2376  Is Tango led, or is it automatic?

Date: Sat, 10 Apr 2004 02:42:07 EDT
From: LGMoseley@AOL.COM
Subject: Is Tango led, or is it automatic?

I have just read Manuel's interesting contribution. As is common when we are
trying to describe Tango in words, there are parts of what Manuel has to say
with which I agree, and parts with which I disagree. I have marked my agreement
in green, and my diagreement in red. My comments are in italic. However, I
suspect that most of the disagreement arises because of the problem of trying to
describe Tango subtleties in words.

Of course, there is a serious chance that if you save this message the font
enhancements will disappear at that point, even it is visible in the email !!
Ah well, at least I tried.

Laurie
In a message dated 10/04/2004 02:35:47 GMT Daylight Time,
white95r@HOTMAIL.COM writes:

All agree that the LOD should be respected. Some even say that one should
never pass anyone else or God forbid, take a back step..... Well, the LOD is
the way to dance, but it's so dependent on every dancer on the floor that it
cannot be a uniform or constant thing. One must continually adjust and
navigate around the floor compensating for the idiosincracies and skills of
the other dancers. There is no traffic cop on the pista, no marked lanes, no
speed signs or traffic signs of any kind. It's up to each and every dancer
to make the dance enjoyable for the leader and his partner. It's a poor cop
out and excuse to blame other dancers (with certain notable exceptions) for
one's own lack of skill. Remember, there is no separate "navigation"
technique or classes. The dance "is" the navigation. I agree with this, it is
true and fundamental.

The famous lead to the cross is another argument that can be easily and
finally settled. As many teachers have explained, Alberto Paz perhaps most
clearly, there is actually a code of the dance of tango. The basic code of
tango is that the woman turns around the man in a grapevine type of step. In
other words it's the sequence known as the molinete, and the man dances
arouind the floor (following the LOD). Of course, the man can also turn
around the woman and both turn around each other while dancing turns.
Generally this requires a good bit of skill so it's not commonly done by
all. I disagree with this. It is interesting how terminology varies. What
Manuel describes here as a "molinete" I was taught years ago as a "Giro" (and in
Manuel's description below it is only the clockwise and complete one at that,
omitting all the variants, especially the anti-clockwise one). The "molinete"
that I was taught involves the woman in walking
forward-forward-forward-forward in a circle around the man, with none of the forward-side-back-side of the
grapevine. So, as in most Tango, there are choices to be made. There is no one
"right" sequence. There is, though, a right code - balance, navigation,
respect for your partner, respect for other dancers, and so on.

It's probably already known but just for clarity, the turn of the woman
around the man can begin with any one of the molinete steps, for example a
side step or either the front or back cross. Since basically, the woman
dances around the man and the man dances around the floor, the molinete gets
elongated as it were. Thusly the 8 count basic was developed. The salida is
a side step to the woman's right but since the man is moving, the back cross
becomes a step straight back, the leader keeps moving so the follower's next
"side" step also goes straight back, next comes the front cross, and you
guessed it, since the man is still moving forward the woman steps straight
back again, but the code requires a front cross, so she crosses her left
foot in front of the right and takes a step. Thus the cross is led. There is
no magic, no mistery, nor some special "lead". It is the inevitable
consequence of the woman doing the turn to her right as the leader moves
along the line of dance. If the movement is as automatic as that described
here, how can one describe the cross as being "led"? It is the sheer
automaticity which destroys the flow and creativity of the Tango which I, for one, so
love. For the lady, each step should seem the most natural thing in the world.
However, it will only seem natural. In fact, it will be one step out of the many
which are possible candidates at each point, and it seems natural only
because the man has led it, and led it well. When one can drive a car with a manual
gearbox, much of what we do appears to be automatic, leaving us the time and
mental freedom to observe the road and to react to traffic conditions, and to
our decisions to change our destination. However, that was not what it was like
when we were learning to drive.

Now, should she put her weight on the left foot when she crosses? Of course!
Imagine the man leading a traditional molinete around himself as he stays
stationary and turns to his left... Should the woman suddenly stop the turn
by just posing with her left foot in the air (or barely touching the floor)
at the 4th step from the salida? Of course not, the woman would continue to
follow the code and continue her molinete until the man leads something
else. Why should the front cross ever be performad differently? The front
cross is led because its a natural progression of the code. If a front cross
is not allowed, it's really something unusual and unexpected. A change of
direction. This is regardless of whether the man is moving along the LOD or
doing a stationary turn. Again, I disagree. There will many occasions on
which the man will lead the lady to, as he puts it "stop the turn". That is
particularly the case if he wishes to truncate the turn on step 3 or 4 and move of
into a straight walk. The lady should not just stop "posing with her left foot
in the air". Rather she should be sufficiently balanced to be able to follow
the change of direction and the subsequent walk. It is this ability to make the
brush so fractional that she can follow the lead and change direction which
is one of the hardest skills for a lady to learn, but one of the most
rewarding. Such ladies are effortless to lead, and a delight to dance with. I do not
know if the word is traditional, but I have heard them described as a
"seguidadora", which was intended in as a great compliment. I think that it means
"follower", only stronger. What has been described by Manuel is the opposite of the
general principle that the man should be able to change his mind on any step
(not just on any figure), and the lady should be able to respond to such
changes. That general principle is the reason why the Tango is a conversation rather
than a monologue.




Now, the famous "zone"... While it's true that one gets "lost" in the dance
also and when both dancers are skilled, the music is right, and the crowd is
"in
the groove", It's easy and very pleasurable to dance almost effortlessly and
almost "automatically". However, just closing the eyes and affecting some
sort of dreamy expression does not make one a good dancer. I see too many
folks dance with strange affectations, with eyes closed and flapping their
arms like chickens, while impeding the flow along the LOD or running over
other dancers. Lack of skill and manners cannot be hid or disguised with
some silly affectation. Unless the dancers are really good, they should
leave the affectations alone and concentrate in developing the skills needed
to navigate the floor smoothly, elegantly "and" most of all, dancing actual
tango. Yes, if all you can do is plod along with eyes closed stopping often
and blocking the flow, you need to learn more about the tango, take more
lessons, practice, and dance with your eyes open so you can do the simple
salidas, and half turns to the right and left with ocho cortado. learn to do
cortes and how to use the rhythmic music of tango with all the slow and
quick steps needed to dance. Then you can understand how to "navigate" and
respect the LOD, and yes, how to lead and follow the 8 count basic too. Of
course those of you who are great dancers (and a pleasure to watch as to
dance with ;)) please dance with your eyes closed and a blissfull
expression. You've earned it! With this I wholeheartedly agree.

Tango education to all,

Manuel

Date: Sat, 10 Apr 2004 05:44:50 EDT
From: LGMoseley@AOL.COM
Subject: Re: Is Tango led, or is it automatic?

Sorry

When I received my own recent post about Manuel's contribution, the colours
and italics had disappeared. That must have made it very confusing. Blame it on
AOL - everyone else does. My apologies, although no doubt you can work out
the gist of what I was saying.

Laurie

Date: Sat, 10 Apr 2004 13:33:49 -0400
From: WHITE 95 R <white95r@HOTMAIL.COM>
Subject: Re: Is Tango led, or is it automatic?

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