2465  On dancing close and close embrace dancing

Date: Thu, 27 May 2004 22:15:28 +0000
From: Oleh Kovalchuke <oleh_k@HOTMAIL.COM>
Subject: On dancing close and close embrace dancing

Basically the title says it all. Dancing close is not close embrace dancing.
I was reminded of this recently when I had danced with two "beginners" (6
and 9 months of dancing) with whom I had perfect connection and as a result
I was able to lead virtually all steps I know without any problems. Those
two dancers where highlights of two milongas to me. At the same milongas I
have danced with much more experienced dancers (three and more years) who
also followed all the steps but connection was rather poor.

The key difference was embrace. Caveat: many experienced followers dance in
close embrace, it just happened so that at those two particular milongas
prevalent style of my partners was dancing close. The perfect close embrace
to me is this: man's right hand reaches almost in the follower's armpit,
woman's left hand is where man's left shoulder meets the neck.
Here are two illustrations of what I am talking about:
https://www.close-embrace.com/southstreetseaport2052304/index.htm . Middle
column first row "close embrace" tango, underneath in the second row
"dancing close" tango.

Why is embrace important? In perfect embrace I never have to wrestle, try to
lead with my arms or shoulders. Our body axes are necessarily perfectly
aligned. All I have to worry about is shift in the common axis.

I assume the "dancing close" followers are students of open embrace
instructors they could be exceptional dancers, they simply have never
being taught the fundamentals of close embrace tango.


Cheers, Oleh K.
Colorado Springs
https://TangoSpring.com


PS Credit: the two "beginner" followers where students of Tom Stermitz
(Denver) and Robin (NY).

PPS It should be obvious from the above that if you wish to find a perfect
follower your chances will improve if you watch where her left hand rests.

PPPS If you would like to find many uniformly good close embrace dancers
you may wish to visit Santa Fe/Albuquerque milongas.