[Tango-L] basics

[Alexis Cousein]

On 19/09/2010 22:41, sherpal1 at aol.com wrote:
> but I speak for the average-I-want-to-learn-tango student...
> who needs to be tracked initially into one form or the other...
 > so as to arrive at some form of proficiency rather than
 > some form of frustration.....

I'm not in favour of "fencing in" anyone just
because you assume he¹ "can't handle" something else.
I find that a thoroughly paternalistic attitude, especially
if you are saying he need to be "tracked" into one form;
even beginners are not cattle.

Of course, you can't confuse the heck out of beginners
by mixing different styles in beginner courses, but
you *can* limit yourself to one style without closing
people's minds, by explaining exactly what style you're
teaching and why you made certain choices.

Tell them that you aren't "tracking" them into anything
(which is coercive), but that you're just growing
their knowledge by starting from a small kernel and
extending around it (rather than "jumping all over
the place" in the object space).

In my experience, such an attitude usually commands
respect, and will also avoid those nasty "but X said..."
incidents, which you inevitable end up having if
you insist that there is only the One True Way and
that you are the Path.

As far as the embrace is concerned, by the way, you'd be
surprised how soon people can be taught the subtle
differences between different embraces -- and why they
are indeed all still embraces, always with a
certain frame to assist in leading and following.

And usually, when they do understand the subtleties of how
things "work", it improves their *own* natural embrace,
whatever it is, because understanding how it works makes
you more conscious about possible defects in posture,
frame or communication.

--
¹I am a strong believer in "he" as the gender neutral
singular personal pronoun, but feel free to read he/she
or even (urgh!) "they" wherever appropriate.