[Tango-L] Direction: Purpose

[Jake Spatz (TangoDC.com)]

Hi Bill in Seattle,

I don't know who the ultimate audience of this topic is, if that's 
somehow different from you, me, and all others who've engaged the 
discussion. I know I want a better way to describe the shit my partners 
and I come up with in practice sessions (as I've said); and I know I 
want a language that doesn't duplicate terms or oversimplify matters. To 
repeat: I'm not looking for something "new" to inflict on students. I 
want better terms for my own notebooks.

Also, I don't think the "visual vs. verbal" thing has any bearing on 
this. We need better language, and perhaps more comprehensive concepts. 
Today we're examining oranges; apples we'll deal with tomorrow.

Lastly, I'm prompted to get into all this by exactly the independent 
motions you refer to. The lead and the leader are two-- plus the 
follower, that makes three. The couple doesn't always execute identical 
movements, and to teach beginners that they do only gives them a lot to 
unlearn as soon as they get into their third or fourth month of it. As 
soon as they learn ochos, in fact-- so their third or fourth hour, even.

I guess what I'm saying is that we need the analysis first, for us. (Us 
being whoever finds the extant analyses inadequate and/or flawed.) Then 
we can figure out how to present it to students, if the results are a 
significant improvement on current teaching terms. If they aren't, then 
we reserve the new analysis for super-advanced dancers only, because 
they're the ones who actually need it.

The reorientation of the ship metaphor, offered by John Ward, strikes me 
as having a damn lot of potential toward this end.

Jake Spatz
DC


Euroking at aol.com wrote:
> Jake,
>  
> Interesting thread. It has raised several questions.
>  
> 1. Who is the audience for the end result of your quest? (agreeing 
> with you, if there is an answer) 
>  
> 2. Simplicity or the basic KISS (Keep It Simple Stupid) principle 
> seems operative with most of us, until we want to communicate a 
> specific idea or principle among individuals of like interest. I.e. 
> front, back, forward, in place work with the basic beginner with the 
> caveat the follower is moving the opposite direction, with the 
> exception of the cross, the steps for Ochos are independent and 
> associated solely with the person or persons doing them. {at the basic 
> beginning level, where information overload is the norm]
>  
> 3. The progression of a student's learning curve starts to complicated 
> the foregoing, as the interaction between the dancers become more and 
> more interrelated and complex. But at this juncture is it the verbal 
> description that helps the dancer or the visual demonstration that 
> helps the pair move forward. Or is a combination of both?  I would 
> think it is latter and the learning styles of the individuals would 
> determine the balance between the verbal and visual.
>  
> 4. The other factor is that dance steps of partners are not always 
> mirror images of the other. Thus trying to describe the actions of the 
> couple as one string of verbiage might be by almost definition 
> impossible as they are doing different actions. Example during a 
> molinete, the follow is doing a set pattern, while the lead pivots, 
> their feet are doing completely different actions, the relationship of 
> the upper body is where there is symmetry.
>  
> I find the comments made to be informative and though provoking but I 
> am trying to set a context.
>  
> Just some thoughts,
>  
> Bill in Seattle