[Tango-L] et tu trini, only on the beat ?

[Nussbaum, Martin]

Trini wrote, "Really, I don't get this convolution of Sergio's simple
statement about stepping on the beat."

I orifginally objected because that is misleading to beginners and
retards their musicality. 

come now, Trini, i am sure you dont step only on the beat.  Have you
ever watched a roomful of beginners stepping on the same beat each step
?  How boring can you get? Tango is not about a "beat". It is a music
rich in nuance and texture.  You can dance rhythm, melody, or the
narrative theme of the piece, the linea de fuerza.  Indeed, its even
better if you vary and combine all three, what you dance to within a
song, following what you feel is most important at that moment.  She
wont get stepped on if she attempts to listen to the leaders
interpretation of the music, assuming he is musical and his
interpretation is being led clearly. If the follower wants to interpret
the music, she/he should either wait for those moments where she can
suggest alternatives subtly, ie, a "give and take" communication between
partners with a good connection, or become a leader herself.   This may
generate some flames, but in my experience followers who also spend a
lot of time leading, while becoming super skilled technically,  lose a
little of their ability, partly innate or subconscious,  to sense the
leaders interpretation of the music, because they first have to bypass
the mental filter of how they themselves would interpret that music.  I
prefer a tanda with a slightly less technically skilled follower who
immediately senses my musical interpretation.