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

[rhink2@netscape.net]

Well, that's an interesting question.

Ballroom dancers, to my knowledge, rarely complain about difficulty 
"traveling" as they say.  They do complain about stepping on toes and 
tangled feet.

Tangueros, on the other hand, do complain about walking, and it can be 
difficult.

Contrasting the two forms, with A. tango, at least some styles of A. 
tango, walking is done without offset in a single track while with 
ballroom dance walking is performed with each partner offset in double 
tracks, quadruple tracks if you count the partner.  So tango dancers in 
effect are dancing on a balance beam.  What's more, they are dancing on 
a balance beam pushing on each other. On every step there is a 
compression and release felt in the chest.  Ballroom dancers experience 
some compression and release, but it's coming through the frame (i.e. 
the arms).  The arms can give a little to absorb the shock; the chest 
cannot.

To make the distinction between ballroom and tango clearer, some of my 
most unpleasant experiences dancing A. tango have been with ballroom 
dancers who use ballroom posture and  technique while dancing A. tango. 
  On more than one occasion, I have come close to landing on top of my 
partner on the floor as she leans back pulling me over.  Now that I'm 
older and wiser when I find myself with a ballroom dancer, I brace 
myself by getting my weight back.

Bob
San Francisco