[TANGO-L] Larrydla's comments - 2

["Larry E. Carroll" <larrydla @JUNO.COM>]

LEADING/FOLLOWING

In my comments on leading/following I put the process under a
microscope & talked quite a bit about the details of the process.
Now I want to go to the other extreme & speak as simply as possible.

The most important part of dancing is your connection to your
partner.  Connection is physical, which includes (thanks Barbara)
your posture and balance and frame.  It's also spiritual: focusing
your mind and heart and attention on your partner.  Both partners
must have a good connection; the world's best leader can't do a damn
thing if his partner has a rotten connection to him - and vice versa.

You must practice so much that you DON'T THINK when you dance.
Thinking & analysis is crucial when practicing.  It's poison when you
dance.  You must "walk the miles" to be a good dancer, there is no
shortcut.  After enough time (which varies from person to person),
you will find you simply pay attention to your partner and your
fellow dancers and to the music, and the music will take you over and
dance you.

Talking about the leader following his partner is a rotten way to
describe leading.  Instead I say: know what you want, be sensitive to
your partner, and adapt to her.  But foremost, know what you want and
be decisive.  It is her job to follow you, not yours to follow her.
You can not do her job, you can only do yours.  That is what being
partners means, that you both have different responsibilies.

DRESSING

At a milonga in a foreign country dress the way the others dress, or
even more conservatively.  But when you are at home in the comfort of
the milonga you go to all the time, dress the way that makes you
happy.  If someone else thinks it makes you look like a tart or a slob,
to hell with them.

THE CABECO

That's the way they do it in Buenos Aires.  Do it that way there, or
you will not have any good dances - unless you are so stunningly
gorgeous and such a terrific dancer that you can ignore customs.
After a few hours of discomfort (unless you are totally dense or
inflexible) it becomes to feel natural, and you can have a great
time.

Here in the US I never strike up conversations with a strange woman
at a dance before asking her to dance.  If she seems interested in
dancing & friendly, I walk up to her, smile, on rare occasions say a
single sentence that establishes that I'm friendly, & hold out my
hand with a question in my eyes.

Almost never do I get turned down (and not because I am totally
gorgeous!).  Then when we dance I do my damndest to not only have a
good time myself, but to ensure she does also so that she will dance
with me the next time I ask her to dance.

THE AUTHENTIC WAY TO DANCE THE TANGO

In Argentina I respect all their customs, of action and dress and
dance style.  But elsewhere I do not care.  All this stuff about
imitating the wonderful Argentines is crap.  Tango is a world dance.
I will not be a slave to Buenos Aires .

Speaking of BsAs, if you have not been there, be aware that
different milongas have their own minicultures.  In some places every
man comes in shirt sleeves and women in modest everyday dress.  In
others they dress up, in others yet they dress funky.  Some places
most everyone dances close, in others dancing with your bodies
touching is vulgar, and where Gustavo and Fabian and Chicho hang out
they often do what used to be called nuevo tango.

In practicas you are usually there to work and gym clothes are OK.
Also the cabeco is not used; you are all there to work and with rare
exceptions you are expected to dance with strangers.  And you are
expected to make mistakes because you are pushing the envelope of
your skills; there is no indignity about mistakes.  In fact, perfect
dancers are probably too gutless to risk error.

AAARGH!

There just went a couple of hours away from my latest novel!  TANGO-L
is a disease!  I need a doctor!

        Larry de Los Angeles
        http://larrydla.home.att.net

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