[Tango-L] Some thoughts on connection

[Michael]

Pat:
Think of a lead as an invitation to step. A man holds a door open for a 
woman to step through. He doesn't shove her through the doorway. The woman 
knows to step through without the man even holding her hand. There's nothing 
wrong with the terms "leading" and "following." It's how you define them 
that matters.

Michael
I danced Argentine Tango --with the Argentines

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Pat Petronio" <petronio at adam.com.au>
To: <tango-l at mit.edu>
Sent: Friday, November 12, 2010 7:49 PM
Subject: Re: [Tango-L] Some thoughts on connection


> Hi fellow tangueros,
>
> I find the following point made by Bob most thought-provoking of all:
>
>> 4.       To achieve connection in tango, the man & the woman need to 
>> dance
>> as equals.
>
> Although I fully subscribe to the traditional roles in this dance (the man
> proposes, etc.), the terminology of "leading" and "following" are
> unfortunately quite misleading. Though I'm at a loss to suggest something
> better. These commonly used terms clearly suggest dominance & 
> subservience,
> superiority and inferiority.
>
> In my opinion the dance has the potential to be at its best, with real
> connection, when people come together with a mindset that they are equal 
> and
> will be respected as an equal, regardless of their respective experience.
> Each "listens" to the other and "responds" with respect to the other 
> during
> the tanda which they share.
>
> Pat
>
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