[Tango-L] Some thoughts on connection

[Pat Petronio]

Words are powerful in influencing behaviour. 
"Leading" & "following" can create a different mindset to "inviting" & "responding", when it comes the relationship that a man & woman develop in the embrace.   How these words are understood and interpreted can easily lead dancers down the path to the sometimes-heard phrase, "the woman just follows in tango". Unfortunately, this attitude removes responsibility for the dance from the woman, carrying implications such as: not having to develop good skills and not needing to listen to the music.  It can also bestow in the man an attitude of "whatever he says goes".  None of these contributes to good connection.
Pat


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Michael" <tangomaniac at cavtel.net>
To: "Pat Petronio" <petronio at adam.com.au>; <tango-l at mit.edu>
Cc: "Michael" <tangomaniac at cavtel.net>
Sent: Saturday, November 13, 2010 3:40 PM
Subject: Re: [Tango-L] Some thoughts on connection


> 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