[Tango-L] Effective Dancing [Was: Effective Practice]

[Huck Kennedy]

Chris, UK <tl2 at chrisjj.com> writes:
> Steve writes:
> > The embrace, the relationship with one's partner, the relationship
> > with others on the dance floor, and the relationship with music are
> > the context within which we dance tango. Practicing by oneself ... 
> > removes the entire context of tango.
> 
> Well put, Steve.
> 
> Unconvinced guys, ask a girl at a milonga what's meant by "He's dancing by 
> himself."

     Okay, come on, now you guys aren't being fair.
Chris, just because someone might practice certain
technique (like pivoting) by oneself does not
necessarily mean that one is going to treat one's
parter as an inanimate prop and in effect dance by
oneself at a milonga.

     And yes, Steve, practicing by oneself does
remove the entire context of tango.  So what.  It
isn't supposed to be tango.  It's movement technique
training.

     I agree with you both, obviously one cannot
practice tango by oneself.  But if you feel like it
(I personally rarely have the time, but that's beside
the point), what's wrong with practicing pivoting by
yourself, with the aim of improving your balance and
muscle tone so that your pivots are more elegant and
effortless?

     Compare this to the ballet world.  I've yet to
see a ballet performance where there is a barre in
the middle of the stage, with dancers resting one of
their hands on it while they dance.  Yet ballet dancers
"waste" countless hours practicing at the barre.  Yes,
the context of a ballet performance is missing, but
so what, they're not pretending it's there, they are
simply practicing movement technique.

Huck