[Tango-L] Masters of tango as a social dance

[ceverett@ceverett.com]

Burak has something of a point WRT to the "I show, you do" style of
teaching.  However, if you come to an "I show, you do" class with strong
fundamentals there is no problem.  If you don't have strong
fundamentals, then your weaknesses as a dancer will be on full display
to the knowing eye.  Either way you will get something out of it.

Regarding the tango music industry, there's a reason why recorded music
dominates.  It works for dancing in ways that modern tango groups either
can't (no skills) or won't (playing for themselves, not dancers)
reproduce.  I'll go so far as to say that much music being marketed as
tango music is either club music or classical music with banoneon,  So,
we are indeed supporting the modern tango music industry: we don't buy
it if we can't tango to it, so these bands should get their stuff
together and produce music dancers like tangoing to.  Doesn't sound
sentimental to me.

Finally, we have lots of tango schools in the US.  Metin Yazir's chain,
and several places in NYC where many tango teachers on as friendly basis
with each other work.  The real problem with formal systems of teaching
is that they tend to emphasize a non-existent One True Tango over the
tango appropriate to the student.  The cottage industry model of tango
instruction at least allows a wider diversity of styles than if each
city was dominated by a few big schools.

Christopher