[Tango-L] Two of My Teaching Pet Peeves

[Michael]

First, if the lead is for a small step, the follower should take a small step. If the leader's frame is weak and doesn't communicate the size of the step, that's the leader's fault. 

Second, I don't  know how far is far for a back step. The woman shouldn't step so far it would cause her hips to turn away from the leader. The leader has to feel how far the woman is stepping backward. An alternative way of looking at stepping backward is to move the leg backward from the hip. If you move the foot first, there will be a "popping" at the knee as the foot extends.

I'm not sure teachers are signalling for the size of the step but more for HOW to reach backward from the hip. If the leader leads a small step, the woman should still reach backward from the hip and straighten the leg based on the size of the step that is lead. The leg should be straightened before the woman steps on it.

Michael Ditkoff
Washington, DC
"Neither snow, nor rain, nor heat, nor gloom of night stays Greyhound from the swift completion of its schedule to New York on Saturday.
I'd rather be dancing Argentine Tango

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Tango For Her" <tangopeer at yahoo.com>
To: "Tango-L" <Tango-L at mit.edu>
Sent: Thursday, January 17, 2008 8:27 PM
Subject: [Tango-L] Two of My Teaching Pet Peeves


Someone wrote to me:

They spend a lot of time teaching followers to extend their leg, in
doing a backstep.

Someone, PLEASE, tell me why soooo many teachers teach
young followers to s-s-s-s-stretch their leg out,
really far, in a backstep!!!