What Makes a Good Follower?

AndaBien said:
I've tried several times to organize practicas for men only, but the guys weren't interested. I firmly believe it would produce good leaders. Lots of guys have no clue what it's like to be a follower.
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Some of the teachers I know have been pushing for more lady involvement in practicas as leaders as well as followers. The theory is the male-only practica was a product of the time and place in history. The closest we will come to it is if both men and women learn both roles and practice together.
 
Zoopsia59 said:
I think this thread has demonstrated that it's pretty hard to answer the original question. "What makes a good follower?" If the student alluded to in post 1 who had asked this question had been given this thread (or even a summary of it) to read as the response, she'd probably quit tango on the spot.
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Rainbows notwithstanding, I think the best thing you could take from this thread is that different leaders want different things. If a follower wants to get the most dances, she has to be adaptable. If she wants to focus her style, she will narrow her chances of getting dances. It's so obvious to say it, but that's the simple truth.
 
Zoopsia59 said:
I think this thread has demonstrated that it's pretty hard to answer the original question. "What makes a good follower?" If the student alluded to in post 1 who had asked this question had been given this thread (or even a summary of it) to read as the response, she'd probably quit tango on the spot.
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completely agree...there's no way you can please that many leaders...now if the question is really like you said and is "What makes a follower good?" you'll probably need to ask a follower who is good....
 
Zoopsia59 said:
I'd like to see a thread on what the person who isn't leading needs to be doing to be good for the person who isn't following.

Unfortunately, since I firmly believe that what the person who isn't leading should be doing IS leading (and doing so clearly please) and that NOT leading is often what makes the person who is not leading not good for the person who isn't following, then the thread might not actually help us all reach the Magic Unity Rainbow on our golden Unicorns...

which in this up is down "not doing" is doing world means maybe we would...
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LOL :p
 
bastet said:
completely agree...there's no way you can please that many leaders...now if the question is really like you said and is "What makes a follower good?" you'll probably need to ask a follower who is good....
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or is bad..;)

..“Good girls go to heaven, bad girls go everywhere.”
― Mae West
 
UKDancer said:
But what do we need to practise?

Off at a tangent, does anyone know of anywhere where anything like the original male-only practica still exists? Do male newcomers to tango ever learn from their experienced peers to follow first, and only then to lead, and what are the results? (And where would that leave the teachers?)

It seems to me that it would be very hard indeed to attract beginners to such a venture, unless of course it could be seen to produce lots of good dancers, but I've often wondered whether it could be made to work.
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Yes - I'm in New York City. The way I learned was through a method that the teachers called "passing the lead". In addition to demonstrating & discussing the mechanics of a movement the teachers would lead each guy to a move, a step, the cross, or a turn for example so they could understand how it should feel. Of course they first taught the elements of how to follow. They organized a separate practica on another evening called the "Leaders Practica" where men practiced together, alternating the men's & women's roles.

After about a year or a year & a half I stopped going to the men's practica because it was too tiring. Ironically, beginner dancers were not a so much a problem as long as they actually tried to learn the women's roles. The more "advanced" dancers who did not take our classes but came to the practica seemed to be locked into the "I AM A LEADER" mindset & did not learn the mechanics & techniques of following well enough so it felt more like wrestling.

As for results I've had women compliment me on my dancing & question where I'd learned, then mention that other good leaders had come from that school.
 
of course a good follower will offer tribute to Zephyr:
the mythical Greek god of wishful thinking, false hopes, and unreliable forecasts.
 
Steve Pastor said:
Two most important things in a "follower" for me are:
a positive attitude which includes communicating in one way or another that any dancing done together was a good thing;
and good technique, a short phrase that covers a lot of ground.

And, it least for me, you must have both to be "a Good Follower".

It seems that technique can be taught. It seems that attitude is what it is.
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I agree with Steve here.

Certainly, for me, the first is very important. Not only will it give greater pleasure to the dance, but it will also improve the confidence of the person you are dancing with. And when his confidence is flowing, he will usually be able to give you a better dance :)
 
bastet said:
completely agree...there's no way you can please that many leaders...now if the question is really like you said and is "What makes a follower good?" you'll probably need to ask a follower who is good....
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Then it has to be a follower who knows she is good.
 
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