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

[Charles Roques]

<<While you make good points, and it is a good philosophy to always assume 
the male is wrong, it makes me smile when I then go to class where I 
have some problem with the lady and the teacher finds fault with me, and 
when the teacher tries it out with her, and then proceeds to spend 10-15 
min correcting her. How is that possible if it was not her fault? :-) >>

My point is that it is not your place as a fellow student who is also learning, to make the corrections, but the place of the person who is teaching and who is an objective observer of the two of you.  There is always a dynamic when two people dance, and especially when they are learning, that creates the "problem."  In other words, it is not one-sided and you are contributing to it as much as she, so you shouldn't be the one to try to correct her, only yourself.   The fact that he/she may spend 10-15 minutes correcting the follower doesn't mean you were right.  It is more about attitude.  It is better to emulate the old milongueros who often apologize when a partner missteps. 

I can't totally agree about good teachers not having to be good dancers, based on my experience.  No, not all great dancers are good teachers, but that doesn't prove the opposite.  An older teacher who has danced very well but may slow down still has the knowledge and can tell you what to do because they have done it.  But a young dancer that is not that good to begin with will only teach what they know.  If they are young and still can not do what they teach they have no business teaching, and those that do tend to approximate or compromise what they can't do in order to compensate.  They count on beginners not really knowing.  In the land of the blind, the one-eyed man is king.  People tend to copy, and dance like, their teachers, no matter what they teach.  
Cheers,
Charles