[Tango-L] If this was day one of your study of Tango..

[Jay Rabe]

> Michael <tangomaniac at cavtel.net> wrote:
>   If you had it to do all over again ... What would you do differently?
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*) When I started learning tango, the predominant teaching method was the D8CB (The "Dreaded 8-count Basic"). Teaching HOW to lead was not done in any generic sense. In retrospect that was a waste of time. These days, teaching focuses on (after posture, balance, and fundamentals of stepping/walking) how to lead, how to follow, and how to maintain the connection.

*) As someone else pointed out, any reluctance to actually get out on the social dancefloor and JUST DO IT, is wasting time, regardless of the strength of your logic telling you otherwise. NOW is the time to dance, whether you've had 5 lessons or 5 minutes of a lesson.

*) If I did it over, I'd take fewer notes. Being an engineering type of person, analysis and detailed notes were the way I thought I needed to learn. They might have helped, but mostly it was a waste of time. Tango, to be done well, MUST be intuitive, and you can't develop that analytically. You can only develop it by actually doing it and developing your muscle memory.

*) If I did it over, I'd start much earlier to try and develop my own steps. When you start learning tango, you're painfully aware of how little you know. So the tendency is to invest your instructors with full authority to tell you what to do and how to do it. This delays your owning the dance. As another recent post pointed out, the master milongueros have the position of respect that they do because (among other reasons) they OWN their dancing. They have put the time in to know their repertoire so intimately that no thought (analysis, left-brain anything) is needed. It just happens. Start now to experiment. When you're in a given position, what are your options? Can you move this way? That way? What can you lead her to do? What do you need to do to lead her where you want? 

*) Having a congenial follower who will give you feedback as you experiment and learn can be invaluable. That said, I agree completely that it's necessary, for fast progress, to dance with many partners. It helps you to find out what is Really necessary in your lead to make a given step work. 

*) Get a CD or 3 and listen to them constantly.

*) Practice, practice, practice. Be aware of your posture and your balance and how you are walking with every step you take, and I'm talking when you're OFF the dancefloor.

     Good luck!    :-)



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