[Tango-L] how much weight?

[Michael Figart II]

Hi, there's been a whole lotta talk about all these
weight changes. They are not black and white. It seems
as though many, many people in the US, teachers and
dancers, have ascribed to the belief that a follower
should always be on one foot or the other. I have to
lead women all the time who bounce quickly from left
to right and back again, when all I've done as a
leader is move 60% of my weight to my left foot, to
60% of my weight on my right foot. What I want, dear
followers, is 60% of your weight on your right, and
then 60% of your weight on your left.
Don't think you have to go immediately all the way to
one foot with a small shift of my weight; take your
time, and move slowly with me. Slowly,
smoothly....take your time; Joan Bishop says, "Be
Blanche Dubois, get there when you're damn good and
ready". Susana Miller says, "A little late, but right
on time".
If I move 60% left and come back to center, do it, if
I move 100% left and all the way to my left foot, do
it. But I can also move 60% left, and then 10 degrees
(circular) left, and tell you that we're fixing to
take off, as I move more left rotationally, as you
wait, going from 60%weight on your right to 65%, to
70%, as you pivot, and then 75%, as you lift your left
foot......
Jeez folks, it's pretty impossible to put this down
where it's understandable and intelligible by all in
the same manner in which its intended, which is one
reason I don't post too often. But I've grown tired
lately of reading all this pontificating drivel and
nonsense by one or two so called experts who couldn't
tango themselves out of a moist paper sack sitting in
the mist of Buffalo, I mean Niagara, Falls.
Please look for teachers who know how to control their
axis. Watch for those who "collect" their axis. That
doesn't mean they necessarily "collect" their feet. A
dancer can "collect" their own axis without their feet
being together...(but it helps, especially for the
first ten years!)
Avoid those who slop their axis all over the place,
with never a thought about leading from a center to a
center. We've been shown some really great examples of
this kind of "leading" lately, on internet video.
My best to all,
Michael Figart II 
Houston Tx