The Woman Who Leads |
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January 2005:
Dancing tango since 1989, Hsueh-tze (pronounced
similar to 'Shootsy')is nationally recognized as a pre-eminent teacher
of close embrace tango, the popular social form of tango of Buenos
Aires and experienced communities around the world. Based in Boston,
she was also a pioneer in North America in dancing both the leader's
and follower's role. She is regularly invited to teach at major
national tango festivals such as those in Denver, Baltimore, Portland,
and Seattle. In her classes, she focuses on movement dynamics, partner
communication, musicality and improvisation. Her web site is www.bluetango.org
Hsueh-Tze Lee: Yes. Part of the reason is that my name is unusual and not on the tip of everyone's tongue. So, "the Woman Who Leads" became an identifiable title on both coasts. At that time, it was very rare to see a woman lead. This was about 1990-1992. I learned both roles simultaneously. People often ask whether it is difficult to switch back and forth. For me, it's not, as the roles are distinctly different. Dancing as a leader doesn't imply that one would inherently be a better (or worse) follower, and vice versa, as they involve different skills and both require practice. However dancing each role has given me invaluable insights into the other, e.g., in the connection and embrace that I offer, and in my musicality. These have contributed significantly to my overall dancing. Close-Embrace.com: Tango in the US must have changed a lot since then? What are the biggest changes you've seen? Hsueh-Tze Lee: Over the past 15 years, tango in the US has changed from a performance style, with ganchos, high boleos and big steps, to a more social style in crowded spaces, with focus on walking, musicality, and "line-of-dance"etiquette. Another big change is that there are many more dancers! Starting from about a half dozen cities in North America (San Francisco, Seattle, New York City, Cincinnati and Montreal), there is now tango in remote areas (e.g., northern Maine, the Big Island of Hawaii, Anchorage), as well as in more areas of the Midwest. Close-Embrace.com: What would you like to see change? Hsueh-Tze Lee: I would love to see a greater awareness of musicality and dynamics among dancers. It is not (you've probably heard this before!) the steps that we do that make a memorable dance, but how we step. Close-Embrace.com: You use a lot of nuevo-tango ideas in a close embrace. Why bother with the close embrace and not just dance open? Hsueh-Tze Lee: In close embrace, the intimate connection allows for intense communication. It is very special. In addition, many wonderful figures evolve when applying nuevo analyses. By dancing these figures in close embrace, at least two delightful things happen: one, it leads to discovery of creative ways to move in close embrace, and two, the spiritual connection of the embrace is not broken. As historical perspective, in Argentina, there are older dancers who for years have been dancing changes of direction, sacadas, single axis turns, linear boleos, etc. ("nuevo moves") while in close embrace. Much of what we discover on our own has most likely been done before! Close-Embrace.com: What do you gain most from your trips to Buenos Aires? Hsueh-Tze Lee: My experience dancing at the traditional milongas is priceless, especially for experiencing the musicality of the older milongueros. Because their tango is developed over a lifetime, rather than from classes, their way of moving is uniquely their own. There is a large diversity of styles. Older milongueros, however, are disappearing quickly. It is why I feel an urgency to continue my annual trips. I have been spending a month each year in Buenos Aires since 1998. Click here to see the flyer from the workshops Hsueh-tze Lee did in NYC on February 17th, 2005 |