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

[Alexis Cousein]

On 17/06/2011 19:24, rhink2 at netscape.net wrote:
> 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.

You generalise too much: there are many, many possible
Argetine tango embraces (even an open one in which the
mechanics you ascribe to ballroom dances are used)
and even at least two different ways of leading a woman
to step even in the most basic of salidas.

Not only are we allowed the freedom to choose, we are
even allowed to switch from one embrace to another one
that works completely different within one dance!

But you realise that, of course: you wrote
"at least some styles of A. tango". But even
in these styles, I would object to your description
of compression/release and the impossibility of
the chest connection to give. It's all a matter of
knowing how smoothly to build up the movement...