[Tango-L] Effective Practice

[Trini y Sean (PATangoS)]

Despite some recent acrimony on the 'L, the discussion
produced at least one intriguing idea. Namely Jake's
observation that no one of us is able to practice for our
students. The most effective exercise ever devised is
worthless if the students don't use it. While it is true
that we can not practice for our students, I think two
things separate successful teachers from the practitioners
of the 5 year plan. First, they motivate their students to
practice, and second, they teach their students how to
practice effectively. I'm sure most teachers can point to a
few of their beginners who are self motivated to practice.
They are the easy students, and they are definitely in the
minority.

And even those beginners who are self motivated to practice
usually try to repeat the steps they learned in class with
other beginners as partners. I think this is ineffective
practice. The students are basically training bad habits
into their body. Students cannot walk if they can't balance
on one foot. They can't pivot if they can't twist while
balanced on one foot. Learning to balance and to twist is
boring compared to fumbling around with your partner, but
it is effective. It produces results.

Likewise, to practice cadencia with a partner requires
knowing how to lead different size steps, different timing,
and weight changes. By the time students learn all that,
it's too late to start learning cadencia. (OK, it's never
too late, but that's the 5 year path.) For beginners to
practice musicality, they must dance alone. Of course, to
learn lead and follow, beginners must practice together. So
they need both. Motivate them to try this each week: 1.5
hours of class, 2.5 hours practicing alone (about 20 min
per day), and 2 hours with partners.

The difficulty in motivating students to practice is that
practice must become a new habit. That means a change in
lifestyle, no longer how minor that change might be. For
most people who feel constantly rushed, and pulled in many
different directions, finding even 20 minutes a day to
practice seems insurmountable. We have had some luck by
linking a tango practice habit to other habits. More on
that later.

Another difficulty is getting students to practice
effectively without supervision. People have been walking
for most of their lives. But, as Manuel pointed out, most
people don't complete each step with their weight on one
foot. Sending them home from their first class with
instructions to practice walking is not going to help this.
Before they can walk to one foot, they need to learn to
stand on one foot. And that they can certainly practice
alone. At the end of the first class, I ask all of the
students to stand on one foot. Then I take about 60 seconds
to explain the importance of balance. I have yet to meet a
beginner who can balance on one foot for 60 seconds. But
they all see that I can easily do it, while talking and
twisting to make eye contact with everyone in the room. I
tell them that for homework, they are to practice standing
on each leg every day. It's a new habit, and a boring
exercise, so I tie it to an existing habit. I tell them to
practice standing on one leg in the morning when they brush
their teeth, and the other leg at night when they brush
their teeth.

At the beginning of the second class, repeat the exercise.
Most people will not have improved because they didn't
practice. But a few will have shown marked improvement. A
little praise for those who do the work is enough to
motivate the others to get with the program. They get
assigned the same exercise the second week. Anyone who
managed a full 60 seconds gets to try it with their eyes
closed. (hehehe)

It occurs to me that someone one this list is going to
argue that learning to stand on one foot has nothing to do
with dancing tango. If you can't see the direct benefit of
balance to tango, at least consider the secondary benefit:
getting people into the habit of daily practice. Once they
can stand still on one foot, I presume that future tango
dancers need to develop enough balance to move their free
leg. Now they have to move out of the bathroom, or they
will kick the sink. Can they separate the tango practice
habit from the oral hygiene habit? Tune in next week for
the shocking answer.

Sean

P.S. Sorry for the dramatic cliff hanger. Maybe others will
share their experiences with motivating people to practice
while we wait...




       
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