[Tango-L] Counting steps or beats while dancing tango

[Sergio Vandekier]

I agree with David, as I said before if you have a teaching/learning method that is useful for you, by all means continue to use it.

I also agree with Trina, I have seen Argentine instructors counting, this happens mostly outside of Argentina or in B.A. where tango is taught to foreigners, eventually some improvised instructors end up counting as it is done in Ballroom teaching. It has become very common to refer to the steps of the "tango base" by numbers 1 to 8. "the * count base" or to the steps of the "Right walked turn" by numbers 1 to 8 as well.  But we are talking about musicality...

...It is obvious that there are many ways to teach and to learn tango musicality.  I have taught many people to recognize the tango beat, just by walking with them to the music.  I only remember one case that could not recognize any beat, not in tango nor in any other dance.

Then I normally teach to walk around the room in many different ways, using different combinations of "slows" and "quicks", I do not call them by that name but I cannot see any problem with calling them slows, quicks, or 1-2 slow and then 1-2 quicks, etc, etc.

As I said before the important thing is to recognize the beat and to know that you may step as you please as long as you step on a beat and you respect the character of the dance.  The variations in dynamics comes later as the student becomes more familiar with the music.

Sergio


_________________________________________________________________
You live life beyond your PC. So now Windows goes beyond your PC.
http://clk.atdmt.com/MRT/go/115298556/direct/01/