Re: [TANGO-L] Teachers who lead and follow

[Leonardo Kunkayo <leonardok@MAC.COM>]

I should enter into this discussion cautiously because I have had this
discussion in private over the years without any real conclusions. As
in most of these discussions here on Tango-L, they are based mostly in
supposition and limited to the speakers own experiences and not in
facts taken from the entire tango community. Solid fact would entail a
scientific study without biases.

And I freely admit my bias that I dance any dance because I wish to
lead not follow.

Women that lead and teach may do so out of necessity to the community
they are working in and I applaud them.

Observations I have made:

1. Women who lead at a milonga automatically get fewer invites from
male leaders to dance.
A majority end up sitting on the sidelines most of the time unless they
continue to ask for dances.  It appears, especially beginning and
intermediate, male leaders are very hesitant to ask for a dance.
Probably because of a lack of confidence or perhaps it is less
enjoyable.

2. Women who are in the process of learning to lead go through a
process of being poor followers. It has been my experience the follower
is sluggish in her response to marks and lead invites. Their following
skills seem to regress for at least a certain amount of time. I don't
know but think that such a student/teacher is processing. Thinking too
much. Maybe about what they would have led in place of what was being
lead. I just know that the dance does not feel right, sometimes stiff.
I can get more excitement out of leading the dance with a raw beginner
than an intermediate woman leader.

3. Women who have had many years of leading can be or are excellent
followers. I have had some very enjoyable dances with ladies in this
category although fewer than I would have liked. When switching roles
the more they have the ability to disassociate one task from the other
makes for more success.

My synopsis:
Men gain more improvement to their dance when they learn to follow than
women gain by learning to lead.
I also agree as someone said earlier, women make better followers and
men make better leaders probably because of the nature and hormones of
men and women making them better suited to the specific task.

Two leaders dancing can feel more like a fight than a dance. The
funniest exhibition I ever witnessed was when Ricardo Moncada of Austin
and Pablo Pugliese danced together.  Each one was fighting to gain the
lead over the other. The crowd was estatic with laughter and applause.

May your tango prosper,
Leonardo K.

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