[Tango-L] Women and Classes

[Michael]

Marisa wrote:
> It seems to me that the reasons some women stop taking
> classes are pretty straightforward.  In the vast
> majority of group classes, much more attention is paid
> to the men.  You can reasonably say that you have to get
the men moving before the women can do anything at all if
the leader stands with
> a blank expression and his feet planted, there is no dance
to work with.  
> Marisa 
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Well, then I wonder about the instruction. The teacher
should concentrate on the WOMAN'S steps, not the man's. If
men just concentrate on their own steps, they can only
memorize, maybe the first six steps. However, if they learn
the figure or pattern from the woman's point, e.g. molinete,
followed by sweep on HER side step to the man's right, ocho,
stepover, and walk out, it's much easier to execute and
remember than what does the man do with his feet. 

I remember going to a tango festival in Reno, NV. I took
meticulous notes on what I was supposed to do. When I got
home, I excitedly showed them to my teacher. He spent a few
seconds and said "And what are you trying to get the woman
to do?" My jaw hit the floor so hard it bounced back up to
my chin. That was a defining moment for me in tango -- and a
Kodak moment for my teacher.

The other issue is have people signed up for classes that
are just beyond their skill level.

Michael Ditkoff
Washington, DC
Three weeks to NY Tango Festival  www.celebratetango.com