[Tango-L] "Maestros de cuarta" "the guy who's doing the teaching "

[Charles Roques]

David wrote:

Why do they "Think" they are automatically  qualified to "Teach 
Tango" when they really aren't qualified? 

Sadly this problem has been around for years;  a lot of it is just male ego.  It was there when I started 14 years ago and it still is...it won't go away.  The problem is the leader assuming that because he leads a step, and decides what to do, he must know it, ergo he can teach it.  It has to be emphasized by teachers from day one that not only is that wrong but it breaks concentration and is very bad etiquette in class, and especially on the dance floor.  I tell my followers that if a man starts teaching on the floor, stop dancing with him, perhaps after the song, but don't finish the set.  
it is more important for the leader to assume that if the follower does not execute a step properly, it is always his fault, not hers.   Either he lead it wrong or else he overestimated her ability and danced steps she didn't know in the first place, so he is wrong on both counts.  The best demonstration of that is, if I as a teacher can lead a follower to do a step but he can not, it obviously is not her fault, so don't correct her, correct yourself.
I realize that all followers need to practice and don't always have the luxury of being selective but it doesn't hurt to tell leaders that you see often teaching, that if he is going to teach than you would rather not dance and politely decline. 
Cheers, 
Charles