[Tango-L] Milonguero style, style vs. technique

[Ed Doyle]

My experience has been that teachers often use some 'step' or even a 'step
sequence' as a means to teach some movement such as a gancho or sacada. I
suppose some see the point as learning the sequence, but I don't think that
is what the teachers are trying to get across. They are trying to show the
correct posture, technique, style, musical possibilities of a particular
movement and use some step or sequence to demonstrate possibilities for it's
use. Also, if it is a group class, then it is easier for the instructor to
watch the entire group and observe who is 'getting it' and who is struggling
if for the most part, everyone is doing the same sequence or steps. It makes
it easier for the instructor to spot who is 'out of sync'. I don't ever take
away from the class that I am suppose to now go to a milonga and dance the
sequence or steps as taught in the class, but rather apply the movement
properly as the music, floor conditions, my partner, my mood, allow. Just my
2 cents, I am not trying to suggest other points of view are not just as
valid.

Ed


On 11/6/06, Alexis Cousein <al at sgi.com> wrote:
>
> Chris, UK wrote:
> > Tango classes are mostly
> > adapted to the needs of the eternal "intermediates" and step collectors.
>
> Not all. There are those that will teach "steps" or "sequences" only
> because
> they teach you something - appealing to both "step collectors" *and*
> people who want to learn how to dance alike.
>
> Of course, you'll usually still be able to pick out the step collectors
> from
> the others, even after they've followed exactly the same classes, because
> they'll just check off a box before they've really understood what a step
> was all about ;).
>
> Of course, the *really* rabid "step collectors" won't touch these classes
> with
> a ten foot pole, because the steps are usually "too simple", if only
> because
> it's impossible to grasp the essence of a sequence when too much is
> happening.
>
>
> --
> Alexis Cousein                                  al at sgi.com
> Senior Systems Engineer/Solutions Architect     SGI/Silicon Graphics
> --
> <If I have seen further, it is by standing on reference manuals>
>
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