[Tango-L] Transitions from open/close embrance (was Smooth Tango :: Two tone wingtips do not a leader make)

[Shahrukh Merchant]

Tango22 <tango22 at gmail.com> says:

> Since when can't you execute a front ocho in a [closed] tango embrace?

[He was referring to a statement by "Richard" (which appeared to be 
private email that was subsequently quoted to the list--as an aside, do 
make sure you have the permission of someone to quote personal email to 
the list).]

That was my reaction as well when I read Richard's statement (to be 
fair, he only said that the embrace "needs to breathe," which doesn't 
necessarily mean that it opens). But it's nonetheless a good example of 
the ways that Tango is done differently in Buenos Aires from the way it 
is taught outside of Buenos Aires (even by most of the teachers from 
Buenos Aires).

Tango22 is absolutely right that you can be in a completely closed 
embrace and execute a front ocho. It IS more difficult and requires 
better technique, but it's much more satisfying to dance as you remain 
connected with (not just "in contact with") your partner throughout. As 
the woman is taking her forward step on the right foot, the man needs to 
step forward into the space occupied by the woman just as she is 
vacating it, while rotating to the right with the woman. It's the 
dynamic effect of the man doing this that then creates the woman's lead 
and done this way it allows the couple to remain in an entirely close 
embrace throughout and they move naturally together. (Sorry, it's not 
really possible to explain this entirely in words ... .)

This as opposed to the way most beginners seem to be taught the ocho, 
where the focus seems to be exclusively on what the woman is doing, to 
the detriment of the man's technique. The man ends up using his arms 
mostly rather than his body, and the woman ends up not feeling enough of 
a lead and often develops an unfortunate tendency to complete the ocho 
on her own.



On a related subject, the business of automatically switching from open 
to close embrace in the middle of a figure also seems extremely 
artificial to me. Yes, I took workshops from famous (and well-respected, 
including by me) Argentine teachers where the subject of the workshop 
was something like "How to switch back and forth between close and open 
embrace." But in practice, I find the effect jarring and entirely 
unnecessary (except when I realize early that a woman is uncomfortable 
in a close embrace and I need to open it ONCE for the rest of that dance 
and that tanda). Particularly jarring is when the woman AUTOMATICALLY 
pushes away into an "exhibition-style" hold at the first sign of an ocho 
or giro coming up (by that I mean her left hand moving from around my 
shoulder down to my bicep, and then using that hold to push herself away 
from me as "preparation" for the ocho or giro). It is completely 
unnecessary in social dancing (not to mention destroying the feeling of 
connection), unless one is switching back and forth between salon 
dancing and exhibition or nuevo-type figures (and even then the change 
should be led).

Shahrukh