2214  How do you have "that talk" with your guests and student s?

Date: Thu, 5 Feb 2004 13:24:22 GMT
From: michael <tangomaniac@JUNO.COM>
Subject: Re: How do you have "that talk" with your guests and student s?

Astrid:
You are correct in what you wrote below. However, the FIRST rule for a leader is PROTECT HIS PARTNER. Protection is more important than ganchos, boleos, and any other figure. Talking is NOT going to change the attitude of some dancers who feel "I paid $10. I'll do whatever what I want regardless if somebody gets in the way." These dancers have to learn there are consequences (to themselves) for injuring others because of their carelessness. I'm not even convinced these dancers understand it was their fault because they are not paying attention. And now we can begin talking about dancers who dance memorized patterns regardless of traffic conditions on the floor.
One of these days I'll write about men who play "tango poker" on the dance floor because of competitive drives.

Michael
Waiting for the ice to melt in Washington


I'd rather be dancing argentine tango

-- astrid <astrid@RUBY.PLALA.OR.JP> wrote:

Whoa, Michael, I am discovering a whole new side of you. I used to see you as this bashful gentleman who tells the followers:"Don't be afraid, I also am not such a great dancer, just relax...", something along that line, if I recall correctly. Now you seem to suggest that a background in military training, martial arts or plain old mud wrestling might come in handy in the open combat of a milonga...; )

Astrid

Date: Fri, 6 Feb 2004 16:02:58 -0800
From: Marisa Holmes <mariholmes@YAHOO.COM>
Subject: Re: How do you have "that talk" with your guests and student s?

--- michael <tangomaniac@JUNO.COM> wrote:

> the FIRST rule for a leader is PROTECT HIS PARTNER.

And the second is like unto it: thou shalt love thy
neighbor as thyself.

Seriously, I think you should protect your partner,
but I also think you should protect the other guy's
partner - and the other guy. If you've got to discuss
with him, go ahead and discuss - off the floor. I
personally do not dance with leaders who run into me
or my partner more frequently than is common, or even
those who lead moves which induce their followers to
strike or kick us You can imagine whether I would
dance with a leader who attacked my partner, creating
a situation in which both leaders and both followers
are put into an incredibly difficult social situation
and the moment is destroyed for all of us.

Marisa