[Tango-L] Threads of late and Huck's question

[Keith Elshaw]

>         What do you think are the tango
> basics that should be learned,
> Keith?  I'm not picking up anything about that at all
> from what you wrote
> above.   A whole bunch of us have given our
> ideas, what are yours?
>
> Huck


Honestly, about 2 minutes after I pressed "send," I realized it would have
been better if I had not had "Basics" in my subject line.

I was thinking about all the posts I've seen over the last few days. The
basics thread, but also the styles and body positions, etc.

So, my bad.

It's good to see people talking here.

As time goes by, I see my thinking is not very mainstream. My path as a
social dancer has lead me far away from how things are done by most people
about teaching and giving advice.

For the last few years, my way has been to say to people who come to me to
learn tango, "No one ever took a class in Argentina. You just danced with
your family and friends on the weekend and picked-up things." It's not
something to learn so much as it's something to do.

When I teach, it is informal and social and I try to get people's mind's
to go to the tango dream state. I am really only interested in their
bodies and muscles "learning" things. Well, I want their minds to register
which orquesta is playing and how one can move to them all in a different
way.

I recently wrote on my website:

So, it's true ... a lot of what I share with people is a de-bunking of
what/how people learn in traditional tango classes. I like to get right to
it instead of parsing it out in non-undrestandable bits or assuming people
will never get it -  as I was taught by old-style Argentinos. (Of course
they won't with <i>that</i> attitude). I joked tonight with my "students"
that I was giving them a mixture of Level 1 part 4, Level 8 part 6 and
level 12 part 2. I was only half-joking. It's supposed to be more organic
than it is traditionally taught. And I am always talking about the
orquestas and showing how to move with this-or-that kind of music.

Proper body position so leading/following is "automatic" based on what the
music and movement suggests. Nice walks; nice ochos; nice gyros; nice
little thingy when the music slows down; conversation with your partner
(leaders "waiting" for the follower in the right places); stop naturally
when the music stops.

Just me and my way ...

(I didn't want to not give you SOME kind of answer, Huck).

Now, I'll press send and then wish I had been more articulate.

Next dance, anyone, so we can try again?

:-)