[Tango-L] blame, responsibility, and opportunity -- Who to blame for the

[HBBOOGIE1@aol.com]

Unfortunately most of the teachers I’ve seen on  the social dance floor are 
the biggest offenders of bad floor craft and  disregard for others. This 
list includes not only the self-proclaimed local  wannabes but also the 
established teachers who you would think would know  better. The question is how 
could you expect someone to teach proper etiquette  when they themselves don’
t practice it?

One of the best teachers I know  once told me that for him dancing  at a 
milonga is very difficult. If he  executes too many showy figures people would 
say he’s showing off if he dances  too simple people would think he’s 
boring and wouldn’t want to take lessons from  him. Obviously most teachers don’
t think the way he does. How  sad.
David


In a message dated 1/30/2010 7:15:50 A.M. Pacific  Standard Time, 
donnay at donnay.net writes:
I think any teacher who has been in  a community for awhile starts to 
realize 
that creating good dancers who are  also polite and respectful is 
essential, 
or the community will suffer.   But sometimes new teachers who come along 
don't understand this, so will  teach some fancy steps or just repeat what 
they heard in a class somewhere,  without regard to how it really applies. 
This can also apply to some  traveling teachers, who may not be as 
interested 
in the long term health of  the community and won't be around to deal with 
what they taught.  But  often this is successful because students may want 
something "new", rather  than that teacher who has experience, or want 
difficult steps because they  have been dancing so long they MUST be able 
to 
handle them.

So I'll  throw it back to the community - be sure to sponsor and recommend 
those  teachers who DO ponder what they want to see on the social dance  
floor.

Lois Donnay
Minneapolis

> At this point I'll just  encourage all teachers to ponder
> what they really want to see on the  social dance floor,
> and then to act  accordingly.

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