Trini wrote, "Really, I don't get this convolution of Sergio's simple statement about stepping on the beat."
I orifginally objected because that is misleading to beginners and retards their musicality. come now, Trini, i am sure you dont step only on the beat. Have you ever watched a roomful of beginners stepping on the same beat each step ? How boring can you get? Tango is not about a "beat". It is a music rich in nuance and texture. You can dance rhythm, melody, or the narrative theme of the piece, the linea de fuerza. Indeed, its even better if you vary and combine all three, what you dance to within a song, following what you feel is most important at that moment. She wont get stepped on if she attempts to listen to the leaders interpretation of the music, assuming he is musical and his interpretation is being led clearly. If the follower wants to interpret the music, she/he should either wait for those moments where she can suggest alternatives subtly, ie, a "give and take" communication between partners with a good connection, or become a leader herself. This may generate some flames, but in my experience followers who also spend a lot of time leading, while becoming super skilled technically, lose a little of their ability, partly innate or subconscious, to sense the leaders interpretation of the music, because they first have to bypass the mental filter of how they themselves would interpret that music. I prefer a tanda with a slightly less technically skilled follower who immediately senses my musical interpretation. _______________________________________________ Tango-L mailing list [email protected] http://mailman.mit.edu/mailman/listinfo/tango-l
