Things AT Leaders should know

Ampster

Ampster

Active Member
After reading most of the leader related threads, it dawns on me that there is a wealth of useful information. However, they tend to get buried in all the commentaries, knit picking, and discussions.

Here is my attempt at a synopsis for the benefit of the leaders, both seasoned and new:

  • FRAME POSTURE AND POSITION
  • The arms are for the embrace NOT for leading
    • The arms are there to hold the connection comfortably, and not to be used steer your partner like a boat rudder
    • Granted every now and then you can use the arms for sending lead impulses. But that's an exception
  • Maintain your Tango posture
    • Stand straight, weight forward, relax, chest out, don't cave your chest, don't nuzzle
  • Lead from your chest
    • Use your chest, core, center, frame
    • Use them to direct and guide the motion of your partner
  • IMPROVIZATION & DELIVERY
  • Leading movements in AT is an excercize in improvization, NOT memorization
    • Get the lessons you have learned and string them together to form your interpretatation of the song
    • Don't rely on fixed patterns
      • They are boring
  • If your leading a movement, and it doesn't work, move on. DON't teach!
    • A common newbie mistake
  • Don't impress her with your fancy steps. Impress her with your simplicity
    • Keep it simple, feel the music, out of simplicity, beauty comes
  • Listen to the music. Develop your rhythmic skill
    • Dance in-tune with the music. It makes such a difference in your leading
  • MILONGA ETIQUETTE
  • Maintain your lane
    • Counterclockwise please, and maitain your lane. Don't drift
  • Dance in the appropriate size
    • If you have the space, go ahead and do your showy stuff. Dance big
    • If its a packed house, dance small, dance close to the floor and avoid the flailing leg things and the huge strides
  • Be aware of where youre at at all times
    • You are blind-sided on the right, do half turns, giros so you can see around you
    • Adjust your position to those around you
  • Don't back into traffic
    • Inconsiderate and dangerous
  • Don't stop traffic
    • Inconsiderate
  • If you must do your slow, stationary, and showy moves, move to the center
    • The outside lanes are for moving traffic and for more experienced dancers
    • The inside lanes are slower and offer more spcae for experimentation
  • If you are just getting into AT, use the inner lanes
    • If AT is new to you stay in the inner lanes
      • They are slower and much more forgiving
  • If you bump into someone, make eye contact and apologize-EVEN IF YOU ARE NOT the instigator
    • Gentlemanly behaviour makes for a good milonga. You will know who is at fault
  • MUSICALITY
  • AT music is varied, familiarize yourself, and adapt your dancing to the music
    • Depending who the composer is, AT music can have consistent rhythm, to changing rhythm several times in the same song
  • This is one element in AT that is quite difficult to get the hang of. BE PATIENT in learning to "hear" the music
  • CONNECTION
  • Maintaining and dancing connected to one's partner at an etheriel level is the point of AT. NOT dancing steps and patterns
    • You'll know once it happens
    • Lots of endorphins
  • Dance for your partner. NOT for the audience
    • If you want to show off stay in the center of the floor
  • When you dance, no one else matters except your partner
  • AT is a 3 minute date
  • Don't analyze it, Dance it
    • When you are on the floor dance for the sake of the enjoyment of you and your partner
    • Don't overanalyze things. It shows in your dance and mess you up
    • Let things flow as they will
    • Things will never be perfect, so let it go and flow
  • AT is a conversation between two bodies without words
  • YOUR PARTNER
  • Your partner chose to accept your invitation and dance with you. Return the courtesy and respect her
  • Your partner is there to complete the AT equation
    • No matter how good you think you are, you are nothing without a partner
  • Adapt to your partner's level
    • Don't force your "advanced" skills on your partner
  • A talented leader will be able to dance with any partner at any level of skill, and the dance look good
I'm sure I missed a lot more, but these are the things that jump out immediately based on our discussions and observations at a milonga.
 
