[Tango-L] Help Newbies Dance in Tight Spaces

[Alexis Cousein]

Tango For Her wrote:
> 
> It just seems that the two discussions, “walk, walk,
> walk” and “the basic-8” are just spending a lot of
> time just defending or breaking down these teaching
> styles.  Those teacing methods already exist and new
> leaders still have nightmares when they get out to the
> milongas.


Because what you have to learn is navigation and improvisation,
and whether you teach using the 8CB as a coat hanger or
by teaching to walk doesn't change a thing about that.

Actually, the first step in teaching people not to march
on regardless of anything is to teach them to listen to
the music - and to act on it, rather than their own
impulse to always move on.

After all, tango music ain't a military march for a reason.

Some music obviously lends itself to teaching this aspect
of the dance better than other. I think it's a disservice to
beginners to insist on *only* playing instrumental music with a
very clear beat and no long arching phrases, certainly if you
want to make thgem aware of the fact tango is slightly more
rich than a fat Nubian slave beating the drums on a Roman
trireme.

And you have to teach them to fill the "stepless" time and
be aware of what is happening (it's a fallacy to think
that if you don't step "nothing happens", but it's not
*obviously* wrong to beginners). They'll be more patient
on a crowded dance floor if they're having fun in place than if
they're just constantly itching to move on when they have
nowhere to go.


-- 
Alexis Cousein                                  al at sgi.com
Senior Systems Engineer/Solutions Architect     SGI/Silicon Graphics
--
<If I have seen further, it is by standing on reference manuals>