Heavyness and being grounded - two completely different things!

This post is born out of the discussion of a post in Alex's blog. I am sure this has been discussed around in a blog somewhere but I can't remember where. Anyway, what we're talking about is if weight matters.
By self experience I say that I have danced with some heavy followers that were light as a plume and with some (misleadingly) skinny followers that were has heavy has a lorry (or truck, if you're on the other side of the Atlantic ;o) So, weight on itself has absolutely no influence on the dance. If you can hold your weight, if you can be strong enough to carry all your package on your own, then you'll be light as a feather. In other words, you'll be as heavy as how much you ask your partner to carry.
Being grounded is something completely different. You can be obese and still not being close to be grounded. You can be slim and fit and yet drill down into the floor without passing the weight to your partner. Juana Sepulveda is a very good example. Slim, beautiful, gracious. But you'll notice that when she takes a step, especially in pivots she drills into the floor but she holds her own weight.
One my early teachers once told me "In tango, try to step the underfloor and never the floor". it makes absolute sense. To be decisive and to make your movements as clear as water you have to put all your weight into the floor (action) and transform the upward motion (reaction) into whatever you want to do.

Grounded

The sun is shining outside but I am grounded in my room. I took the weekend for tango and now I have to catch up with revision. But being grounded is not always bad. Juana Sepulveda, Chico's most recent partner, just proves that point in this (or in fact in any other) video. The "floating" skirty dress helps but it is just amazing how she seems to float in the air and yet at the same time drill the balls of the feet in the floor like if she wants to make a hole in it.
Let's be honest, Chicho helps (quite a lot). When talking to another tanguero (a Chichophiliac) the other day he told me he didn't like Juana because she is nothing like Eugenia Parilla. Well, number 1 Eugenia is Eugenia and number 2, Chicho and her danced for a long time together! Give Juana some time!

PS - It's really nice to see Chicho dancing D'Arienzo. It adds another dimension to the music. From a genius, I couldn't expect less!