5485  If not thinking, and besides the music, what are

Date: Tue, 22 Jan 2008 08:29:19 -0800 (PST)
From: Mario <sopelote@yahoo.com>
Subject: [Tango-L] If not thinking, and besides the music, what are
you paying attention to?
To: tango-l@mit.edu

I have been told by one teacher "What do you care about where the woman's feet are?"

..and reading here, have seen " a leader should always know where the woman is, where her weight/feet are.."

... is that what smooth improvising dancers are paying attention to? or what?? thanks


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Date: Wed, 23 Jan 2008 02:19:38 +0900
From: "Astrid" <astrid@ruby.plala.or.jp>
Subject: Re: [Tango-L] If not thinking, and besides the music, what
are you paying attention to?
To: "Mario" <sopelote@yahoo.com>, <tango-l@mit.edu>

>I have been told by one teacher "What do you care about where the woman's
>feet are?"
>
> ..and reading here, have seen " a leader should always know where the
> woman is, where her weight/feet are.."
>
> ... is that what smooth improvising dancers are paying attention to? or
> what?? thanks
>

You teacher sounds a little strange but I think, he may have been scolding
you for looking at the floor, no? Of course the man has to know where the
woman's feet and the rest her is, so that he won't step on her and can lead
her exactly from where she is. A good dancer can feel where she is. This is
certainly not limited to improvisation.

Date: Tue, 22 Jan 2008 09:51:19 -0800 (PST)
From: Tango For Her <tangopeer@yahoo.com>
Subject: Re: [Tango-L] If not thinking, and besides the music, what
are you paying attention to?
To: tango-l@mit.edu


--- Mario <sopelote@yahoo.com> wrote:

> I have been told by one teacher "What do you care
> about where the woman's feet are?"
>
> ..and reading here, have seen " a leader should
> always know where the woman is, where her
> weight/feet are.."
>
> ... is that what smooth improvising dancers are
> paying attention to? or what?? thanks
>

You don't need to watch her feet and she doesn't need
to watch yours.

When your follower is at rest, a rule of thumb is that
each foot is under each side of her chest. Ya, it
sounds obvious. But, that is the reference point.

You want to know where you are leading her to step.

You want to give her room during front moves, front
ochoes, boleos, etc.

You want to develop a feel for what type of
embellishment she is doing. There is a lot to this
...

There is the communication of waiting until she is
done. Of course, she has to be ready to go if/when
you decide to move along.

As for more on embellishments, maybe Astrid, or
someone else could elaborate.

If you are leading a drag, then, I sure hope you know
where her foot is.

In my post, Walk Like a Homosapien, I explain that
understanding followers technique, and learning to
lead from that understanding, will give you a great
understanding of exactly where her feet should be.





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Date: Tue, 22 Jan 2008 13:17:51 -0800 (PST)
From: steve pastor <tang0man2005@yahoo.com>
Subject: Re: [Tango-L] If not thinking, and besides the music, what
are you paying attention to?
To: Astrid <astrid@ruby.plala.or.jp>, Mario <sopelote@yahoo.com>,
tango-l@mit.edu

Well, yes, the man should know where the woman's feet. Many instructors
never add that the woman can (and I would say should) learn how to make
it easier for the man to feel where her feet are. And, obviously, then, the
women aren't taught how to clearly convey where their feet are.
This is done non verbally, of course, and the man "feels" where her feet
are, rather than knowing intellectually.
This is where it becomes crucial to have instructors that know what terms
like "axis" mean, and can convey that knowledge to their students.
At that point, if the woman steps only under her own body, as does the man
(in general, but with many exceptions), you can make your dance very
improvisational.


Astrid <astrid@ruby.plala.or.jp> wrote:

>I have been told by one teacher "What do you care about where the woman's
>feet are?"
>
> ..and reading here, have seen " a leader should always know where the
> woman is, where her weight/feet are.."
>
> ... is that what smooth improvising dancers are paying attention to? or
> what?? thanks
>

You teacher sounds a little strange but I think, he may have been scolding
you for looking at the floor, no? Of course the man has to know where the
woman's feet and the rest her is, so that he won't step on her and can lead
her exactly from where she is. A good dancer can feel where she is. This is
certainly not limited to improvisation.




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Date: Tue, 22 Jan 2008 18:08:51 -0800 (PST)
From: Ming Mar <ming_mar@yahoo.com>
Subject: [Tango-L] If not thinking
To: tango-l@mit.edu

Mario <sopelote@yahoo.com> writes:

>I have been told by one teacher "What do you care
>about where the woman's feet are?"

Who said this and why did he say it?


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