Contrary to what you might believe, and it may be really hard for you to accept this but, Argentine Tango is not a dance of pushing and pulling. You will continually hear L/leads use the phrase, “Give me Resistance!” to indicate that they need physiological pressure (and compression) into their Left hand in order to ‘feel’ that X, Y, or Z is occurring. X, Y, or Z, in this case, can be, but is not limited to, walking, weight changes, ochos, turns, crosses, sacadas, musical interpretations, etc.
Today’s Tango Topic deals with a type of indication, a specificity really, in how to initiate a step backward with our partner. And by ‘initiate’, we mean to lead, as in the action to intend to do something. It should be noted that Followers reading this Tango Topic that may erroneously think that they can tune out and need not listen to this stuff. Which in the Tango Topics opinion would be a mistake. 🙂 This stuff isn’t just for Leads, but for both roles, as you’ll soon see.
It should be noted that for some of you reading this, the topic will be an eye opener that this stuff exists, for some they’ll pay no attention that it doesn’t apply to them, and for some it will almost seem like a ‘duh! of course’! In all of those cases, there is something here beyond the video above. Read on.
Let’s be clear about something: This isn’t rocket science, but it is about awareness and lots of it. And while this article may sound like ‘blah-blah-blah Tango’ to some of you reading it, trust that there is something here for you to grok and try to put into your dance. Or at the very least to stop and to think about, and that’s primarily the purpose why Tango Topics exists. To create a little awareness in your dance, instead of you doing the same thing over and over and over again. This particular topic is one of those areas that continually creates a problem for most L/leads, which they don’t realize is a problem area, and as a result, most Followers become the recipients of this problem. As it is the Follower that has to put up with the unaware Lead. As a result, the Follower grumbles when they get a Lead that hasn’t learned how not to push and pull with their embrace but rather to engage Intention-Based Dancing in their dance. So without further yappment, Tango Topics presents the Importance of Backward Intention!
What Is Backward Intention ? First, we have to create a little bit of clarity as to what is a.) Intention. and then b.) Forward Intention and how it relates to your dance. and finally, c.) Today’s Tango Topic: Backward Intention!
a.) Intention is like starting to do something but isn’t completed. But, unlike an abrupt interrupt to stop and do something else, which happens frequently with a lot of Tango’s Leads (tsk, tsk, tsk), this is done on purpose but without any jarring motion of countermanding and instead a very gentle and kinesthetically, and not to mention but we will anyway, physiological dissipation of the intended motion’s intent. This would be Intention, in it’s simplest textual descriptive. It should be noted that this word has been defined by Tango Topics, and is used quite liberally throughout this site. Further, it is in our article database and our site dictionary. Please, follow the links (see: IBD or Definition), and watch the corresponding videos. We believe it will help you to understand what we’re yapping about. Further still, in the video above, it talks about the idea of Intention, but its focus is on Forward Intention and not on the root of the topic.
b.) Forward Intention has also been defined but by inference only, and demonstrated visually on this site in 3 different places: Intention Based Dancing, The Second Step Problem, Leading Technique), not to mention being discussed ad-nauseam in nearly every single Tango Topic in some way, shape, or form. However, again for the sake of argument and necessity to our ultimate goal, it can best be defined as a “little lean forward“. To be more precise: Where the Lead, engages their toes. Spreading them out inside their shoe/sock, and then pressing them into the floor as the phalanges (the toe bones) begin to take weight. There is a softening the knees with a little bit of downward compression, as well as a tightening of the quads to hold a stabilizing position. At this point, the Tibia & Fibula bones are allowed to float forward over the Talus bone (Ankle joint) resulting in about 2 to 4 degrees of forward tilt against a vertical line. This is a “a little lean forward”. How does this relate to your dance ? This is what generates the Follower’s back step! This is Forward Intention. 😉
c.) Backward Intention. So if Intention, is the intent to do something but is stopped, gently. And Forward Intention is a little lean forward. Backward Intention must be a lean backward with the intent to do something!
Phew! That was a long build up. Sorry. 🙁
