Shopping trolley

Openclipart

Chatting with a couple of non-dancing men who live within the AMBA (the greater Buenos Aires metropolitan area) both, independently, seemed to have picked up that there are maybe "signs" the guys gives to women with the fingers to tell them which way to go. When I heard this I was reminded of some forceful fingers while dancing in Buenos Aires. This is in part why my dance experience with local guys was not all that I had expected. That said, I had a few superb partners.

In the práctica I am delighted that new guys turn up with some regularity. Pretty soon I know that new women will be taken care of by guys who can already dance but there are not enough people willing to dance with new guys. Many of them, maybe most of them at some point try to "steer" you with their hands, usually their left, but occasionally sometimes the hand on your back. The funny thing is that women I have danced with, when they swap roles, almost never do this. Why would they when you have not done it to them? I notice the guys who are most willing to dance in the woman's role first don't do this, or do it much less.

But when it does happen, my reaction to this physical manhandling is always instantaneous. I ask them Are we in the supermarket? (i.e. I am not a shopping trolley), or Is this (our joined hands) a steering wheel? or What button are you looking for? (on my back). I am never cross, but I am clear and I try to make light of it. I used to just swap roles and show they what they were doing to me, but I generally wasn't able to be forceful enough and anyway, humour is more fun and they usually laugh. The main thing is, they get it and quickly.