tango "rules"

There has been a considerable discussion recently on Tango-L e-mail list about the line of dance (LOD) rules. Of course, that discussion is nothing new, it comes and goes periodically. At some point, I made the following comment (in part):

When people know how to dance, strictly following line of dance rule is meaningless, because you end up dancing with other pairs on the floor co-creating a symbiotic dance of the whole group - that's when the whole new horizon of dancing opens up.

And then someone replied with (notice the sarcasm):

Yep, just like the hoons and smart-arses that grace our motorways. They all know how to drive. They think they know how to drive better than everybody else on the motorway. They're much too skilled to have to obey road rules. They're just exceptional people. Weaving in and out demonstrates their free spirit and their command of space and time. Oh, the sheer joy of sharing a motorway with them. The peace it brings to body and mind. It's a privilege to be in their company. Seems they can't understand that driving a vehicle and driving a vehicle on a motorway are entirely different. Being skilled at one doesn't mean skilled at the other. I suggest cautious driving allows one to enjoy the beauty of the scenery.

I was seriously tempted to reply to the reply, but then thought better and decided to leave it alone.

Here is an interesting twist, though. I noticed that in all Latin-american countries I visited (Mexico, Nicaragua, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Brasil, Argentina) rules of driving, especially in the cities, are not strictly adhered to. For example, it is very common in Buenos Aires to see 5 or even 6 lanes of traffic on the street marked for just four. And those lanes dynamically change. People shift in and out all the time and all is well - I have not seen a single accident.

The issue is, I observed, that drivers are fully aware of all other participants and drive defensively but decisively. I have not seen anger displayed as it is often the case on our streets and highways where everyone follows the rules.

I wonder if there is a lesson hidden in there somewhere.

tango "follower"

Recently someone on an e-mail list pondered (again) the role of the follower in tango. A very illuminating discussion ensued. I quote excerpts here.

Someone said:

I begin by stating that I am new to Argentine Tango(3+ yrs). My first instructor made the statement that a follower must bring something to the dance an not expect to be pushed and pulled around the floor like a puppet.

Then someone else replied:

I believe that your instructor was trying to convey that women must be active in the dance, not passive. She must not be a piece of furniture on wheels that the men push around.

Finally, and very nicely, another person wrote:

Yes. In fact, many Argentine instructors insist that the primary responsibility for keeping the beat, in the mind at least (even though each beat probably won't be explicitly stepped on, of course), belongs to the follower.

The responsibility of the leader is to lead in a fashion clearly inviting her to step on a particular beat when that's what he wants her to do. He doesn't concentrate on landing his own foot on the beat in question--that will take care of itself if he is musically inclined--but rather on inducing *her* foot to do it.

If she is not musically inclined enough (or experienced with the tango repertoire enough) to feel the music in her blood as any good tanguero or tanguera must, and to seize upon the leader's invitation to step on a particular beat with her own aggressive gusto, then she will feel heavy to the leader and he will feel as though he has to drag her around the floor.

This is particularly true when the leader may not be stepping at all, such as standing on one foot while leading a molinete.

You can see the whole thread here.

When I Dance with You

when I dance with you ...
I dance
I sing
I live

when I dance with you ...
time stops
world spins
earth floats

when I dance with you ...
love is my guide
you are my focus
music is my inspiration

when I dance with you ...
I feel your beating heart
I sense your pulsing body
I hear your dashing breaths

when I dance with you ...
angels and cupids rejoice
gods and goddesses are happy
birds and heavenly choirs sing

... and all that because I dance with you!