lthough dancing with somebody of the same gender as you may seem very strange and potentially awkward at first thought; it actually has many benefits. I remember my very first trip to Buenos Aires, where many people learn both roles, and how I was carefully trying to avoid female leaders as I was dreading the awkward embrace. Well, it more than grew on me as I know enjoy leading too.
For those who don’t believe me and need convincing, here are the last 2 most advantageous results of dancing with someone of the same sex:
4. An over-looked benefit is that more people will get to dance. The numbers of males and females at an Argentine tango class or milonga are rarely completely balanced, so rather than having men or women left over whilst people are dancing, why not dance together? This way no one would have to stare longingly at the dance floor feeling rejected!
5. You can make new friends of the same gender. Usually when dancing tango, you’d introduce yourself to your partner and vice versa allowing you to get to know each other briefly. If you both like what you see, you can dance again or even keep contact. This means however that when going to tango classes or a social dance, you’ll only really get to know those of the opposite sex to yourself, so dancing with people of your gender would balance these friendships out a bit.
We understand that girls dancing with girls and guys dancing with guys can be perceived as a bit peculiar and awkward in current Western culture, but we’d like to highlight the fact that following doesn’t have to be feminine and leading doesn’t have to be masculine. Inject whatever you have into whichever role you choose, tango is all about expressing yourself; so relax and be yourself!
If you want to learn more, you can read the first part of this article about switching roles.
Written by Emma and Nathalie
Picture: www.tangohub.co.uk
