[Tango-L] Back to the 8CB

[John Lowry]

From: Tom Stermitz <stermitz at tango.org>
.......On the surface, this is a sensible defense of the 8CB w/DBS,  
but in
the end I don't agree that the traditional 8CB teaches phrasing.,,,,,,

Not so much a defence Tom.  Just attempting to understand, 'cause,  
like you, I abhor 8CB as a teaching method. Left it behind 10+ years  
ago.

.......(1) The 8CB matches 8 counts of the music only if your tango  
stays on
the slow, walking beat. The other two rhythms of tango (after walking
on the beat) are the QQS and dramatic pauses. .................

The book reference I made has 17 chapters that include rhythm, double,  
half, melody  /rhythm,syncopation, off beat etc., etc.,  Just couldn't  
fit them into a post about 8CB. You are right.  Dancing tango to the  
music is more complex than the simple-time step.

...........(2) The 8CB method of teaching typically jumps from the  
basic to
ochos, and turns. These directly take you out of the phrasing, and the
more you practice these figures, the further you get from the  
phrase..........

Is this the fault of 8CB, or "teachers" who do not understand, or even  
know about, the structure of the music and its relationship with the  
dance?

..............So, the traditional 8CB w/DBS is  all wrong for matching  
the musical phrasing of tango because the  acceleration and suspension  
steps are not with the acceleration and  suspension of the  
music. ............

I get that.

.......... but you have to use simpler structures where students can   
feel the phrasing.............

My point, precisely. snap!

........Can anyone explain why Step #1 of the traditional 8CB w/DBS is
backwards?............

It's a mystery to me too.  Someone once told me Copes came up with the  
8CB, but I don't know.
John