4339  Backleading

Date: Tue, 30 May 2006 17:59:03 -0600
From: "Tango Mail" <tango@springssauna.com>
Subject: [Tango-L] Backleading
To: <tango-l@mit.edu>

I may have missed what and where this thread originated from, so I will assume it is a straight-up
question about what Backleading is.

Especially in the world of Ballroom dancing, backleading is something that the teacher, nearly almost in this case
a female, does to the student. She will do a figure or set of steps and cause the man's frame to do what is
necessary for her to do the move and or steps that she now does of her own will.
Putting it into the tango world assume a man does not know how to lead back ochos while walking; the follower could
tell him to simply walk to the beat of the music, or even disregard music, while the follower does back ochos on their
own trying to time them to the "leaders" steps whilst turning the "leaders" frame so that he can get a feel for what is
needed in order to lead such a move and sequence of steps. With some leaders this helps build, what I believe is
referred to as, kinetic memory. Muscle memory through going through a sequence of motions. It, in some cases, then
comes easier for the leader to mimic those motions, rather than just having observed or having been verbally told what
to do.

JK of CS