tangophilia blog

One of the central tensions in tango is the role and identity of the follower. There are lots of conflicting ideas about the proper role of the follower and what the follower needs to do to be a “good follower.” Many of the more common ideas are based on misconceptions of the dance itself, or outmoded and shallow models of the relationship between leaders and followers and men and women.

Many problems inherent in understanding the follower’s role stems from focusing too much on what the follower is not, rather than what the follower is. For many people, the follower is simply not the leader. The follower doesn’t call the shots. The follower doesn’t choose the steps, the direction, the speed, the timing. So what does the follower do? To say that the follower simply follows, while true, belies the difficulty inherent in the role and responsibilities of the follower. It’s a claim no different than saying that to be alive, you have to live or to perceive you must see.

I’ve written about one aspect of the follower’s role in a previous blog post (Followers are Not Empty Vessels). I was going to write an extensive unified post on followers here, but came to realize that there are so many different threads to bring together that I’d be better off posting on smaller, more narrowly focused issues over time, then letting them evolve into something larger on their own. So, expect more on this topic over the next few days/weeks. Some ideas will be more fleshed out than others. Some may just be single lines out of context. Most will probably focus on the concept of the follower rather than specific movements or techniques. In any case, read them, think about them, and respond.