Tuesday, February 12, 2008

Deep Tango Thoughts :: Women who think during milonga,,,

Not milonga dances as in tango or vals at a milonga, but milonga at a milonga.

I was commenting to a comment by Ms. Caroline, and it made me think about something I sometimes encounter when dancing milonga. Mostly with new-ish beginner or intermediate dancers - rarely with advanced followers. I suppose this is why we call them "advanced" or "experienced".

When my follower starts "thinking" (about the dance/her footwork), I can tell immediately. So, I whisper in her ear...very quietly..."don't think". Sometimes I follow that with a "let me lead".

In milonga, a woman doesn't have time to think about what she is doing. In milonga con traspie, this is magnified ten fold - okay - maybe like two fold. The point is, there is really no time to think. Her mind must be totally clear, her mind and body in a total state of surrender. Not surrender like a rag doll. A surrender to allow oneself to be led. Surrendering control of her axis and her feet to me. Not her weight, not her body, but her axis - three different things.

Not submission, but surrender. Permission...for me to lead her. She has to give herself to me.

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