[Tango-L] In defense of the basic eight count steps

[Barbara Garvey]

Aside from astonishment that Mario has never encountered the D8CB, he 
does have some valid points. Actually our students don't hear about it 
until someone asks and we are forced to explain.  Al and I do however 
teach a  4CB, that is a salida from 2 to 5. In over 20 years of dancing 
tango, almost all of our teachers among the top living and dead,  taught 
the D8CB. Of course, the Tango-L taught us the error of their (the top 
living and dead, very few of them performers, but none on the Tango-L 
:-)   ) ways. We have always taught Step One not as the Dreaded Back 
Step but as an in-place preparation to dance, posture, listening to the 
music, connecting to your partner by .refining the embrace. We are 
specific and detailed about Steps 2 through 5, so rich in technical 
content and so frequently used by maestros in workshops, they do create 
a structure that is not only useful but  a prerequisite for Intermediate 
and future classes. Don't talk to me about Advanced dancers; I bet there 
aren't more than 3 on this List, and I'm not one of them.

I  wish that our Intermediate students would not rebel at spending a 
number of weeks exploring and refining the 2-5 basic.(The Puerto 
Vallarta tango community is not established enough for us to risk losing 
one devotee). We don't teach the Tango Close until it is unavoidable. 
Nevertheless in almost all workshops we've attended and almost all  
tango instructional videos, including the most *enlightened*  the 
backward One is used, and the Tango Close after every figure. Why can't 
they just walk?

Mario's enthusiasm for a prescribed timing is less understandable. If 
one listens to the music, dances with intention and precision, the 
timing just happens ?no? Intention and precision are the operative words 
assuming listening to the music every possible waking moment for at 
least the first 5 years. And I don't mean Enya.

Excuse the rant. Love to all,
Barbara