[Tango-L] the fear of close embrace

[Trini y Sean (PATangoS)]

I agree with Jeff.  It seems that there is a lot of projection going on in this thread, some of which may be accurate.  A sense of "judgement" seems to underlie this discussion, as if one is better than the other.  That doesn't help anything.  It is what it is.

There are some people who only dance well in open-embrace.  It doesn't mean that there's a fear of close embrace.  Even if it does, so what?  Let them dance open.

Trini de Pittsburgh


--- On Tue, 9/21/10, Jeff <jjg at jqhome.net> wrote:

> From: Jeff <jjg at jqhome.net>
> Subject: Re: [Tango-L] the fear of close embrace
> To: tango-l at mit.edu
> Date: Tuesday, September 21, 2010, 6:22 PM
> On 09/17/2010 08:38 AM, macfroggy at aol.com
> wrote:
> >

> Ok, I'll play Devil's Advocate. In many cultures --
> including 
> Anglo-Saxon ones -- respecting personal space is the most
> basic way to 
> show you acknowledge that the other person is indeed a
> person. Crossing 
> into somebody's personal space without their permission is
> one of the 
> easiest ways to register contempt for them. In many
> cultures (including 
> the US) invading someone's personal space is exactly how to
> pick a 
> fight. So yes, in other countries it might not been seen in
> the same 
> way, but the fact of the matter is that this is strongly
> ingrained for a 
> good reason and if the dancers are having a hard time
> overcoming it, it 
> is most likely due to the fact they are showing very polite
> and 
> respectful treatment of their partner, which is a good
> thing. Your 
> assessment that they are "afraid of the embrace" 
> strikes me as fatuous 
> and culturally grievously insensitive. I'm all for
> understanding and 
> embracing other cultures, but it should work both ways,
> shouldn't it?
>