[Tango-L] Everyone's "one of the most respected and well-known dancers in Buenos Aires"

[euroking@aol.com]

Caroline,,
 
I like you train of thought. Some one that tells me that they are the best at what they do really turns inside out, because it is most likely bull.  However, with that said, internal confidence or belief in what you are doing is essential to get better.  It is the broadcast factor that has the fine line.  The fighter pilot who does not believe and act as though they are better than everyone else, are likely to do die in combat by those who actually believe they are the best. Doubt creates hesitation, hesitation creates error, and error reduces confidence. 
 
Saying you are the best certainly doesn't make you the best, quietly believing you are doing your best, will move you forward, with doing being the operative term.
 
As for truth in advertising, I would expect every teacher to advertise, if they trying to enter a particular market, to puff themselves up and exploit myths. BsAs may be the home of the Tango, but it would be highly unreasonable to assume that every Argentine dances Tango at a high degree of perfection.  Like it would be unreasonable to believe everyone in the uS is a plays baseball like a pro.
 
The written word has to be backed by the walk. A package can get my attention but can the contents keep it. I find that reading items on this list range from the absurd logic to the enlightened. Self proclaimed pundits add value to the conversation as well as the true reporters of fact. I found Debi's comments englightning and informative. I found Burleigh's comments to be a bit of a bore in his response, but he still added a perspective.
 
The key I think, and I apologize if I am getting verbose, but is observing, listening and comparing what is being said instead of judging (You nor Debi are judging, but merely staing your opinion on the subject).  I think that too many or those who are the most vocal tend to judge or react and defend a particualr point of view. Makes for good reading sometime but does not particularly resolve anything.
 
I am going to make my first trip to BsAs and my primary objective is to observe and absorb. We would like to dance, but reading much on this list there is an element of intrepidation on trying to. I will come back better for it. Life is good,
 
Just some thoughts.
 
Bill in Seattle
 
-----Original Message-----
From: runcarolinerun at hotmail.com
To: tango-l at mit.edu
Sent: Thu, 3 Aug 2006 8:19 AM
Subject: [Tango-L] Everyone's "one of the most respected and well-known dancers in Buenos Aires"


I've been doing a lot of browsing on the internet, of various tango schools 
and teachers, in North America, and of course Argentina. Is it just me or is 
every single teacher "one of the most respected and well-known tango dancers 
in Buenos Aires"?

Says who? It's not possible for every single one of them to be "one of  the 
best" or there wouldn't any "best" at all. I would like to know who sets the 
standards and who exactly is considering those teachers to be "one of the 
best" or is there alot of self-proclamation going on?

I see it here too, braggadacio. I was at a Milonga hosted by my tango school 
where I was approached by an older man who tried to persuade me to stop 
taking lessons at that school and instead learn with him because he is one 
of the "best" and had been travelling to Buenos Aires every year for the 
last 20 years. Well, so did my tango teachers. I find that to be very bad 
manners, to be approached by someone who is trying to convince others not to 
take lessons from the teachers hosting the milonga. Competiton can sometimes 
be a little too backstabbing for my liking.

So, I am thinking, how does making annual pilgrimages to Argentina 
automatically make you the best?

What makes me laugh is when I come across a website that features just one 
teacher and they write about themselves in the third person, with all those 
effusive reviews of how they are one of the "best in Buenos Aires".

One thing I can say for sure is that generally speaking, most tango teachers 
have no lack of self-confidence.

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