The Tango-L mailing list archive
Digest from 9 Jul 2000
to 10 Jul 2000
Reply-To: Discussion of Any Aspect of the Argentine Tango <TANGO-L @MITVMA.MIT.EDU>
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Date: Mon, 10 Jul 2000 03:00:04 -0400
Sender: Discussion of Any Aspect of the Argentine Tango <TANGO-L @MITVMA.MIT.EDU>
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Subject: TANGO-L Digest - 9 Jul 2000 to 10 Jul 2000 (#2000-188)
There are 2 messages totalling 122 lines in this issue.
Topics of the day:
1. Leading or not leading (was:tango hello, and then some)
2. tango hello, and then some
Date: Sun, 9 Jul 2000 14:24:38 +0200
From: andy Ungureanu <Andy.Ungureanu @T-ONLINE.DE>
Subject: Leading or not leading (was:tango hello, and then some)
Rico Lombard sugests, as far as I understood, the ladies should do more,
even lead the men.
I dont believe this is a far spread opinion, rather a very special one.
I have to put my point of view against it, maybe also a special one.
> However, when I
> teach tango and dance the womans part I find I am not able to execute the
> simple ocho with the same grace as with a tango master leading me.
This is the ultimate proof that leading is necessary!
> I think,however, that this
> is not the case, rather the woman is not able to properily execute the tango
> move on her own, and consequently she must find someone to blame for the
> lack of fluidity on the floor.
I dont believe the follower should do anything "on her own"!
> Imagine
> controling your partner ladies and telling him to move slowly when he is
> trying to fly across the dance floor, it is simple. Just use him as a post
> to dance around like a pole mounted in the ground, he can do nothing and you
> can still look fantastic on the floor at a molonga, if you have the ability
> within yourself to produce the tango you DREAM OF DANCING. A man is not
> necessary he is just an adornment a piece of jewelry for you to display.
Acting so, you may become a very lonely person.
> I remember dancing with a famous tanguera years ago and trying to lead her,
> she held my hand and used her touch to slow me down and she move around me
> like a goddess with wings always holding my position at bay never letting me
> move where I should not be. It was an incredible experience I will always be
> thankful for what I learned with her.
this may be OK for the "famous tanguera" dancing with a "normal" dancer,
but not for the average
one. Quod licet jovi non licet bovi.
A follower should follow and nothing else. If the leader does not lead,
there is nothing to do, especially no voleos, no ganchos, maybe some
embellishments.
If the follower allways does "something" the leader will never learn to
lead.
What the follower should learn, are very few movement elements, and a
lot of special qualities as: to be sensitive to the leading, to wait,
and not to anticipate.
Happy tangos
Andy
Date: Sun, 9 Jul 2000 23:03:41 +0000
From: Larry Carroll <larrydla @JUNO.COM>
Subject: tango hello, and then some
Thanks for your clear & thoughtful email, Judith.
Women should wait for men to give them a lead that
basically says "The ball is in your court. Take over." If
they do not get this lead, or if they are not sure that what
they feel IS the proper lead, they should continue being as
good a follower they can be.
The Dinzels teach one way to give this lead. The man does a
parada, takes his hand off her back, & leaves just his left
hand in place to help her keep her balance & connection to
him. She can do whatever she wants & when she is ready to
give the lead back to him she does something similar &
stops.
If he needs to, the man can always take control back before
she gives this signal. I sometimes have to do this because
some other couple is clearly headed on a collision course,
or because she is obviously ready to follow again but is not
sure how to give the lead back.
I do something that is a little more challenging. My
favorite partners & I still are not that good at it, but
we are getting better. That is, to share the lead to some
extent.
Before I do this with a partner I establish that I AM the
one and only leader. I do this by making sure my leading is
as good as it can be: a firm but flexible frame, good
timing of leads, use of the upper body as the major source
of leads, etc.
Then I relax my right arm. I may slide it from her back
down to her waist or the upper part of her hip, to her side
or thigh, or remove it entirely. At the same time I change
to a simple walk & steady all-SLOW rhythm. Then I "listen"
to her body language even more carefully than before. (I do
not, however, give up my responsibility to watch the
traffic flow & keep us safe).
This is always fun. And sometime amazing things happen -
usually (but not always!) good things.
Larry de Los Angeles
http://home.att.net/~larrydla
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End of TANGO-L Digest - 9 Jul 2000 to 10 Jul 2000 (#2000-188)
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