Re: [TANGO-L] Perfect Apilado Position

[Igor Polk <ipolk@VIRTUAR.COM>]

"She is not on her own balance."

Yes, she is. Her axis is not vertical, but balance and vertical axis are two
very different things commonly misunderstood. Balance is not verticality.
Balance is the ability to maintain a position.

In Apilado Position she is very much responsible for maintaining the balance
as well as the man. But exactly the same can be said about open embrace! It
is especially felt in molinetes, when unified axis of rotation of the couple
if vividly present. If she is not maintaining the shared axis of rotation,
the couple falls apart! Her own axis in open embrace is mostly vertical,
yes. And she maintains the balance of her axis without relying on the man's
hands. Mostly....

By the way, one of the way of leading molinetes in open embrace is tilting
the man's axis.


In apilado the shared axis is felt stronger. It is always present. But at
the same time she has her own axis. Her axis is not vertical. It is tilted
toward me, but it is hers. Axis is an imaginary line around which her body
rotates. But in order to dance in Apilado this axis must become material.
She is responsible for maintaining it, otherwise the couple will fall down,
because the balance of the couple is the balance of the two individual
axises tilted toward each other.

How she maintains the axis and her position in this Apilado geometrical
figure? She pushes from the floor with her legs into the man's chest. This
is number one. If she releases this push, she will hang which is wrong.
Number two. The man must lead, and this is not the step!!! Not the
movement!!! It can not be perceived with an eye! If you believe that the
lead is the movement of your chest ( oh, boy how you are wrong!!!) you will
not be able to lead in Apilado. At least for the obvious reason that she can
not see you.
And she must react to this lead.... Then the dance becomes the easiest and
most pleasant thing in the world!


Man does not hold her. It looks like, but the reality is different. Our
bodies create and maintain a geometrical figure within which we dance. And
she is responsible for maintaining this figure the same way as a man. Even
more. Otherwise we will get what you describe:
A man holds her, she hangs on him, man have to push excessively to be able
to move losing sensitivity and she is blocking movements. This is not the
features of the style, but the signs that the style is not mastered yet.

Igor Polk

-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Send "Where can I Tango in <city>?" requests to Tango-A rather than to
Tango-L, since you can indicate the region. To subscribe to Tango-A,
send "subscribe Tango-A Firstname Lastname" to LISTSERV@MITVMA.MIT.EDU.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------