[Tango-L] Two of My Teaching Pet Peeves

[Tom Stermitz]

I share your two pet peeves (three if you think about it):
- How to walk in a straight line.
- How not to step on her feet. How not to get stepped on.
- How to walk to the cross without going too far outside.

These are real issues for all newcomers to dance, and it is  
understandable that it would take some effort to resolve them.  
Teachers can and should figure out how to speed the learning process  
and correct bad technique earlier on. Sensible body mechanics are  
often compromised by stylistic ideas, which can even lead to injury.  
The followers back and SI joint is a weak point.

First, to sympathize with the newcomer to tango:
- The new leader is really afraid of stepping on her, so he typically  
overcompensates.
- Walking backwards gracefully is difficult and certainly much more  
unfamiliar than walking forward.
- Spiraling movements (moving outside to the left of her) are much  
harder to do than walking straight forward
- He sees the teacher's movement, but has a tendency to exaggerate it.


(Part 1)

SPIRALING AND WALKING OUTSIDE (TO THE CROSS)

My pet peeve is leaders who over-lead the cross. They walk way outside  
and their movement shouts: I'M GOING TO CROSS NOOOOWWWW!". That  
habituates the followers to gross, even grotesquely exaggerated  
movements.

I know. It is popular to teach that he should lead her cross with a  
spiral. I prefer leading the cross mostly with the axis. I think of  
the leader FOLLOWING her with his spiral as he walks outside, leading  
the cross with the axis shifting slightly diagonal, and then un- 
spiraling to follow her as she moves to the cross.

Again, sympathy for the beginner is important. Walking in a straight  
line is much easier than rotational movements: spiraling, pivoting and  
ochos.  Walking to the cross introduces two difficult things at once:  
walking off to the side which has to be coordinated with a spiraling  
movement. The beginner visually picks it up the teacher's movement,  
but then exaggerates it when they try to replicate it.

My solution is to keep the walk to the cross much more gentle, more  
linear and with less twisting.


On Jan 17, 2008, at 6:27 PM, Tango For Her wrote:

> But, I have a few pet peeves about a lot of tango
> teachers.
>
> Look.  You want your beginning leaders and
> intermediate leaders to stop knocking their followers
> off balance?  Find ways to teach them to have their
> left foot step in front of them rather than off to the
> left.  They ALL do it!  STOP THEM!  Why go on with
> your classes if you are going to keep letting them
> step slightly off to the left with their left foot?
> ...
> Someone, PLEASE, tell me why soooo many teachers teach
> young followers to s-s-s-s-stretch their leg out,
> really far, in a backstep!!!  Is that the only way to
> teach them to have a straight knee and a beautiful
> leg?  Can't they have it with a shorter backstep like,
> say, in the same county?
> ...
> Whew .... I'm okay. Now.



Tom Stermitz
http://www.tango.org
Denver, CO 80207