[Tango-L] Flaming women at classes

[Chris, UK]

> a woman .... the average 2 month educated, twice a week ...
> It was him guiding her and letting her body follow, to be completely
> honest she looked like she was hardly doing anything to taxing herself.

'Mash, that's real tango.

> They fact that she danced pretty badly with me, but danced incredibly
> with him was a bit of a shock. I took it very personally.

"Very personally" is absolutely the best way of taking it. Well done.

> > from seeing this I think that women appear to progress quicker then men 

The idea that it's due to her faster progress is an illusion created by 
the class teaching model. The real cause is that the woman is much further 
along the path before even the first lesson. That's because this dance is 
made to use what she's already got.

> I mean you could take a complete novice and get her to do a beautiful
> ocho just by leading it well.

In my opinion this is the most important realisation of any guy's tango 
education. It totally changes his understanding of the dance and his 
approach to learning it.

You're fortunate to have got it in just a few weeks. And that's not down 
to luck. That's down to something /you've/ already got.

Go with it!

--
Chris







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

*Subject:* Re: [Tango-L] Flaming women at classes
*From:* "'Mash" <mashdot at toshine.net>
*To:* tango-l at mit.edu
*Date:* Fri, 20 Jul 2007 12:43:43 +0100 (BST)

I saw the most interesting thing last Friday at class. 
I was dancing with a woman who had been doing about a month less they I have. We danced together as the average 2 month educated, twice a week dancers would. There was some skill but still a little awkward, unbalanced and missing fluidity at times.

But when the teacher danced with her she looked like she had been dancing for a year. It was the fact that he knew how to lift and shift her weight. It was him guiding her and letting her body follow, to be completely honest she looked like she was hardly doing anything to taxing herself.

I came away with mixed emotions, one being surprised about how much the man does actually control and two, feeling a little ego bruised. They fact that she danced pretty badly with me, but danced incredibly with him was a bit of a shock. I took it very personally.

I wonder though and I don't mean to offend anyone with this. But from seeing this I think that women appear to progress quicker then men because they are lead. I mean you could take a complete novice and get her to do a beautiful ocho just by leading it well. You can't take a complete novice and get him to lead a beautiful ocho.

Also I have heard of couples (relationship) breaking up due to the woman feeling better dancing with a more experienced dancer, even though the two of them had started tango at the same time. I think it was because women feel like they dance well far quicker then men do. I see this in Milongas, women who have only just started dancing (like 2 months) go to milonga without fear. Men on the other hand would not set foot in a milonga in till they felt confident enough. 

'Mash





----- Start Original Message -----
Sent: Thu, 19 Jul 2007 10:27:21 -0700
From: "Igor Polk" <ipolk at virtuar.com>
To: <stermitz at tango.org>
Subject: [Tango-L] Flaming women at classes
> What to do? How to discourage women from criticizing? Of course, they
> progress much faster than men.

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