Step double time bringing your feet together, and the next step is in parallel. Does not require any additional space, either. Not mentioning, could be better fitting with the music...
This is pretty much what Kathryn Murray wrote in Murray's 1964 booklet, "Arthur Murray's Dance Course" in the section on "Dance Etiquette." My story is that I took AT classes for 6 months before I even went to a practica. Why? "Once you have accepted an invitation to a dance, you have automatically agreed to live up to the obligations it implies. You are expected ... above all, to be able to dance." Sounds a lot more 40s than 60s, don't you think? I agree that if you go to a milonga and dance with someone, you should be able to at least do basic AT. And of course there are lots of caveats to this.
I do not want to argue with you or challenge anything you've said. I'm just asking for clarification. I thought you said you would not do a step unless it was clearly led, that you would not made adjustments at a milonga for the sake of a poor leader. If that's not what you said, please explain it to me. It's my impression that followers often try to "help out" their partner in numerous ways, because they just want to, for whatever reason.
I would not back lead or change the weight on my own or guess what he was trying to lead and execute the step on my own. If it did not work, it did not work. We have to agree that it happens, and it does not have to make the leader (or follower for that matter) feel "poor". There are better ways for a follower to help a less experienced leader, among them, knowing the music very well, having a great balance, not noticing and counting his "mistakes", being relaxed, calm, and patient, including in a most physical way -- waiting for the lead instead of guessing the step and jumping into it... Interestingly, I find when I do that, very often the lead becomes clearer, people dance better, and the whole thing just works out better.
I think "basic AT" is a good subject for another argument. I'm sure in BsAs milongas they don't want basic AT dancers on the floor.
I tried to "correct" a leader at an advanced workshop while I was a newbie. I was so bad that I had no clue where I was. The best way to handle this situation is probably stop dancing with her for a while.
How about " I appreciate your enthusiasm for the dance, but my need is to dance my own style, not to imitate someone elses." (polite) or "Shut the f***k up." (direct)
I think it's the same poster starting a new thread. Probably because the original one went off on tangents, which of curse, this one will do as well.
"You should dance more with passion" The only answer is 'you should be more wary of clichés'. The 'passion' is something that a beginner doesn't know. If that's what you're looking for, you'll never find 'it', even though I don't think 'passion' is a good word for it. It'll hit you when you least expect it, but you'll shake your head at the ugly word 'passion' is for what just crossed your path and how different it is from 'the passion' you thought you'd come across when you naively started to learn this dance. I might add that 'tango, the passion' is an idiom that sends shivers through my spine despite the fact I met my wife at tango more than 20 years ago.
