[Tango-L] Should automatic crossing, or automatic anything, be discouraged?

[Tom Stermitz]

People keep talking at cross-purposes, but Laurie's coments below  
point out that things are different for different people, different  
situations, different levels and different styles. What is necessary  
for a beginner is insufficient for an intermediate, and doesn't makes  
sense for an advanced.

Most teachers tend to analyze things teach at THEIR level rather than  
teaching in layers appropriate for the different levels. And, judging  
from this list, tango teachers are an analytical, over-educated, over- 
verbal bunchh


RULE-LEAD vs AXIS-LEAD CROSS

The "RULE CROSS" (aka after two steps outside...) functions for  
beginners, but I find it teaches them to count, and that is harder to  
learn than feeling for what signals the cross. For more experienced  
people the "RULE" applies in the sense that it is such a common move,  
she just comes to expect the cross whenever he goes outside.  
Therefore, the not-cross becomes a critical lead.

AXIS:
A far better instruction for beginners is to teach lead for the cross  
using a diagonal shift of the axis, which enables the "in-line" cross  
and very subtle "right-side crosses" as well as, leading the "not- 
cross". A new beginner has the precision to lead and not lead crosses  
with great subtlety.

SPIRAL:
I'm very much against using the mans' spiral to lead the cross as I  
find this teaches very gross (if not grotesque) movements with the  
men over leading and the ladies losing their ability to follow the  
axis. For me, the spiral is how the man FOLLOWS the cross, not leads  
it. This is a very luscious connection that feels very connected.  
However it is an adv-beginner or intermediate skill.

Comparing the "RULE CROSS" with the "FOLLOW HIS AXIS CROSS", I find  
that it takes 30 or 40 minutes for new beginners to learn the RULE- 
LEAD, and five minutes to learn the AXIS-LEAD. That is 30 minutes  
lost where they could be learning rhythm or music or lead-follow.  
Also, the AXIS-LEAD is experiential and intuitive, whereas the RULE- 
LEAD is mental and analytical.

I do everything possible to keep people moving, in their physical  
bodies, and not thinking too much.

I'm in the school of "Lead the cross; Lead the not-cross". This has  
the advantage that the ladies are taught to wait on the cusp of the  
decision, so the lead-follow can be more subtle. As followers get  
better,



NUEVO ANALYSIS

Gustavo and the others of the nuevo school are very analytical  
teachers, which is great fun for the teachers in this forum. But, to  
use the concept of the giro to explain the cross is useless for a  
beginner. They can hardly stand up, let alone learn ochos, and the  
giro has to come after ochos.

In any case, depending on the situation, the giro is frequently  
distorted, (the cross is sort of a front ocho, theoretically) so only  
the curious  really care whether the cross is part of the giro, a  
structured pattern, or an improvised walk. Yeah, it explains a few  
things, but who cares, really beyond Tango-L arguers?




On Aug 26, 2007, at 2:09 AM, lgmoseley at aol.com wrote:

> ...In my view (and I'm from the UK not the USA), the lady should  
> never cross
>
> automatically. In fact she should never do anything automatically  
> (unless
>
> she has been given the 'over to you signal', or has indicated that she
>
> wishes to do firuletes or something else of her choice).
>
>
> ... On every step, the lady will have no idea what
>
> is going to come next. She has to wait for a lead. That wait is  
> commonly
>
> only a fraction of a second, but it is a wait.
>
>
> ...Of course, with a a lady who walks to the beat (unless   
> otherwise led)
>
> and does not cross until it is indicated, there are many more  
> conversational
>
> and communicative possibilities. I’d happily discuss on another  
> occasion the
>
> many possibilities that getting into and out of the cross present,  
> but I have
>
> rabbited on long enough for one posting.
>
> Laurie (Laurence)
>
> 24‎ ‏August 2007
>