252  Men following

Date: Mon, 1 Oct 2001 00:05:14 -0700
From: clayton beach <akumushi@ONEBOX.COM>
Subject: Men following

In response to Larry's last e-mail I would like to share something I
recently spoke about with a friend. First, I'd like to commend Larry
for his input, and I'll second the notion that the man should be in tune
with the woman and her needs.
The lead may initiate a movement, but it is how the follow reacts to
his initiation that dictates his next course of actions; not just whatever
he feels like doing.
If there is some miscommunication, no matter whose fault it is, the man
must react to how the woman is moving. Once she has reacted to his lead,
HE must FOLLOW her reaction.
In order for the tango to work, both partners should feel where the other
is, both partners should follow and react to the other's movement, and
both partners have a responsiblity to be sensitive to one another's balance.
For every lead that thinks of the woman as a "meat puppet" (which an
alarmingly large sum of them do) there is a follow who hangs on him and
acts like the lead's responsibility is to take her for a ride; to make
her "look good."
Couples that dance well together and look good do so because they feel
and respect one another, and they respond to each other's movement gracefully.
You must be comfortable with your own dance and be in control of your
own center before you can dance with someone without compromising your
and your own partner's balance.
I'm sure we can all think of at least one lead who has been ostracized
for bad behavior, and we leads avoid uncomfortable follows.
It is the responsibility of experienced dancers to respect the level
of who they are dancing with, and let them feel as comfortable as possible.
This will ensure that our community grows as a whole, and that people
stick with the dance instead of leaving it frustrated. In the long run,
this will make the dance more enjoyable for us all.
--
Clayton Beach
San Diego, CA