Illusions

[opendoor]

Without the left hand you can still dance a potentially perfect tango.

But this actually is an pre-millennial idea. Before Naveira it (as far as I was told) leading without your left hand was an absurdity. Before the 80s those stage-stylist were opinion leaders: Have you ever had wordshops with one of these guys? I had: it´s left-hand tango. Also think of the premordial tango aera. The right finger tips of those ancient tango aficionados might sometimes never have reached their partner. So you might follow Naveira or might not, unconsciously you do profit of him.

Without the the right hand there is a poor connection, no embrace, and no tango. You can still lead something, maybe almost every move, but you lose all the nuances, all the energy. You can have problems even to lead a simple sudden pause, or some quick step, or to mantain a stable connection. It can be a good exercise, but it's not tango.

I will contradict, no, better I give a nuance: Without the concept of active following something like leading without your right hand would lose all it´s nuances. But with it works, looks and feels like tango.

I held that way until Ines Muzzopappa told me to make embrace firmer..

Could you explain this more detailed? Would be interested in your experiences.

 

[chanchan]

But this actually is an pre-millennial idea. Before Naveira it (as far as I was told) leading without your left hand was an absurdity. Before the 80s those stage-stylist were opinion leaders: Have you ever had wordshops with one of these guys? I had: it´s left-hand tango. Also think of the premordial tango aera. The right finger tips of those ancient tango aficionados might sometimes never have reached their partner. So you might follow Naveira or might not, unconsciously you do profit of him.

Probably, before Naveira, they didn't know that it was possible... there was less conciousness about what you can really do and how.
But what I say is that now the idea is that without the left hand you can still dance a potentially perfect tango. Maybe thanks to Naveira: I don't want to understimate his importance in tango evolution.

I will contradict, no, better I give a nuance: Without the concept of active following something like leading without your right hand would lose all it´s nuances. But with it works, looks and feels like tango.

I want to be clear: by using the right arm I absolutely don't mean using the "right finger tips" to lead. I just mean using the right arm to give firm and comfortable embrace. Actually I keep it most of the time very light and almost floating, becoming more or less energic according to the dynamics of the music. I don't say it is necessary to "lead", it is necessary for a good connection.

 

[Mladenac]

Could you explain this more detailed? Would be interested in your experiences.

I had workshop with Federico and Ines. I asked her to see if I was doint sth correctly.
So she told me that she couldn't feel the embrace so that I should embrace her more firmly.

My explanations is following:
Until that point my embrace was always very light, my leading was very subtle without possibility for dynamics.
After that I am able to transfer more musicality to the partner cause I am able to lead more details from the music.

The embrace in tango is a living thing. It's never the same. It is continuously adapted.
It should remain always pleasant but it also should be adjusted to the partner, music and elements we are leading.
The purposeful embrace is preconditions for making some elements done properly.
e.g. You cannot lead giro with usual pattern using close embrace (milonguero), but you can do it in V embrace
e.g. You cannot lead any kind boleo if you don't loosen an embrace a bit.

V embrace is convinient if you play with embrace cause you can easily adjust it i.e. it not as stiff as close embrace.
I find close embrace quite limiting for that.
IME But during dancing it happens that V and close embrace are being interchanged, and maybe even open.
I know that some purist would disagree with the practice, I just wrote about my experience.

You can read here more what I wrote about that topic:

Play with the stifness of an embrace also, and see how your partners react to that.
They usually automatically respond in their embrace.

I also continually adjust my hold with my left arm, so I send some kind of information that goes with the music.
Right hand is for adjusting an embrace and left hand is for controlling of free leg.

Don't tell you partner just play with intensity and see how naturally they respond.
I dance that way with followers who have never danced with me and they understand lead without a problem.

 

[opendoor]

..she told me that she couldn't feel the embrace so that I should embrace her more firmly.

My explanations is following:
Until that point my embrace was always very light, my leading was very subtle without possibility for dynamics.
After that I am able to transfer more musicality to the partner cause I am able to lead more details from the music.

Speaking frankly: that makes me wonder! Don´t make any regress.

 

[Mladenac]

Speaking frankly: that makes me wonder! Don´t make any regress.

I am not proclaiming stiffness and leading with hands.
I want to say that you can describe music even with the embrace.