Soo true. but when your just starting out, being shoved around the floor by a good leader can be really fun and get you excited about danceing and get you hooked on it. ^_^

A lady should never lead herself, but when she feels the slightest lead from the mans frame she should move so as not to be heavy, but even if the woman knows the pattern well, she should still not lead because the man may lead a different combination of the pattern. A good folower is taught that leading herself is frustrating to men and is not good dance etiquette. If she learns to follow well, she can dance with anyone, and if she messes up with the pattern, she should gracefully try to quickly get in step with her patient male leader and keep going with a smile!Hope this helps!

Dancer. I am one of those that has been taught to clear a path for the lady by using CBMP. If I step back with my left foot with CBMP, my partner knows that she should step foreward outside with CBMP with her right foot as in step four of the Reverse Weave in the Waltz. She will not move untill the beat arrives. Think about it, if I open a door for the lady do I push her through. Opening the door is her lead. The music is replaced by she knowing where she is going. I can't think of a better way of telling the ladies that they must have an understanding of the music. They must count the beats and not leave everything to being pushed or pulled.

The lady must never go through the "open door" until guided through it. The lady as well as the man should "Listen" to the music but the lady should never "Hijack" the lead. Moving CBMP is an indication to the lady but not a Carte Blanche to do as she pleases.

Too true! Ever have someone race you across the floor in an extended weave? You have to keep extending it until you can cut her off to the ending!

Helpful advice .Correct response excited me also. I can't get in step will smiling when I messed up with my pattern in quickstep which needs automatic reaction . I feel frustrated in such situation. My instructor asked me to interprete his body language . I prefer to know my steps first then follow him ... He said no. I have to learn from this website, and DVD...
Try to let it looks easy.
How could I keep my head above my left soulder and sit up in tango ? Is it correct if I hook my right waist slightly higher than left one with left elbow "separating " from my body to maitain my head over my left side and use my buttock , posterior/anterior compartments of thigh with knee slightly forward to support me firmly on the floor (about 60% body weight distributes on my left foot)? Thanks for explanation .
ylchen

Your hips (waist) must remain level in tango.

And like all ballroom dances, your weight should be on only one foot at a time, with the exception of checking actions (contra check) where you will divide your weight between the feet.

Hi, Anon, Your firm advice comfort me very much. I had instructed as follows: separate my feed as wide as my shoulder to support my sides , distribute my body weight on my both heels equally,with vertical alignment. both knee slightly forward, then shift a little bit on my left foot whith head over my left shoulder . Such stance made me extremetly discomfort , I saw no hip crease on my left groin. I told my instructor how strange it is . can I rotate my right foot towart my left knee , keeping my left hip forward ?(in their ealier DVD, Karen mentioned right hip a little bit higher than left ...). My instructor said : ignore it . It is not your level to do good stance in tango. I said: " no, I want to learn the basic part . Obviously, if I can't do good prepared step , I will have problem in next step , I feel strange even my left upper limb . Try to put you in my soes , I think to practice a good stance is a basic for the begginer . Maybe , I am too straight . but who can ignore the basis ? "When I put my body weight in my left foot , he said : both feet , even right foot . I doubted : male ? I thought , there must be misunderstanding in our communication even lady part . My God!
ylchen

The feel of hips level or not in tango can be very misleading. You have to practice in front of a mirror to learn what level feels like before you can trust your feelings.

Also, to take a backwards step start with the weight in the ball of the foot (in the heel is for a forwards step). You move the weight through the foot only as you commit to the size of the step. If you move it too early your partner will feel that you are pulling him across the floor - moving the weight through his and your standing feet is his way of signalling the size and timing of the step to you. Be especially sure to arrive after a backwards steps with the weight forward, or the pulling feeling will result.

With the proper use of alternating CBMP and side lead all the steps are diagonal in tango so you can reach your feet without hitting your partner. This is part of the character of tango, the action is not smooth like the other dances.

I have to respectfully disagree with the orignal poster....

As lady, sure I know the steps, but I cannot be a mindreader.... The gent MUST lead me into the step that he wants to dance... I am waiting for the lead... If I just took the step without any indication of what he was leading, we could quite possibly be dancing two different steps...

Here is an example... In promanade, if he opens his hip, I know we are going into a chasse, or a right turn. Yet if he crosses my path and stops my swing , he is telling me we are going into a left turn, a completly different reaction from me.

I can be quite proficeint in my steps, but that is not enough.... I need the lead to tell me what his intention is.... If we just dance our own steps with no communication, then that is all we are doing.... Dancng our own steps, rather than dancing as a partnership...

Having said all this, I am glad to be the lady!!.... Not only does the gent have to anticipate the next step while dancing the present step, he has to figure out how to communicate to the lady what the step is, and place her so, that she can successfully accomplish it... My biggest issue is to stay on my supporting foot, and wait for the lead... not jump the gun...AUGGG, hard!!