Re: [TANGO-L] Perfect Apilado Position

[Bill King <Euroking@AOL.COM>]

I agree that balance  and axis are not synonymous in any way except that they 
are intertwined when two  people join to dance.   
First, when we walk  alone we have to maintain balance or we fall. This is 
dynamic and is directly  related to a vertical axis, i.e. it moves and it is 
ours. This axis is vertical  and remains perpendicular to the floor to our center 
of mass (COM).   If we lean forward or back, our  COM moves correspondingly 
and the axis moves away from our feet.  If we get our center of mass too far  
from where our feet can maintain stability, we fall.   
If we join together  to dance we either have to maintain our separate balance 
as we do in a open  embrace or we have to share, or rely on each other to 
maintain balance, which we  do to varying degrees in closed embrace or apilado.  
When we lean towards each other and move  together, we share an axis.  We can  
share that axis 50-50, 90-10, 10 â90 or a combination thereof.   If we, each 
try or maintain  sufficient control over our position and balance we are 
sharing but do not truly  have or are we moving on a single shared axis.  In close 
embrace and definitely in  apilado we are truly sharing a single axis which, 
depending on how much we are  sharing of the axis will lets us feel either 
rather comfortable or bullied,  depending on t\the sharing balance.  In other 
words, if both are sharing the axis roughly 50-50 (and this will  vary with each 
different step or movement, however ideally you want to keep the  variance 
minimal) the dance will be smooth and mutually comforting, as you will  be moving 
as one. 
The problem arises  when the sharing is not equally.  The picture with 
Susanna Miller (which I will assume is pr photo as  opposed to and actual dance 
photo) appears to show an unequal distribution,  which IMHO will require the lead 
to physically (not necessarily with brut force,  although with a much less 
experience follow in that same position might be  needed) move the follow with 
some force. This is because the lead must move the  follows COM before the 
follow can take over. Since the follow is relying more  heavily on the lead 
maintaining the shared axis, the follow must be physically  moved.  True what appears 
to be  something in Tango is often an illusion and from the better dancers 
this  illusion is what makes the dance so appealing and visually beautiful.  To 
beginners or someone not as  proficient, the illusion of the good is the 
reality of the poor and comfort is  lost and with it the enjoyment. 
I apologize for the  over-analyzing and truly appreciate the reality that 
these issues are spoken or  analyzed in reality but experienced.  We donât need 
break everything down to its separate parts we just dance  and adapted or in 
worse case scenarios avoid. 
Just some  thoughts, 
Bill  in Seattle

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