[Tango-L] leading with the arms

[Anna Leinberger]

I am prefacing this submission with a disclaimer- that I am no expert,
no list of credentials, I am only weighing in based on my own personal
experience of dancing, so take my opinion for what you will.

In terms of leading with your arms, and why it has become so
"high-brow" (?) to not use your arms in a lead:

Again, based on my personal experience in following, a chest lead is
not only more comfortable, it feels more respectful, like a
partnership rather than a marionette show.  A chest lead feels subtle,
like your partner is communicating with you as opposed to to you.  I
do not like a lead that makes too much use of the arms- I feel pushed
about, like a puppet.  At its worst, I feel as if the man's arms are
two concrete walls and I am being tossed against them.  I am not
making any absolute statements, just making the suggestion that
perhaps the follower's experience of the lead helps to shape it.
Also, I find watching a dancer who moves the follower with his arms
and does not engage his core to even look a bit like a puppet master.


--
~Anna