[Tango-L] Parallel to cross system - different ways?

[Zpetrovic]

Hello,

Thank you for your answers on time signatures. It seems to me that is a
complicated musical issue, so I’ll just focus on dancing. Since I have been
reading posts on tango l for days let me just say it is a great experience to
learn from those about everything connected to tango. And I apologize for my
English, it is not very good.
I have been dancing tango for over two years now and just love music, motions,
embrace, artistic expression and different styles – everything about it.
Now I have a question about different ways to lead from parallel to cross
system? Maybe it’s a good idea to explain my experience about it using the
example of 8-count basic figure with a change at step 2 for a leader. First
way I lead it was keeping the upper part of the body still while changing foot
at 2, so that follower will feel the weight change but not respond to it since
she follows the movements of leaders torso.
Second way used was keeping the entire body as a whole (so naturally when I do
the weight change at 2 followers understand it as a signal to transfer weight
at 2 with me) and not giving the follower time to transfer weight but quickly
leading the next step. 
Third way was lifting the left side of follower’s torso slightly so she could
understand not to change at 2. For lifting I used breathing and/or leaning my
body slightly to left. 
Fourth way was to lose contact with follower with my right arm (and with my
torso if we danced in chest contact) so only contact that remained was one
with my left hand and her right hand. Then, making my left arm not in firm
position with my torso I could move my body without transferring energy of
motion to follower.
Could you share some thoughts about this from your experience? Which way you
consider best and why? If none, which one it is? Which way is more appropriate
for social dancing and which one for competitions? Are there any other ways of
doing this? Should I use one way when music is fast, and another one when it
is slow?

All the best
Z.