[Tango-L] re self proclaimed teachers. If we can't lick them teach them (long)

[Tony Rathburn]

> --- On Tue, 1/12/10, Vince Bagusauskas <vytis at hotmail.com>
> wrote:
> 
> From: Vince Bagusauskas <vytis at hotmail.com>
> 
> timmy said:
> 
> >Lets create a syllabus of tango steps, elements of
> tango, moves,
> >of what a good teacher should teach and in the correct
> order in which
> >things should be taught in.
> 
> 
> Something like each country having a national association
> of Tango Teachers that accredits teachers.  The national
> associations would then become members of a governing World
> Tango Council/Federation which sets a syllabus?
> 
> Pretty soon tango dancers will demand to compete in the
> Olympics.  Like 
> ballroom dancers still hope for.
> 
> *******
> *******

my comments...

> 
> email can be a very flat communications medium... it is
> very difficult to convey context and tone of voice...
> 
> having said that, i really, really hope Vince's comment was
> meant as humor, with a touch of sarcasm for good measure.
> 
> if not... no disrespect intended Vince, but i can't think
> of a worse evolutionary path for tango.  i never want
> to see a true codification of 'correct' tango... or a 'best
> practices' for teaching tango that must be mastered by a
> prospective teacher who demonstrates their proficiency to
> some official organizing body.  
> 
> wow... throw in line of dance... and tango could become a
> line dance... or maybe a team event... (yes... attempted
> humor... and sarcasm intended... with a smile...)
> 
> yes... there are people teaching who don't have a clue what
> they're doing.  
> 
> yes, there are people teaching who have barely completed
> what most communities would consider an advanced
> intermediate class.  
> 
> and, personally, i have taken more than one class with a
> truly advanced dancer who had no idea how to teach.
> 
> there are also problems with individuals in the community
> who are overly aggressive in their marketing tactics. 
> not only the 'show off' technique described in other
> posts.  what i find more offensive are the teachers
> dancing with new dancers, demeaning them, then handing them
> their business card so that they can 'help' them.  i
> have seen this practice taken to the point of the
> 'instructor' intentionally mis-leading a follower... just to
> create problems...
> 
> hmmm... as with freedom of speech... as much as i find some
> of these characteristics annoying, i prefer to deal with
> them rather than having an arbitrary set of 'official' tango
> steps... with defined 'best practices' for teaching
> methodology... the thought of an official organizing body of
> tango literally makes me cringe...   
> 
> there is also no qualification process as to who is
> qualified to write a book.  i would make an argument,
> based on some recent releases, that their may be at least
> one case of a best selling author having never read a
> book... but that would be a distraction...
> 
> even in timmy's model... i've taught at the university
> level... and, yes... i had a syllabus... but i selected the
> material that was being covered... i selected the text
> used... and i created the syllabus... and, it evolved over
> time.
> 
> what keeps this in line... two things... 
> 
> peer pressure, from senior faculty and practitioners who
> are recognized in their fields... and take corrective
> measures appropriate to the issue at hand... ranging from
> private intervention... to more public intervention.  
> 
> and, the market... the tango community is far too small...
> most people are attracted to it with almost no idea what it
> is... but, it somehow captures a piece of their
> imagination.  maybe a portion of the efforts of the
> 'better' dancers and acknowledged masters should be spent
> showing more of the world what tango really is... setting a
> standard by example... so people are better informed... 
> 
> unfortunately, we live also in a world where we also must
> recognize that 'quality' is not always what is valued...
> regardless of the product or service... a large group of
> consumers, new and old, prefer... quicker... easier...
> cheaper... flashier... over quality.
> 
> pick any city... including Buenos Aires... and almost any
> milonga... you will find social dancing... and you will find
> the 'business' of tango... as annoying as some may be at
> times, i hope freedom expression is maintained over
> regulation... in the dance... and in the teaching... 
> 
> a big part of what attracts me to tango... is the
> improvisation... and the freedom to express who i am... my
> mood... and how i interact with a follower... as well as the
> larger community... 
> 
> i'm willing to tolerate those who annoy me... who do things
> differently... to maintain that...
> 
>