[Tango-L] The dreaded back step

[barbara]

Yes this is truly a mystery. Al and I never teach the dreaded back step; 
we describe step 1 as a "preparation to dance", in other words an 
opportunity to establish the weighted foot, check posture and embrace, 
and soften the knees preparatory to the side step. We use the 1 through 
5 count only, never 6 through 8 as we don't believe that students should 
automatically close at the end of the basic step. The possibility of the 
back step doesn't occur until we teach the cadencia. The reason that we 
use the traditional numbers 2 -5 is because so many classes are taught 
that way, it makes an easy shortcut. Traveling maestros often say "start 
on step 2" (or 3 or 5, but I've never heard anyone say "start on step 6, 
7 or 8!) It seems very strange that most Argentine teachers, at least of 
the traditional or salon schools, quite consistently teach one through 
eight  when introducing any new combination or pattern although they 
would never dream of doing this on the dance floor.

Nevertheless not only are most students who have studied in the US or 
Canada attached to the 8CBWDBS, but even those who have learned tango 
only from us tend to discover this concept after a while even though we 
NEVER allude to counts 1 and 6-8. I guess they get it from YouTube 
lessons or DVDs.

We have opinions too about teaching back ochos, but then we have 
opinions on almost everything tango!
Abrazos,
Barbara in Vallarta

On 05/01/2010 10:45 a.m., Sergey Kazachenko wrote:
> Sandhill Crane wrote in another topic:
>    
>> (yes, using the 8 count basic with dreaded back step)
>>      
> I am looking for an answer to why is the basic step taught with the
> back step and can't think of any reason other than "tradition".
> Why shouldn't we remove the back step and make a 7-count basic?
> If you want to keep with tradition (keep calling the side step "dos",
> the forward step "tres", etc.), you could either simply start counting
> from "dos"; or instead of a basic step, do a pause or something on the
> count "uno".
>
> Another thing that always puzzled me is the way ochos atrás are taught
> - usually in the static position, with 180-degree turns.
> If you watch real dancers, no one ever does 180 degree ochos! (one
> local teacher have shown the variation with the more than 180 degree
> turn - in effect, the follower was moving forward while turning
> backward - but he did warn us this was a performance-only variation).
> The only reasons I can think of are 1) static position is easier for
> beginners (they get to concentrate on performing the move, not moving
> in a ronda); 2) followers get to really work on contra-body movement.
> But the fact is that what's being taught is not what should be danced,
> and I think it's a pity.
>
> Sergey
>
> May you be forever touched by His Noodly Appendage... (
> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flying_Spaghetti_Monster )
>
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