That's a list of 27 things a leader must do.
Plus, almost nothing, he also has to learn the dance.
Also, all this 27 things together, it's far from clear, he will see many conflicts (keeping it simple and being with the music, what when the music is not simple? Or is there a #28 item, "Skip the Piazzolla-Pugliese-anything, dance only on DiSarli/Fresedo pieces"?) and sometimes the laws of physics are broken (1. Stand straight 2. weight forward -to the maximum you can- 3. relax 4. chest out, and here you fall down, forward, relaxed; unless you have Mr Spock's anti-grav boots)

Hey, you're trying to make us guys leave AT and take up country western, aren't you?
 
newbie said:
That's a list of 27 things a leader must do.
Plus, almost nothing, he also has to learn the dance.
Also, all this 27 things together, it's far from clear, he will see many conflicts (keeping it simple and being with the music, what when the music is not simple? Or is there a #28 item, "Skip the Piazzolla-Pugliese-anything, dance only on DiSarli/Fresedo pieces"?) and sometimes the laws of physics are broken (1. Stand straight 2. weight forward -to the maximum you can- 3. relax 4. chest out, and here you fall down, forward, relaxed; unless you have Mr Spock's anti-grav boots)

Hey, you're trying to make us guys leave AT and take up country western, aren't you?
Click to expand...

(*:lol:I had to 'bold' that quote *)

Not at all. On the contrary. Many, many AT leaders before us have done it, even more so. It does take a long term investment in time, effort, and patience. When you do get it, its like magic! That's why AT leaders are reputed to be THE BEST social dance leaders around. 8-)
 
Ampster said:
Here is my attempt at a synopsis for the benefit of the leaders, both seasoned and new:

Click to expand...

That whole analysis, is identical to that which I ( and the majority ) of B/Room teachers impart to our beginners , in all the genres we teach.

The " rules " of dance are not the " property " of any single genre .... the main problem with the average social dancer, is inadequate information.
 
Ampster said:
After reading most of the leader related threads, it dawns on me that there is a wealth of useful information. However, they tend to get buried in all the commentaries, knit picking, and discussions.
Click to expand...
.

GOOD POSTING A

Indeed, as well as swaying far from the subject/question of what the original poster posted. Heather going way back to page 1 to remind herself. A bit like a well-filmed advertisement. Everybody remembers the tune nobody can recall the product.


Ampster said:
YOUR PARTNER
Click to expand...
Ampster said:
  • Your partner chose to accept your invitation and dance with you. Return the courtesy and respect her
  • Your partner is there to complete the AT equation
    • No matter how good you think you are, you are nothing without a partner
  • Adapt to your partner's level
    • Don't force your "advanced" skills on your partner
  • A talented leader will be able to dance with any partner at any level of skill, and the dance look good
Click to expand...
This especially is good and definitely something each and every single organiser should remind their students/guests at the milongas (as well as at the end and start of a class). On a mike. Loudly.
 
I'd add:

MILONGA ETIQUETTE
That woman sitting out on the sidelines might want to dance. Maybe I'll be a gentleman and ask her even though I don't know her/how she dances.
 
calandra said:
I'd add:

MILONGA ETIQUETTE
That woman sitting out on the sidelines might want to dance. Maybe I'll be a gentleman and ask her even though I don't know her/how she dances.
Click to expand...

...and I'll avoid make her feel bad if she is not as good as I'd like her to be! (and perhaps remember that it might very well be me who didn't know how to make her express her full potential!)

I think what I am trying to say is that we are all there to enjoy ourselves! So for those of you who think that list is too long, what sums it up, in my opinion at least, is do everything you can to make the dance/evening enjoyable for yourself, the person you are dancing with and everyone else around you! :D
 
MILONGA ETIQUETTE
That man asking me to dance might be a good, or at least not a miserable dancer. Maybe I'll say yes, even though he's not an instructor and I haven't seen him dancing with one.

Oh wait -- wrong role.
 
That is a good list!

Hope this doesn't sound too crass, and it also applies to follows, but since this is a general checklist and some pointers related to dancing I would add:

MILONGA ETIQUETTE

Maintain good personal hygene
  • Bathing, brushing teeth, wearing fresh clean clothes (and shoes) and using a reliable anti-perspirant.
 
jhpark said:
MILONGA ETIQUETTE
That man asking me to dance might be a good, or at least not a miserable dancer. Maybe I'll say yes, even though he's not an instructor and I haven't seen him dancing with one.

Oh wait -- wrong role.
Click to expand...
Trouble maker.

:twisted:
 
Hey, you're trying to make us guys leave AT and take up country western, aren't you?

Guess where there is more fun and less snobbishness?
 
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