[Tango-L] Why is it so hard to walk?

[Myk Dowling]

On 17/06/11 08:15, Alexis Cousein wrote:
> On 16/06/2011 23:13, Sharon Pedersen wrote:
>> I've been watching some new leaders in our community, and they struggle with
>> walking.  Huge steps leading with their legs, or holding themselves in an
>> awkward contorted stance and walking with always-bent legs, or taking very
>> wide steps when walking forwards, or being unable to coordinate to a
>> relatively slow beat and having to hover the foot in the air waiting for the
>> beat to catch up before putting it down.  Why is it so hard for people to
>> walk?
> Because walking *in an embrace* requires trust. Trust that the
> follower will move out of the way, to name just one thing. Also,
> if you don't tell them the embrace is not something you should break
> and what that entails, they may not turn to the follower when e.g.
> stepping outside and Things Will Not Work.
Trust is difficult to build when neither the leader nor the follower 
know what they're doing. A leader whose first attempt at leading 
properly ends in the followers toes being stepped on finds it hard to 
start leading properly. The solution? Don't let beginners dance with 
beginners.

Obviously, that's not always a workable solution, but seeding 
experienced dancers into a beginners class does help significantly.

Myk,
in Canberra