Reflections on leading & following

"Leading" and "following" are such inadequate labels for what happens when we really dance tango. 

On the other hand, I can't think of alternative concise verbs as effective replacements.  "Male and female roles" might be useful terms, but that assumes a common understanding of these roles. I'm a traditionalist in tango, and feel that the man does initiate, the woman responds and then he responds to her, and so on....  Of course, this is all driven by the music.

Tango Therapist's latest post (a poem) captures some of the subtle and hard-to-describe interaction between the dancers of tango and the music - it goes well beyond the crude "lead & follow" terminology.

PP

Diaries from BsAs #5 - Fermín (a real tango movie)

As newcomers to tango many years ago, we were fascinated by Sally Potter's The Tango Lesson and Carlos Saura's Tango. There have been other movies with tango as a theme.  But in my view, the recently released Fermín is a true tango film.

If you are able to see it, don't expect frequent dance sequences, although there are some. Rather, it's about tango and the culture of tango as a way of life. We saw how the common themes of tango lyrics form the central themes throughout 85 year old Fermín's life.  This sensitively and intelligently acted story left the audience of the Gaumont Cinema (Buenos Aires) applauding at the end, as well as some tearful eyes.

Let's hope it is released in many other countries including Australia. Try not to miss it.
PP