[Tango-L] why music

[Gordon Erlebacher]

I started to learn Spanish in 2004, on my own. I am now fluent in the 
sense that I can talk at the same speed I talk in English, without 
translating from one language to another. My approach: 1) first start 
leaning verbs, conjugation and prepositions, on the ground that they 
form the scaffolding of the language. 2) Use a computer that allows me 
to repeat sentences and compare the waveform to that of a native 
speaker, to improve my pronounciation, and 3) read sentences from 
language books out loud while walking, until I can say them fluently and 
not as a robot, with the proper pauses and inflections. Add to this, 
reading books in Spanish, listening to tango songs in Spanish, without 
the help of translations found on the web, and talk with people in 
Spanish for practice.

Relation with tango:

1) learn basic technical elements: cruzada, basic giros, use of the 
impulse, the axis, use of muscles, etc.
2) imitate basic sequences, first with the feet, knees and hips, in 
exagerated form, so that body muscles are trained, later, with the body 
directly.
3) listen to lots of music, until it becomes ingrained, and practice 
dancing to this music until musicality sets in (both alone and with 
partners at the milongas)
4) immerse oneself in the tango.

There is no easy path, no shortcuts.

My latest dance:

       http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2STHhI5HRiM

Of course, there is no unique path. Everybody has their own approach. 
The above works for me, perhaps only me.


      Cheers,

            Gordon


  On 7/11/11 11:46 AM, Chris, UK wrote:
>> This makes about as much sense as the following statement:
>>
>> "Memorizing a list of vocabulary words has nothing to do with learning
>> to speak another language, it is a different skill entirely."
> Never met those Spanish evening class students who know an incredible
> number of words but still cannot hold a conversation with a native
> speaker??
>
> As to sequences and patterns, they are not vocabulary words or any other
> sort of elements of dance. They are predefined phrases.
>
>> Now I'm going back to my Spanish studies,
> If you think you can learn to Speak spanish by memorising text-book
> phrases, good luck to you. You'll need it. As anyone who has used a
> tourist phrase books soon finds, you can kid yourself this works only
> until someone responds with an answer phrase that doesn't precisely match
> any in your list.
>
> This is one reason sequences and patterns are so useless for social tango
> dancing. Social dancing is a dialog. Without improvised response, the
> result is a dance not worth doing outside class.
>
> It is also one reason why sequences and patterns are so often taught in
> lieu by show dancers. Show dancing is a monologue. The only response they
> need is applause and repeat ticket sales (for shows or classes).
>
> No amount of false language analogy should be allowed to persuade
> students that people actually learn that way to speak the language of
> social tango dancing.
>
> --
> Chris


-- 
Gordon Erlebacher
Department of Scientific Computing
gerlebacher at fsu.edu