326  Women Leaders

Date: Wed, 28 Nov 2001 19:06:01 EST
From: Robert Madrigal <LekkerP@AOL.COM>
Subject: Re: Women Leaders

Ingrid,

I somewhat late in responding to your original posting and have noted the
wave of varied responses since then.

I do favor women learning to lead and have taught a number of women to do so.
Many have enjoyed the insight of not only the difficulties of navigation, but
the need to "pre-lead" as well as develop good interpretive skills.
"Pre-lead" is the conveying of the next step or portion of movement in
advance of execution. This smoothes out any hesitation on a followers part
and gives a very elegant and even movement.

This technique is quite manageable for my 5'-6", 110 lb dance partner. I'm
six feet and 80 plus pound heavier, but as we both are well balanced she does
not need strength, but needs to convey good body control' that is clear
weight shift change, good definition of open and/or closed "rib".

For those that wish to dabble with lead technique I can recommend the
exchange of lead and follow during a number. There are various ways where a
woman can take over the lead during a dance and create a challenge for the
leader, now made follower. The two of us have fun with this.

Try this as follower. At a freno or parada as your partner brings you to your
axis to pass over his foot, simply stop and bring your trailing leg back to
"fourth position" or support while bringing your partner forward and watch
the expression as the leader takes up the challenge.

If you or others wish to experiment, try the "sandwich game" as demonstrated
on one of Daniel Trenner's video tapes. It's a great way to develop lead
technique, balance, but also bring back the fun and improvisation back to the
dance.

There are other movements that are ideal to make and exchange and I find this
method somewhat easier than traveling the difficult road of a leader.
Remember, it take leaders about three times longer, if not more to learn
enough to become somewhat competent.

cheers
Robert
Santa Fe, NM

Date: Sat, 1 Dec 2001 01:10:10 +0900
From: astrid <astrid@RUBY.PLALA.OR.JP>
Subject: Re: Women leaders

Robert wrote:
...she does

> not need strength, but needs to convey good body control' that is clear
> weight shift change, good definition of open and/or closed "rib".

I think, I understand "open rib", but what kind of posture is "closed rib" ?

>
> Try this as follower. At a freno or parada as your partner brings you to

your

> axis to pass over his foot, simply stop and bring your trailing leg back

to

> "fourth position" or support while bringing your partner forward and watch
> the expression as the leader takes up the challenge.
>

Do you mean, the woman should perform a meneo or "boleo abajo" at a parada
after a giro, or simply step back after standing in the parada position in
front of the leader, without being led, and stop there, and see what happens
after "challenging"
him like this ?

I know "creative" leaders, who like an interplay with the woman and might
enjoy this, but I also know men who control the entire dance, and do it very
well, who would find this disruptive, I think.

My (very macho) teacher brought me down into a low, wide meneo from a
parada, and when I had
straightened myself from that position, I spontaneously extended the move
into running my
loose leg high up his thigh. He did not complain. On the contrary.
Gavito is right. There is are a few ways for a woman to "catch them off
guard", where she does not have to be passive, but it has to be done in the
right way.

Astrid

Date: Fri, 6 Aug 2004 16:16:51 +0000
From: Oleh Kovalchuke <oleh_k@HOTMAIL.COM>
Subject: On conversation of movement, good women leaders and empathy

Frank G. Williams wrote:

It's so disappointing to mark steps that give the follower latitude to
interpret a lovely song and then... she totally ignores the opportunity. In
the 'conversation of movement' she not only misses your straight line, she
doesn't know you're listening for a come-back.

Lois Donnay wrote:

I see many more women who are good leaders than men who are good followers.
[There could be many reasons for this including the one below - OK]

I wrote:

"Connection" part of tango is much harder to learn. Understanding how your
partner perceives the dance and complementing / enhancing his/her tango...
Not everyone is able to reach this level of connection ... because not
everyone is capable to empathize. It is well known that most women empathize
much easier than men. Maybe that is why it takes men longer to become a good
social dancer.


I think we are writing about the same thing.

Cheers, Oleh K.
http://TangoSpring.com - 15 days till Tango in the Park milonga in Colorado
Springs