Argentine Tango Lesson 3: Pressure with Extension

In tango when the leader decides on the direction they want to go, like in life, we start to shift our axis in that direction, roll through the standing foot, and start to move our free leg in that direction to catch our body as it shifts in space. The follower, however, has no idea in which direction the leader has chosen to go.

When the follower is still, grounded, and waiting to receive information, the follower will feel the direction as the leader's axis begins to shift. The follower will engage with that direction and, through resistance, can know exactly how far the step will be, exactly which angle the step will be in, and at what speed the step is going to be at.

Without resistance and engagement of the leader's axis shift, the follower is effectively guessing the distance, the speed, and the angle.

I do not believe the follower can use their eyes to gain this information. There's a common practice in the US where teachers have followers use their eyes while not touching their partner to dance with the leader. This is a form of torture as opposed to a method of teaching tango. This is not a dance of sight, it is a dance of touch. We must learn how to engage with the leader's direction and pressure/resistance is how that is achieved.