[Tango-L] Milonga 101 -- conversation between dances

[Tango For Her]

--- "Trini y Sean (PATangoS)"  wrote:

> Funny, the predominant method of teaching of
> Argentine instructors seems based on choreography.  

Here's an example to the contrary:

Funny, the first time I taught in a large venue
(before the biggest milonga in town with a lot of
advanced dancers sitting there waiting for the
milonga), there were about 70 students.  

I taught using a very simple pattern.  I kept stopping
the class every minute, showed an improvement to
technique and started the music, again.  I did that
over and over, again.  Dance, stop, tweek technique,
dance, stop, teach technique, etc.  You could hear a
pin drop and you could see mass improvement right
through the hour.  

There was a good dancer from BsAs watching.  She said
to my partner, "That's the most I've ever seen someone
in the US teach like in BsAs.".  Now, it's not about
the complement.  We've all had ours.  But, I was there
for one reason ... to focus heavily on fixing basic
technique.  Things like having the leader keep his
left foot in  (One of the biggest problems out there
that teachers really don't fix in most classes!) and
having the follower take a smaller back step than all
those teachers out there LOVE to teach so that they
wouldn't seperate from their young leaders.  Tweeking
basic technique.  Period!

It's only one example.  But, that statement by that
Argentine woman told me that, in BsAs, they teach
technique!

Sure doesn't seem to be based on choreo to me!  :o)





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