Re: [TANGO-L] Community Development- "contra the wet noodle syndrome"

[astrid <astrid @RUBY.PLALA.OR.JP>]

I know how you feel. However, the wet noodle syndrome needs to be grown out
of gradually. It is just, that some teachers never seem to point out the
necessity of this...
By the way, today I took a New Year's walk along a river in Tokyo. I watched
a man practising karate formations on the grass. Even though he did not look
like much of a fighter (or maybe he was too embarrassed, or just too sloppy,
to go full form in public), I noticed something interesting about his walk,
when he practised the forward approach (step, punch, step, punch, step,
punch, alternating legs and arms): he had his pelvis lowered about 2 inches
toward the ground, stood firmly on both legs, then slowly moved one leg
forward, keeping his foot close to the ground (maybe one cm above, just
brushing the grass near the roots, keeping both knees bent, accelerating the
front foot towards the end of the step, putting it down softly, then moving
the other foot, propelling himself forward faster on the hindleg from the
middle of the step, keeping his back straight, never loosing his balance or
giving up his groundedness...
Sound familiar ? Martial arts people have a definite edge over other
beginners in tango. Skiers do too, I assume. The rest need to be made aware
of the fact, that, permit my rudeness (slight bow, peering out
apologetically from behind lowered eyelashes), they usually do feel like wet
noodles.
Astrid


Luda wrote:
 Any woman can follow a good
> lead. I just despair over dancing with wet noodle
> leads. It feels like dancing with men who don't have
> any backbone, so they can hold on to a woman like they
> mean it.
>