[Tango-L] intellectual skills vs motor skils

[DHodgson]

Look here you, that description is too complex.

Tango is like a large shiny spoon aimed at ones head.
Intellectual skills are recognizing that "yes indeed, that is a large shiny
spoon".
Motor skills are avoiding the large shiny spoon. 

Off to have dinner then dance.
David


-----Original Message-----
From: tango-l-bounces at mit.edu [mailto:tango-l-bounces at mit.edu] On Behalf Of
Brick Robbins
Sent: Friday, December 19, 2008 2:29 PM
To: tango-l at mit.edu
Subject: [Tango-L] intellectual skills vs motor skils

Tango is something you do with your body and your heart. It is a motor
skill.

Writing, talking, thinking, are all things you do with your head. They
are intellectual skills.

It is possible to dance very very well, and have no intellectual
concept of what you are doing. This is why I think so many very
talented dancers make very bad teachers: They simply don't know (with
their heads) what they are doing. They often teach what they heard in
classes they've taken, not what they actually do. Most often they are
good in spite of the training they have received, not because of it,
but of course they love their teachers, and regurgitate their
teacher's words as "the truth."

It is also possible to have a very good intellectual understanding of
the physics, physiology, music structure, history & culture behind
dancing tango and not be a very good dancer.

For some of us who are not extremely talented, I think it is helpful
to have a good intellectual understanding to help us while we are
developing our motor skills. For some, obsessing over this knowledge
actually impairs learning (paralysis by analysis.) The very talented
can just watch something, and go do it.

A very good book that describes these issues in teaching motor skills,
especially for dance, is "Dynamic Alignment Through Imagery" by Eric
Franklin http://tinyurl.com/4v7ovu

As far as I can tell, the only motor skills required to participate in
Tango-L is typing, so this is purely an intellectual exercise which
may help some people's dance, may impair others', or simply amuse or
annoy.

In other words, this list has very little to with actually dancing.

On another note:

Is anyone coming to the 3rd Annual San Diego Tango Festival  over New
Year's weekend?
http://www.sandiegotangofestival.com

It is a Tom Stermitz "close embrace" festival, with intentionally
crowded dance floors, traditional music, attention paid to the ronda,
etc. The last two years, the dancing has been good, and the weather
has been warm and Sunny in America's Finest City. I hope to see some
of you there.
_______________________________________________
Tango-L mailing list
Tango-L at mit.edu
http://mailman.mit.edu/mailman/listinfo/tango-l