探戈是怎样带领的

传统的带领理论是驱驶理论。根据这一理论男人在探戈中带领女人就如同把婴儿抱在怀中摇她入睡。这一理论反映了探戈故乡阿根廷的男权文化。男人拥抱女人，用他的胳膊环绕女人的身体。女人安居于他怀中，依在他身上，胸部亲密地贴在他的胸口。她不需要思考，计划，或率先迈步，只需委身于他，靠在他怀里而任其驱驶。由于两人身体连在一起，男人很容易驱驶女人。他可以用他的身体轻轻推动她，或转动身体，使她跟着一起转动，或用他的身体将她的身体倾斜，直至她迈步，或向一侧转身并移动，使她跟着向该侧跨步，或用他的身体摆动她的身体，使她的腿跟着摆动，形成步子，或增加惯性，使她的身体在脚着地后由惯性带动而偏离重心，导致另一只脚着地，等等。驱驶的方法多为感觉型的舞者所使用。这些舞者喜欢拥抱中舞伴之间亲密的身体接触和两人身体在一起有节奏地与音乐同步运动的感觉。对于他们来说，探戈是同步运动。“跟随”是个不正确的概念，因为它意味着分离和耽延。决定一个好的领舞者的是他用自己的身体去影响跟舞者的身体运动的能力。决定一个好的跟舞者的是她让自己的运动与领舞者的运动保持同步的能力，以达到一致，一体，和谐，同时。人们需要知道步子才能跳探戈，但步子是为了方便拥抱，使两个人能舞动得象一个人一样。感觉型的舞者使用简单的步子来避免干扰。他们专注于音乐，拥抱，交流，同步，和感觉。这个理论是老舞棍式探戈的基础。

另一种理论是标志理论。这一理论把带领定义为标志或信号。标志可以是在对方的身侧一按，腿上一碰，手上一推，背上一压，掌中一捏，姿态的某种变化，或类似的任何组合。它是领舞者告诉跟随者他要她如何移动的秘密信号。“掌握探戈是掌握信号的制作。”（《探戈，爱的艺术史》，罗伯特·法里斯·汤普森著）这种方法的问题是缺乏标准化。每个领舞者都以个人方式来标志舞步。除非熟悉他的信号，跟随者将很难跟从。因为个性化和模糊性的特点，这种方法尚未有清楚的定义。尽管如此，它对探戈的发展产生了显著的影响。用标志或信号来带领使得跟随者有必要对其进行诠释。领舞者不得不迁就她的主观解释。这改变了探戈的跳法。这一理论与采用松散拥抱而较多以手带领的Villa Urquiza式探戈有关。

在欧洲和北美，由于受个人主义，女权主义和“政治上正确”的文化影响，占主导地位的理论是“邀请”理论。根据这一理论，领舞者发送给跟舞者的不是驱动，而是一个建议或邀请。提建议的男士需要等待女士首先迈步，然后跟随她。其顺序好象这样：“领舞者‘邀请'女士进入房间。她接受邀请，并在她自己选定的时间进入，他然后跟随她。从某种意义上说，领舞者变成了跟随者。”（《对探戈的激情》，大卫·特纳著）这一理论离开了传统的探戈理论。它适合那些喜欢使用开式拥抱的运动型舞者，以便发挥更多的个性。没有直接的身体接触，领舞者胸部发出的驱动变得不那么直接和肯定，因而在很大程度上取决于跟随者对怎样，何时，或是否接受他的“邀请”所做的选择。领舞者必须等待，并顺应跟舞者的选择。结果，性别角色交换了，动作胜过了感觉，个人表演取代了同步运动，而探戈也变成了“新式”探戈。

How Tango Is Led

The traditional theory on how tango is led is the driving theory, according to which the man drives the woman in much the same way he carries a baby in his arms and sways her to dream. This theory reflects the macho culture of Argentina where tango was born. The man embraces the woman with his arm encircles her body. The woman settles into his embrace, leans on his torso, with her chest intimately touches his. She doesn’t need to think, plan and initiate the movement. She simply surrenders herself, rests in his arms, and lets him drive her. With the torso-to-torso connection the man can easily actuate the woman. He can use his torso to gently propel her, or turn his torso to make her turn with him, or use his torso to tilt her until she makes a step, or make her step on his side by twirling and moving his torso to one side, or swing her torso, which will bring along the swing of her leg to form a step, or increase the momentum that, after her leg lands on the floor, will carry her body pass over the center of gravity and lead to the next step, etc. The driving method is used by the feeling-oriented dancers who incline to the feeling of the embrace, the intimate torso-to-torso contact between the partners, and the rhythmic motion of the two bodies moving together in sync to the music. For them, tango is synchronization. The word “follow” is an incorrect notion because it implies separation and delay. What makes a good leader is his ability to use his body to effect the movement of the follower. What makes a good follower is her ability to synchronize her movement to his, so that unity, oneness, harmony and synchronism can be achieved. One needs to know the steps to dance tango, but the purpose of steps is to facilitate the embrace so that the two may remain one in motion. The feeling-oriented dancers use simple steps to avoid distractions. They concentrate on the music, embrace, communication, synchronization and feeling. This theory is the foundation of the milonguero style of tango.

Another theory is the la marca theory, which defines the lead as a mark or signal. The mark can be a tapping on her side, a touch on her thigh, a push in her hand, a press on her back, a tickle in her palm, a body posturing, or any combination of such. It is a secret code used by the leader to tell the follower how he wants her to move. “Mastering tango is mastering the making of signals.” (Tango, the Art History of Love, by Robert Farris Thompson.) The problem of this method, however, is the lack of standardization. Each leader marks the steps in his personal way. Without learning his set of signals, the woman would have difficulties to follow his marks. Due to the private and ambiguous nature, this method remains indefinable. Nevertheless, it has a significant impact on the development of tango. Using mark to lead makes it necessary for the follower to interpret it. The leader then has to adapt to her subjectivity. This changes how tango is danced. The Villa Urquiza style danced in a loose embrace and hence relying more on the hands to lead, is associated with this theory.

The theory dominating Europe and North America is the invitation theory, influenced by their individualist, feminist and politically correct culture. According to this theory, what the leader sends to the follower is not a drive but a suggestion or invitation. The gentleman who has given the suggestion needs to wait for the lady to initiate her movement, and then follow her. The sequence is like this: “The leader ‘invites’ the lady to enter a room. She accepts the invitation and, in her own time, enters, and he then follows. In a sense, therefore, the leader has become the follower.” (A Passion for Tango, by David Turner.) This theory breaks away from the traditional tango. It suits the movement-oriented dancers who prefer to dance in an open embrace that allows more individuality. Without the torso-to-torso contact, the drive, which comes from the leader’s torso, becomes less direct and assertive, and hence depends to a large degree on the follower’s choice of how, when, and whether to accept the “invitation.” The leader has to wait and adapt to her choice. As a result, gender roles reverse, movement triumphs over feeling, fanciness supersedes simplicity, individual performance replaces synchronization, and tango becomes tango Nuevo.