324  Men dancing with men

Date: Thu, 29 Nov 2001 16:24:34 GMT
From: Michael <tangomaniac@JUNO.COM>
Subject: Men dancing with men

I've read a number of posts dealing with same-gender dancing. One reason is to learn and dance better and the other is to fight boredom waiting to be asked to dance at milongas.

I used to think that learning to follow was a waste of time. I'll never forget the day I changed my mind. For months, my teacher said "Michael, wait for the woman. Where are you going without her?" I thought I understood that the woman moves first and I follow a split second later but it was obvious I didn't understand UNTIL one day at my teacher's group lessson a woman led me in ochos. She was stepping side to side WITHOUT waiting for me to pivot and step in the opposite direction. Now I knew what women meant when they said "he's sweeping the floor with me." After that experience, I definitely learned what it meant to "wait for the woman." The only way I learned was to follow!!

Whenever I have difficulty learning a figure, I ask my teacher (a man) to lead me in the figure. I'm able to feel what the woman should feel when I lead.

A good part of dancing is becoming self-aware. Between yoga and following at my private lessons, I've enhanced my leading skills.

Men who think following is easy don't have a clue how difficult it is if the lead is terrible. I remember attending Tango Locura in Montreal a few years ago with Daniel Trenner. He had same sex partners in one class. I was going to follow another man. He switched his weight from one foot to the other and back. I followed his weight changes. He asked "Why are you doing that (weight changes)?" I said "Because you are."

Michael
Living in Washington, DC
Loving to dance tango in New York


I'd rather be dancing argentine tango

Date: Mon, 3 Dec 2001 11:29:28 +1000
From: A Athanassiou & A B Reid <athanass@OZEMAIL.COM.AU>
Subject: Re: Men dancing with men

In the Brisbane Tango community we have the opposite problem - not enough
men. As such it is rare to have two men dancing together, which is a very
great shame. A couple of years ago the director of our dance studio asked
me to take over the beginner students as the classes were getting too
numerous for all the instructors to handle.

The two best things that ever happened for my Tango was going back a
re-focusing on the basic principles of balance and walking ... AND best of
all .... dancing the woman's part. This gave me the clearest aspect of how
the the man communicates movement to the woman. It highlights every
possible mistake you can imagine and allows you the best understanding of
how to improve your leading.

Michael, I dance the woman's part whenever I can and i urge you to continue.

Arthur
Brisbane.


----- Original Message -----

Sent: Friday, November 30, 2001 2:24 AM
Subject: Men dancing with men

> I've read a number of posts dealing with same-gender dancing. One reason

is to learn and dance better and the other is to fight boredom waiting to be
asked to dance at milongas.

>
> I used to think that learning to follow was a waste of time. I'll never

forget the day I changed my mind. For months, my teacher said "Michael, wait
for the woman. Where are you going without her?" I thought I understood that
the woman moves first and I follow a split second later but it was obvious I
didn't understand UNTIL one day at my teacher's group lessson a woman led me
in ochos. She was stepping side to side WITHOUT waiting for me to pivot and
step in the opposite direction. Now I knew what women meant when they said
"he's sweeping the floor with me." After that experience, I definitely
learned what it meant to "wait for the woman." The only way I learned was to
follow!!

>
> Whenever I have difficulty learning a figure, I ask my teacher (a man) to

lead me in the figure. I'm able to feel what the woman should feel when I
lead.

>
> A good part of dancing is becoming self-aware. Between yoga and following

at my private lessons, I've enhanced my leading skills.

>
> Men who think following is easy don't have a clue how difficult it is if

the lead is terrible. I remember attending Tango Locura in Montreal a few
years ago with Daniel Trenner. He had same sex partners in one class. I was
going to follow another man. He switched his weight from one foot to the
other and back. I followed his weight changes. He asked "Why are you doing
that (weight changes)?" I said "Because you are."

>
> Michael
> Living in Washington, DC
> Loving to dance tango in New York
>
>
> I'd rather be dancing argentine tango
>