Leading and Following

20 Sep 2024 - by Graham (from newsletter)

Tango is usually described as a “led” dance, with the leader determining what happens next, and the follower just… well… following. This is certainly one way of thinking about it, although it implies that the follower’s role is passive and that the leader does all the work. The reality though should be very different with both roles active and involved in shaping the dance. But to get there may require a shift in perception as to what we mean by a “strong lead”.

The simplified view of leading – and the one usually taught to beginners - is that the leader moves the follower from one position to another and the follower simply does what they are told. We teach this early on as it is easier and generates something that looks a lot like tango, but the resulting dance is very one-sided and lacks dynamism.

Instead think of the lead in terms of an invitation for the follower to move by positioning yourself in such a way as to create space for them to enter, and then the follower actively choosing to go into the space offered using their own energy to get there. Getting this right will take some practice as there is a very fine line between “waiting”, “responsive” and “anticipating”, but the effort is worth it as your tango will be transformed. Instead of being a monologue with the leader issuing a series of physical instructions to be followed, the dance will become a conversation between two equal partners as they move across the dance floor and flow through the music.