This might work, as long as no one leaves any body parts behind.:) Nina
Quoting Brian Dunn <br...@danceoftheheart.com>: > Dear list, > > Here's another terms-clarification attempt, submitted for your approval ;): > > Clarification: LEAD WITH xxx (arms/frame/chest/other part of leader's > anatomy) > In our experience, by choosing to use the phrase "lead with (xxx)" in a > teaching context, we have already made some assumptions, and reinforced a > particular perspective on tango events, which has noticeable consequences > for our connection to our partner, and for our tango experience in general. > Because of this, it can be interesting and useful to re-examine those > assumptions and consequences, and reconsider our use of the phrase. > > If we consider the idea "What does the leader lead with?", we see we're > talking about the leader DOING something with part of HIS body. By framing > the problem as "what does the leader DO to lead?", the answer would seem to > be that the leader engages in a movement or series of movements using > various leader body part(s). Of course, thinking of it this way can "work", > and many people have trained themselves to think of the problem of leading > this way. But like the previous clarification of "lead", I'd say this > perspective is sufficient but not necessary for many tango ideas, and in > many other cases, actually creates unnecessary obstacles in the way of the > tango experience by diminishing the follower's sensation of the connection > with her leader. > > One side-effect of this perspective is that the leader's attention is > REMOVED from the follower's body and focused on the leader's body while this > movement or movements of the leader's "leading code" is being executed. Once > this attention-removal is practiced often enough, it becomes a habit of mind > to remove attention from the follower's body into the leader's body in order > to initiate ANYTHING in the lead/follow tango conversation. Followers tend > to experience this attention-removal as a lessening of the sensation of > tango connection. While this can be overcome by unlearning this habit of > mind, many leaders never get that far in their tango careers. > > We found it is possible to bypass many problems in learning tango > communication by reframing many tango communication situations in terms of > the follower's body exclusively. We do this for many tango ideas by focusing > on having the leader keep his/her attention relentlessly fixed on what the > follower's body should do, rather than taking an "attention detour" back > into the leader's body at all. The leader's body then actually follows > along without much focused attention, as long as the follower's body is > taken care of. > > As peculiar as this may sound, it works very well in practice. Beginners > prove to each other in the first class that they are all possessed of bodies > that are exquisitely sensitive perceiving devices, able to send and receive > mysterious information flows in ways difficult to explain, but easy to > experience. Based on our results, by training these "attention habits" into > beginning leaders early on, the lead/follow communication is greatly > improved compared to the "what does the leader do" or "what does the leader > lead with" perspective. > > All the best, > Brian Dunn > Dance of the Heart > 775 Pleasant Street > Boulder, CO 80302 USA > 303-938-0716 > www.danceoftheheart.com > "Building a Better World, One Tango at a Time" > > _______________________________________________ > Tango-L mailing list > Tango-L@mit.edu > http://mailman.mit.edu/mailman/listinfo/tango-l > _______________________________________________ Tango-L mailing list Tango-L@mit.edu http://mailman.mit.edu/mailman/listinfo/tango-l