[Tango-L] tango learning-- w/o teachers

[Chris, UK]

Jake wrote:

> learning without teachers (or without teachers around)...
> 
> 1. Videos
> 2. Travel
> 3. Private practicing
> 4. Network
> 5. Import someone
> 6. Maximizing minimal resources
> 7. Get music

Um, do practicas not exist in Tango USA?

> Lots of dancers take few lessons and learn primarily by the trial-by-fire
> method at the milongas. Lots take lessons for years without learning
> squat.

Let's complete the triage.

 1 lots who only 'class' don't learn
 2 lots who class and dance do learn
 3 lots who only dance do learn

It doesn't take a rocket scientist to spot that learning has lots more to 
do with dancing than classing.

> I do know that the fonder one grows of excuses, the 
> less likely one is to achieve anything.

Damn right.

Chris

-------- Original Message --------

*Subject:* Re: [Tango-L] tango learning-- w/o teachers
*From:* "TangoDC.com" <spatz at tangoDC.com>
*To:* tango-L at mit.edu
*Date:* Sat, 17 Jun 2006 06:34:19 -0400

Hey Gary,

To answer your question about learning without teachers (or without 
teachers around)...

1. Videos
I know of a few people who have learned from DVDs, both those designed 
with teaching in mind and those designed to show off performances. I 
don't know exactly how they did it, or what problems they encountered, 
but I know they were hungry enough to pick the stuff apart, experiment, 
and keep at it. Like, for several hours a day.

2. Travel
This is pretty self-explanatory. I mean, we all make jokes about how far 
we're willing to travel for a good milonga. People in New York make the 
same jokes. Everyone travels.

3. Private practicing
Nothing beats this. Nothing.

4. Network
If you can establish rapport via email with a festival organizer, 
there's a good chance you can get in touch with someone who'll send you 
their video of the class summaries. You can also try swapping stuff, or 
look for free articles and videos online. Study whatever you can, and 
ask for help. Repay the favors with whatever you can offer. An inbox is 
an herb garden waiting to happen.

5. Import someone
If you're desperate, and you've got enough people behind you, I'm sure 
you could find someone who's going to be passing through your neck of 
the woods, perhaps on vacation. You could very well get them to teach a 
class or two while they're in town. Or, if you're seriously desperate, 
you could even pay someone's expenses in exchange for a certain teaching 
package, so that they can finance their vacation.

6. Maximizing minimal resources
If you're broke, as I have been at times, you can save up for some 
workshop or other, and get more out of it by actually taking notes. If 
you can draw little cartoons, it helps. I recommend handwritten notes 
over other recording media (or in conjunction with them), because 
cameras and tape recorders let us get lazy. You can also take notes 
after practice sessions. You can take notes after watching videos. You 
can take them whenever you damn well please. I prefer pencils.

7. Get music
One great impediment to learning the tango is having only crap music 
around, or a limited selection of classics. I'd personally check out 
Keith's ToTango site for an overview of the genre, and go from there. 
Most dancers don't begin making serious progress until they know a lot 
of songs pretty thoroughly, so you might as well get a head start in 
that department if you're trying to get things going.

Ultimately, self-teaching only works for the ardent, disciplined, and 
focused. You have to be clever; you have to fight for it. And you have 
to ask for help. Can you really learn the tango without Any teachers? I 
doubt it. But you can start, and you can practice, and you can augment 
your learning independently. Lots of dancers take few lessons and learn 
primarily by the trial-by-fire method at the milongas. Lots take lessons 
for years without learning squat. I can't estimate how many variables 
are involved, but I do know that the fonder one grows of excuses, the 
less likely one is to achieve anything.

Nihilism notwithstanding.

Jake Spatz
Washington, DC



Gary Barnes wrote:
> So, can someone give me some examples of how to go about learning  
> tango without teachers?  And, how successful is it, and for what kind  
> of students?
>
> Gary
>   
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