Saturday 26 March 2016
A higher order skill for men
What do I mean by higher order skills relevant to the male role in social tango?
Responding appropriately to the music, using the body to effectively communicate your intention and responding sensitively to your partner, are all essential. But these I consider bread and butter skills. In other words, skills which are absolutely fundamental to dancing tango.
So what is a higher order skill? Tricky figures executed in performances may come to mind, but here I'm thinking about tango only in the social context. I'm thinking of the challenge (and the pleasure) in putting those bread and butter skills into action in a busy milonga.
Early in their tango journey, most men probably feel somewhat anxious (and rightly so) at the prospect navigating a dance-floor, let alone a crowded one! A number of skills and factors come together to produce good floor-craft in a male dancer. Not least of these is self-confidence balanced with respect towards the other couples on the floor. Without both of these, even the most musical and skilled male dancer becomes a hazard to others at a milonga.
Master good floor-craft, gentlemen, so your partner can have complete confidence in your ability to protect her and to respect others. It's worth it. Do this and she will surrender to you in the dance. Now that's tango!
Just take a look at a video-clip of Lujos, one of my favourite milongas, to see what I mean.
PP
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Popular posts
-
I love the creative process of DJing, and watching dancers respond to the emotional journey created by the music. But DJs take care! Musi...
-
Some interesting comments appeared on the previous post: Just follow the leader . Andy highlighted the challenge of the woman's role ...
-
Having been immersed in the tradition of Buenos Aires milongas, I still feel compelled to use the ‘cabeceo’. Cruising around the milongas wi...
-
If you like an invitation to dance in the form of an outstretched hand, a tap on the shoulder or a more formal Would you care to dance? , th...
-
Ever found yourself dancing with someone and regretting it? Were you unsure of what went wrong? Do you still have no idea of how to preve...
-
Sometimes our eye-sight doesn’t serve us well, and our use of the cabeceo suffers accordingly. There have been times when a lady has acce...
-
How important is a cortina , apart from clearing the dance-floor between tandas? Does it affect the mood and energy of the milonga?...