Re: [TANGO-L] Tango Styles II and Arms = Question

[Susan Munoz <susanmunoz @9dotsolutions.com>]

Several weeks ago I asked the question "..... Speaking of arms, can
someone please address this:  When Susana Miller led me, she had her arm
crossed over the top of her head (at least it felt that way). "  Joanne
Pogros asked: "Susan, please explain what you mean by this description.
I never saw Susana Miller dance with "her arm crossed over the top of
her head".

I didn't receive any responses on Tango-L (save a couple of private
E-mails for purposes of clarification) because first of all I don't
think I articulated it very well [it was her left arm that I had
reference to] and second, it's hard to visualize so when I went to St.
Louis for another workshop with Susana over the 4th and again we took
several hours of privates, I had the opportunity to ask her about this
to which she responded (paraphrased).  "Who know?!  You are much taller
than I.  I could have been leading you as I felt the music or to test if
you were just following or if you were dancing 'with' me or how you were
doing with the music.  Keep me mind, that with the lead I teach, that I
move contra-body and my shoulders may be coming in what feels like a
slithering or snake-like fashion.  With you being much taller than I, I
may have moved my arm in, up or around, or whatever I was feeling with
the music at the time."

What I have found since then is that leaders of taller stature than I
have attempted it and it feels weird (i.e., it doesn't work = awful); a
couple guys of much shorter stature than I, however, have a similar lead
and it feels unbelievably awesome (to me -- and that's all I can speak
to).  So, in this case....... height perhaps makes a difference but I
think it's something that's got to be natural.  At any rate, she led me
again several times in privates and I experienced the same thing.  My
partner, watching it, said, her left arm is moving and everything is
contra-body and is with the music and sometimes is up and is sometimes
up and over.  What I do know for sure is that her arm is not in a fixed
position out to the side.

Hope this helped to clarify.

Susan