[Tango-L] basics - "low leader's right arm" and "Waiter's tray" leader's left hand - origins?

[Brian Dunn]

----- Original Message ----
> From: Brian Dunn <brianpdunn at earthlink.net>
> 
> Potential functional advantages of an arm-around-the-leader's-waist
> embrace:
> 
> As long as we're discussing style, I invite similar non-judgmental
> speculation on how the "waiter-serving-drinks" horizontal position of the
> leader's left hand may have evolved - I have my own theories ;)
> 

Jack Dylan wrote:
>>>
Haha, I have both of these 'errors' and they evolved to correct other
errors.
<<<
To be clear, "errors" is YOUR word, not mine ;)  I am herewith seeking to
discover what insight a non-judgmental inquiry might yield.

>>>
I keep my right hand low, around the lady's waist, because it helps me to 
relax my right shoulder, which had a habit of tensing and lifting.
<<<
Ah, this is a different idea (and it tends to be my occasional choice as
well, especially in dances with larger-breasted women where the embrace
shifts during salon-style ochos ;) )

I initially referred to the *follower's* choice to apply some pressure on
the man's middle back, or on the back side of the man's "floating ribs".


>>>
And my left hand is horizontal because I had a habit of exerting forward 
pressure with that hand...And, yes, I know I shouldn't substitute one error
for another but, in my 
defence, both changes were made to make things more comfortable for 
my partner :-)
<<<
SOOOO may women have complained of their right hand being twisted or torque
by the man's hold with his left hand - holding your hand horizontal would
certainly be ONE way of telling such women from a distance that they will
not suffer in this way with you.  While there are other ways to make the
same I-won't-hurt-you point (hand always open, without grip, relaxed in the
natural more-or-less handshake position, but elevated with the forearm for
dancing) it appears to this observer that the horizontal "waiter's tray"
hand has become a Trend, especially among younger dancers.  I note that it
places additional strain on the ligaments from the leader's fingers to the
elbow, so it would be hard to call it natural. But since the forces involved
are small, like a developmental stretch in a warm-up, it probably doesn't
have the potential for long-term trauma that the swayback position has for
followers.

All the best,
Brian Dunn
Dance of the Heart
Boulder, Colorado USA
www.danceoftheheart.com
"Building a Better World, One Tango at a Time"


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