[Tango-L] Buffalo's Ladies Only lesson report.

[Floyd Baker]

Our 'Ladies Only' lesson last Friday went very well.   Six followers
came and one brought a partner.  Experience ranged from zero to two
having a lot of tango wear on their soles already.  But experience
didn't matter. They were all  happy they came.  

Even the 'partner' who drove a hundred miles to be here was enthused..
The woman of that couple saying she now regretted every 'Tango' lesson
she had previously taken.   What more can I ask, eh?  :-) 

But to attract more people in the future I will be teaching similarly
done classes to 'couples'.  Probably even better that way than each
having separate lessons...  But we'll be teaching each their jobs
only, and not the other's.  Couples together only for the common
points of the dance.  Posture, balance, axis, attitude, etc.   Along
with *how* the leads are passed and followed.   But *never* to show or
teach patterns to followers...  That should always be considered Tango
sacrilege.

The followers were told they are both the artist and their own work of
art.   That they are to consider themselves as dancing totally alone,
under their own power, direction, balance, and the rest.   That if a
leader applied any pressure to their body to move them in any
direction,  they should object.   

They were told leader is there to 'hopefully' give the followers *new*
combinations of steps to dance through as they are led around the
floor to the music.  Music that  the leader needs to follow in order
to do that.   The leader also keeps the follower from running into
furniture and other dancers while she dances her trance across the
floor.., 'by herself'.., with her eyes closed..

I'm starting to think that it is the *leader* who is the object in
Tango, eh?   The label just makes us feel good so we'll dance with the
ladies for their sakes... Ha!  

They learned that closing the eyes instantly increases the brain's
Alpha waves so the follower relaxes and becomes more intuitive.  That
one can actually feel the effect on their body when the eyes are
closed for a few seconds...

They learned how to increase their poise.., which includes axis,
'attitude', how to pivot,  smoothness,  walking in two lines
close-set, no head sway nor bob, feet always coming down close to and
pointed towards the leader, ignoring the leader's weight changes, and
many other ways they need to be aware of,  if they are to Tango
correctly.

They were taught that leads are not just given one at a time.  That
they will come to see two and three being given at once.  And so
they'll get used to incorporating all leads into their head as one
continuous, varying force that guides them about.   They will feel and
use inertia, centrifugal force, gravity, timing and more to carry out
the dance.   That understanding these natural laws too, will allow the
follower to stay with any leader, combined leads, style, or force
behind them.., as a continuous flow of sensory input they must learn
to re-act to.  

All of it is aimed toward having followers do *steps* only.  Smoothly,
gracefully, and entirely..  That if they get to this point they will
not need to be specifically taught how to step backward, the barrida,
displacements,  nor many other moves now taught to them as half of a
couple, and memorizing them..  

It was pointed out how important the music is..  Something both
partners need to pay the utmost attention to.   Especially the tempo
changes and the syncopation they may be dancing to.  Where the
'listening' to it litterally causes their dance to be part of the
music itself.  And the other way round, too...

The music puts them in touch with the leader's choice of tempo and
movement.   It tells them which note they should touch their moving
foot down on.   They are not to just *do* a step to get it over with.
It must be done *to the music*... Flowing their motions with emotion
and comes from what they hear..  To syncronize both sets of feet. To
remain  'in tune' with each other throughout the dance.    

Besides being very beautiful to hear and dance to, in itself.

One of the ladies said she felt like she was actually dancing Tango
with me.., instead of 'learning' it.   I liked that... :-)

Size limits how much I can say..  It's been edited down and changed
around..  It's still not quite as I'd like it to be..., but the lesson
was.., and that's what counts.   So if anyone is interested in
learning more, our online 'how to' pages explain what I believe should
be the way to teach.    It's different from most..., I know.  :-/
http://www.buffalotango.com/html/l_-_introduction.html

Take care...   

Floyd

     Buffalo Tango - Argentine Tango - How To Tango
     * * * * * *  www.buffalotango.com  * * * * * *