2404  style and technique - Marisa's Q.

Date: Tue, 20 Apr 2004 12:15:26 -0500
From: Frank Williams <frankw@MAIL.AHC.UMN.EDU>
Subject: style and technique - Marisa's Q.

Heyo Marisa and Friends,

Yesterday Marisa wrote:

>>One of my regular followers has suddenly taken to a

style of dance where she achieves very firm contact
with you from shoulder to hip she is just glued to
your front. <<

and...

>>I can not dance (tango) with someone

else s chest, belly, and hips pressed against mine.
Two of the male leaders have told me that they also
find her to be dancing too closely pressed against
them for ease of movement.

Suggestions?<<

There are several lessons here, IMHO.

1) Let's recognize that individual's styles ultimately have
to find a common ground for the dance to proceed. This happens
at the level of technique just as it happens at higher levels
of interpretation and interpersonal 'chemistry'. Why else have
nice tandas of 10-12 min. length? It's to explore and find
agreement in matters of technique and, basically, art. Being
technically ABLE to dance with somebody and enjoying to do so
are totally separate issues, as Oleh has already commented.

2) It is the leader's job to adapt as much as possible. If
somebody is glued to you it's by choice and you, the leader,
should do your best to make for them a nice, musical dance.
If you simply can't, then you should excuse yourself. But
there's more to it than that, of course. It seems that
invitations by followers too often turn into a vehicle for
them to show off. ...like it's not obvious! That and many
other dynamics of interpersonal chemistry can negate some
of the responsibility I feel toward a follower. The dance
floor is certainly not isolated from power games and aggression
or passive aggression.

The following is my take on the technique involved in this
kind of situation. It is about the process of adaptation
(and all IMHO).

3) There's 'glued to you' (GTY) and there's 'pushing you
over with the chest' (PYOWTC). As leader, you are in control
here. Ms. PYOWTC is going to have a poor axis on her own and
is going to be heavy in a shared axis. For her, before my back
went completely tetanic, I'd make her execute in her own axis
by not offering to hold her up. If she comes back with that
chest, you do it again. [Is that teaching on the dance floor?
It probably is - without a word, without a pause.] Then once
she's managing her axis you can surprise her with some shared
axis movements and they at least have a chance of succeeding.
If they don't, of course, it's YOUR fault! ;-) Are you causing
the problem with your hold?

4) Followers who insist on resting their head against yours???
As leader, you can leave it or remove it. If it's nice, nice.
If it's affected and heavy, it's your lead. Followers, if you
are often 'stood up' while in a close embrace, it can be a
message that your posture is lacking. In my own case, I have
to protect my back.

5) I'll take a dance with Ms. GTY any day! If she's making
tummy contact while her axis is decent, then you are ready to
play with the music and rhythm in the most subtle ways. The
upper chest contact is much easier to manage if the hips are
at least underneath, as suggested by the tummy contact. In
that case, if the pressure is a little too strong, you can
drive her a little using the hips without hurting your back.
...just so she sees she always has to be ready to take her own
axis. But all of the shared axis stuff should work right away
and she is basically ASKING for your energy and musical
interpretation. You can toy with her, surprise her, tease
her, and play little (often invisible) musical games. ...and
you will know right away if she's inspired/amused, if you
should just discreetly let her walk and breathe, or if she's
ignoring the music.


Best to all,

Frank - Mpls.


Frank Williams

writing from BSBE,
612-625-6441
frankw@umn.edu

Date: Tue, 20 Apr 2004 14:37:04 -0500
From: Stephen Brown <Stephen.P.Brown@DAL.FRB.ORG>
Subject: Re: style and technique - Marisa's Q.

Marisa wrote:

>>One of my regular followers has suddenly taken to a
>>style of dance where she achieves very firm contact
>>with you from shoulder to hip she is just glued to
>>your front.

and...

>>I can not dance (tango) with someone else's
>>chest, belly, and hips pressed against mine.
>>Two of the male leaders have told me that they also
>>find her to be dancing too closely pressed against
>>them for ease of movement.

>>I have told her that I find it difficult to dance
>>in such a close embrace, but she is intent on
>>practicing it.

>>Suggestions?

Although I generally have a style of dancing, I adjust to my partners, and
I agree with Frank that is the leader's job to adjust to the follower. At
the same time there are substantial differences between close embraces that
are pleasant and those that are unpleasant. As Kahil Gibran wrote, "[L]et
there be spaces in your togetherness, And let the winds of the heavens
dance between you.

With these thoughts in mind, here are some different possibilities for a
leader in the situation that Marisa describes to consider.

1) Recognize that a leader who is inexperienced with a particular style of
tango is likely to have difficulty leading a beginning follower in that
style.

2) Adapt to the closer embrace by modifying your body motions to work with
a tighter embrace. To lead in a very close embrace, the leader must use
contra-body motion to walk outside to the cross and rotate his/her own
upper body more completely in the direction of turns than is required in a
more open embrace. These upper body movements of the leader create the
"space" for the follower's movements.

3) Watch the follower dance with others, particularly those who you know
to be good leaders of milonguero-style tango to assess whether the follower
is dancing milonguero-style tango well. If she is not, the style very well
you might encourage her to go one of the tango weekends that features
milonguero-style dancing and instruction. Consider going with her to study
the leaders part if you are not fully comfortable in the style yourself.

4) Recognize that some partnerships just cannot work. Do not get hung up
on wanting to accomplish any other social goals than having an enjoyable
dance. If it is not enjoyable for you, it is not likely to be for the
follower either, and the other social goals you are pursuing are unlikely
to be achieved.

--Steve (de Tejas)