed, 23 Apr 2008 22:57:01 -0400, you wrote:

>>Floyd:
>>I don't know what you mean "leads are not just given one at a time. That they will come to see two and three being given at once."
>>
>>I only give one at a time. The woman has to finish a step before she can do the next step. I can't give her three steps at once. 
>>I must be misinterpreting what you wrote.
>>
>>Michael

>From: "Floyd Baker" <febaker at buffalotango.com>
>To: <tango-l at mit.edu>
>Sent: Wednesday, April 23, 2008 10:30 PM
>Subject: [Tango-L] Buffalo's Ladies Only lesson report.
>    
>They were taught that leads are not just given one at a time.  That
>they will come to see two and three being given at once.  
>Take care...   
>
>Floyd

     Buffalo Tango - Argentine Tango - How To Tango
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