[Tango-L] Forward Step By Lady

[Alexis Cousein]

Tony Rathburn wrote:
> no alexis... you're right... you can't just stick your foot out and wait...
> 
> but i can move my COG without moving my axis...

Your axis is by definition the line that connects your COG to your feet.

But I suspect we're in violent agreement. You don't start to jolt your COG
away in mid air without also making sure your foot is going to be able
to support you, but you do already *start* the movement in the direction
of the movement well before you have fully extended your foot, especially
given that's the actual lead.

It's just a pet peeve of mine. I've seen generations of dancers (including
myself for at least a year or two) ruined because people described
and thought "feet" when they stepped, completely ruining their natural
ability to "simply walk" and turning them into bumbling analysing
robots taking their first tentative few steps.

You have to think you're moving the frame, and that the feet end up
where they should to support you, simply because it's a more productive
way of thinking.

It lets you lead exactly when you must and emphasise the connection
(and your feet will also tend to land anticipating the movement of
the frame that you're planning in subsequent steps), and it promotes
fluidity (whereas "steps" are discrete). It also removes the fear
of stepping "into" your partner when that's exactly what you
should be doing, because if you move a frame you know
and are confident the other end of the frame moves as well.

I frequently see leaders who can't do a decent giro because they simply
don't completely step into the space they should, and it's because they
think "foot" and the rest of the body moves over it much too late out of
fear of occupying the space of the follower, whereas intruding into
the space that the follower is occupying is actually part of the lead.


Let your long life training in bipedal walking do the rest, you have enough
other things to worry about.