[Tango-L] Nomenclature: Clarification of terms, Part 2

[Nina Pesochinsky]

This might work, as long as no one leaves any body parts behind.:)

Nina






Quoting Brian Dunn <brian at danceoftheheart.com>:

> Dear list,
>
> Here's another terms-clarification attempt, submitted for your approval ;):
>
> Clarification: LEAD WITH xxx (arms/frame/chest/other part of leader's
> anatomy)
> In our experience, by choosing to use the phrase "lead with (xxx)" in a
> teaching context, we have already made some assumptions, and reinforced a
> particular perspective on tango events, which has noticeable consequences
> for our connection to our partner, and for our tango experience in general.
> Because of this, it can be interesting and useful to re-examine those
> assumptions and consequences, and reconsider our use of the phrase.
>
> If we consider the idea "What does the leader lead with?", we see we're
> talking about the leader DOING something with part of HIS body.  By framing
> the problem as "what does the leader DO to lead?", the answer would seem to
> be that the leader engages in a movement or series of movements using
> various leader body part(s).  Of course, thinking of it this way can "work",
> and many people have trained themselves to think of the problem of leading
> this way.  But like the previous clarification of "lead", I'd say this
> perspective is sufficient but not necessary for many tango ideas, and in
> many other cases, actually creates unnecessary obstacles in the way of the
> tango experience by diminishing the follower's sensation of the connection
> with her leader.
>
> One side-effect of this perspective is that the leader's attention is
> REMOVED from the follower's body and focused on the leader's body while this
> movement or movements of the leader's "leading code" is being executed. Once
> this attention-removal is practiced often enough, it becomes a habit of mind
> to remove attention from the follower's body into the leader's body in order
> to initiate ANYTHING in the lead/follow tango conversation. Followers tend
> to experience this attention-removal as a lessening of the sensation of
> tango connection. While this can be overcome by unlearning this habit of
> mind, many leaders never get that far in their tango careers.
>
> We found it is possible to bypass many problems in learning tango
> communication by reframing many tango communication situations in terms of
> the follower's body exclusively. We do this for many tango ideas by focusing
> on having the leader keep his/her attention relentlessly fixed on what the
> follower's body should do, rather than taking an "attention detour" back
> into the leader's body at all.  The leader's body then actually follows
> along without much focused attention, as long as the follower's body is
> taken care of.
>
> As peculiar as this may sound, it works very well in practice.  Beginners
> prove to each other in the first class that they are all possessed of bodies
> that are exquisitely sensitive perceiving devices, able to send and receive
> mysterious information flows in ways difficult to explain, but easy to
> experience.  Based on our results, by training these "attention habits" into
> beginning leaders early on, the lead/follow communication is greatly
> improved compared to the "what does the leader do" or "what does the leader
> lead with" perspective.
>
> All the best,
> Brian Dunn
> Dance of the Heart
> 775 Pleasant Street
> Boulder, CO 80302 USA
> 303-938-0716
> www.danceoftheheart.com
> "Building a Better World, One Tango at a Time"
>
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