[Tango-L] Following

[WILL MORROW]

Shahrukh,
Thanks for your thoughtfully articulated response to my post.
To clarify, the general statement/concept that I take issue with is that
the man (leader) has a much harder job in the dance than the woman
(follower).
My objection to that thought is not limited to tango. For example, in
certain sports activities, a similar dialogue regarding offense versus
defense occurs. Of course, this duality is in many places, so I'm sure
you get the idea.
With that in mind, your suggestion that some of the words I used may
indicate some sort of psychological connection to an individual's sense
of self worth probably has a certain amount or merit, although that
isn't what I was thinking about when I wrote it. What I was thinking
about is this: If a person has much respect for the role of lead and
less respect for the role of follow, what is to come of their dance when
they follow? Will this sense of admiration create an accompanying sense
of expectation that the leader in the dance may or may not be able to
meet? I think a person who is going to seriously learn this dance would,
at some point, determine for themselves, what level of proficiency they
intend to achieve. While we know this is not a requirement to simply
participate in the dance, we know that without it, as in any endeavor
that requires mastering a level of technical proficiency, there are a
lot of people who have 'tried it and don't do it any more' or perform at
a mediocre level.
Thank you for asking for my opinion. I disagree with the idea that the
role of the leader is (categorically) harder, or even more complicated,
than the role of the follower. I believe they are equal in difficulty
and complexity, although the nuances are unique to each role. I don't
feel I am qualified at this point (and probably won't ever be) to
adequately articulate those nuances as to do them justice. Of course, I
can state the obvious, elementary things we are all aware of -
musicality, clarity, floorcraft, etc. for the leader/ collecting,
waiting, walking backwards - in 3" heels, interpreting a different
inflection of the vocabulary with each dance, etc. for the follower.
However, the subtleties required to take either role to the next level
are much harder to grasp, and, as such, serve as levels of separation in
understanding as well as skill level.
One more item. The person I regard as my "teacher" teaches me tango -
not lead, not follow, not to cap the level of dance I want to achieve by
limiting it to particular role play. I have instructors that teach me to
lead, follow, put together figures, mark steps, develop technique, etc.
I appreciate that tango has made such varied resources available to me.
 
W