320  role reversals

Date: Tue, 27 Nov 2001 18:47:43 -0600
From: "Frank G. Williams" <frankw@MAIL.AHC.UMN.EDU>
Subject: Re: role reversals

This has been a very interesting discussion.

There is, of course, no right or wrong way to project one's
personality into one's dance, and that includes the partners
one chooses and the roles one prefers. There are only more
or less traditional (typical of tango's historical forms) self
expressions.

I wrote off-line to Ingrid and told her that I think it helps
the tango dancing when the leader and follower accept that
their roles are fundamentally different. The option to decide
which direction the next step should go is only a small part
of leading. The option to suggest the rhythm of steps or
their size and energy - that's greater but still not (IMHO)
the half of leading. Traditional tango leading is an abstraction
of seduction. It is a series of proposals from the leader to
the follower that are accepted, rejected, or re-defined according
to elements of the follower's inspiration or whim. The level
of abstraction can be great or minimal. But whatever the guise,
for 3 minutes at a time, there is always a proposition.

My experiences in following male and female leaders and in leading
other men have highlighted the degree to which gender affects one's
dance experience. For me, (Sr. Cabeza Dura) following is fascinating.
At my ability level, gender doesn't matter as much as the clarity and
playfulness of the leads and the patience of the leader. What comes
through loud and clear is how much of the leading is for my own
amusement and how much is for the leader's. But when I lead other
men for their amusement, the whole energy changes. ...none of this
'lull me into a trance' stuff! It feels more like 'half-speed rugby
to music' and I'm on offense! In other words, the concept of
'seduction' is rejected and the dance itself is nowhere close to that
which I would propose when leading any woman - even my sister.

Question for accomplished women followers: Technique issues
notwithstanding, communication issues notwithstanding, body size
issues notwithstanding, does the art you create when following men
vs. women differ any? The followers I know best appear to dance
differently depending on whether they are led by women vs. men.
All value judgements aside, I feel that changing genders of partners
[for more than pure practice] is a collosal change to the
interpersonal chemistry. And it looks like there can be large
differences in your feelings when dancing with other women vs.
men of the same skill. [That, of course is pure projection.]
But in cases in which the same-sex leader is not extremely disciplined
and does not appear to adopt the complete role of leader, some of
those 'notwithstandings' also change with the interpersonal chemistry.
One could argue that this is not a gender issue. Sr. Cabeza
Dura is not completely flexible here though he is now out of composition
time.

;-)

Have a great time abstracting or rejecting seduction and enjoy
whatever pleasant feelings you can find!

Cheers,

Frank in Minneapolis

Frank G. Williams, Ph.D. University of Minnesota
frankw@mail.ahc.umn.edu Dept. of Neuroscience
(612) 625-6441 (office) 321 Church Street SE
(612) 624-4436 (lab) Minneapolis, MN 55455
(612) 281-3860 (cellular/home)

Date: Tue, 27 Nov 2001 20:35:18 -1000
From: Ingrid Peterson <georgous1@HOTMAIL.COM>
Subject: Re: role reversals

In reference to Frank`s email concerning the energy between both same-sex
couples dancing and between a man and a woman.

Here`s my thoughts on such a subject. Personally it depends on who I dance
with. I`ve dancing with women who I am good friends with and even others
who I`ve just met (Manami in Tokyo could rock the house with her expressive
and seductive tango). There is an issue of the comfortability factor. . .
between two women, and I suppose between two men. This cofortability factor
depends if I know the woman, her attitude towards dancing with another
woman. Personally, I was quite put-off with dancing close-embrace with
another woman. That was in the first month I started dancing, but now I
have absolutly NO problems with it at all. Some woman I know that I can
lead certain somewhat `seductive` steps with because I know that they will
be ok with it... it all depends.

Now, it`s not to say that this type of thing doesn`t occur when I`m dancing
with a male. Some men I dance with are three times my age and married. I
respect them and love dancing with them, but I`m not going to do certain
things. Also, if I`m dating a guy and we dance, of course it`s going to be
more seductive vs. the guy I just met who asked me out onto the dance floor.
I hope you know what I mean by that.

Ingrid.

Date: Tue, 27 Nov 2001 19:26:04 -0800
From: Elizabeth Mcgee <emcgee@CISCO.COM>
Subject: Re: role reversals--who's leading who?

Right or wrong depends on whether we believe Tango is a living dance which
we use and adapt to today, our new ideas and whims, or whether we all
should dance Tango as a historic dance with no variation..... (or both)

Women leading women would be historically inaccurate if it's a vintage
dance from Argentina.
However, there are a ton of old postcards where two ladies are dancing
together on the dance floor. It's probably more 20's Tango from Paris
(though I'm sure better historian than I could correct me) which brings the
question back to taste and preference.

It seems silly to keep to rigid historic guidelines in a practice where
the point is to learn how to dance better. I'm not sure if leading has
helped me to dance better. It has helped me be a lot more sympathetic to
how hard it is for the man, so perhaps that's reason enough.

In a Milonga, I far prefer to dance as a follow with men. Often there are
more women than men at a Milonga. So,being a woman, (aspiring to be a
lady) I hope that the gentlemen I like to dance with will dance with me and
that I have fewer people with whom to be in line.

This would be the conservation of scarce resources - especially if the lead
is really great
I just hate to have to wait ......

Cheers,

- Elizabeth in CA