[Tango-L] CITA begins in BsAs

[Chris, UK]

Lois wrote:

> I don't care what anybody says - Following is hard!

Evidently not too hard for many thousands of girls (and guys) over much of 
the last century. Nor thousands in the present, too.

Mind you, those 20th century girls weren't handicapped by "I don't care  
what anybody says" class teachers telling them that if they found 
following to be easy, actually they were completely mistaken - in fact it 
is really hard.

> Finding a teacher who can teach following well isn't easy either.

No coincidence there. Making the subject hard makes the teaching hard too.

But no matter. Past and present, it's as Janis said: girls learn by 
dancing in the milongas.

--
Chris











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

*Subject:* Re: [Tango-L] CITA begins in BsAs
*From:* "Lois Donnay" <donnay at donnay.net>
*To:* <Tango-L at mit.edu>
*Date:* Wed, 14 Mar 2007 16:18:40 -0500

Janis is right - going to classes and learning "steps" is not what followers
need. I will sometimes get a follower who comes to me and wants to learn
"that step where a guy goes...." All they are learning is how to anticipate,
and we all know that is very bad! Instead, what a follower has to learn is
how to hold her body the proper way to accept the lead. It may be a lot
easier just to learn all the "steps". It is always easier to recite a
prepared text than to write your own.

I don't care what anybody says - Following is hard! Finding a teacher who
can teach following well isn't easy either. I went to a lot of men
(following the ballroom pattern of taking from a teacher of the opposite
sex) before I took a lesson from a woman who gave me more in an hour than I
had gotten for a year before. Learning on the floor by doing is probably
better than memorizing patterns, or having some guy say "When I do this
you're supposed to put your foot there".

Lois 
Minneapolis


-----Original Message-----
From: Chris, UK [mailto:tl2 at chrisjj.com] 
Sent: Wednesday, March 14, 2007 10:21 AM
To: Tango-L at mit.edu
Cc: tl2 at chrisjj.com
Subject: Re: [Tango-L] CITA begins in BsAs

> I wish I could put out the word ... Single women learn by dancing with
> various partners in the milongas. They don't need to learn steps in
> classes.

Janis, do you really think that word would have much effect? For each one 
saying that, there are a hundred teachers saying the opposite.

--
Chris




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

*Subject:* [Tango-L] CITA begins in BsAs
*From:* "Janis Kenyon" <Jantango at feedback.net.ar>
*To:* "Tango-L" <Tango-L at mit.edu>
*Date:* Tue, 13 Mar 2007 18:55:02 -0300

I wish I could put out the word to single women (especially those over 50)
that they are wasting their time and money by going to CITA.  They pay
$15-20US per class and don't know until they arrive that they have to pay
another $15US per class to hire a taxi dancer.  They could be going to the
milongas everyday from 4-10pm.  Single women learn by dancing with various
partners in the milongas.  They don't need to learn steps in classes.

On Sunday I met Jackie from Spokane, Washington.  She told me she came to
Buenos Aires to dance with the milongueros.  I told her that there are no
milongueros teaching for CITA, and there won't be any milongueros dancing at
the CITA milongas either.  If she wants to dance with milongueros, she
should forget the classes and go to the afternoon milongas.  She was told
that so-and-so is a milonguero, so she signed up for three of his classes at
CITA.

I happened to meet her on the street while she was trying to find the
location of her first class.  She had no idea where she was going.  I
escorted her from one location to another until we arrived at Bauen Suites
where the class was being held.  Jackie had not made arrangements to hire a
taxi dancer, so I recommended she ask Julio to practice with her since he
was there to translate the class for English-speakers.

At least she'll have another week in Buenos Aires to dance in the milongas.


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