Further training for TA teacher required

[opendoor]

Don´t want to talk morally (uups, done again) but one reason for the polarized TA world Ampster mentioned is the lack in further training.

We have TA teacher about 60 that dance and teach Stage and Nuevo Tango (parallel, open), teachers between 40 and 50 that teach Salón (V) and a number of youngsters which try to find their style between Salón, Milonguero and Neo.

And: they all will age with their style! Development is very rare about. Unconventional and cross stylist are hard to find.

Would be interested in your opinion!

[Steve Pastor]

Rather than expect a teacher to be proficient in many styles, I would expect the student to go to different teachers to learn different styles.
Alex Krebs' "close embrace" is pretty different than Robert Hauk's "close embrace".
If I decide to work on boleos, ganchos, etc again, I won't go to Steven Payne, I'd probably look for a class with Alex.
What teachers should avoid is giving the impression that one stye is better than another, or has more right to use the floor. And of course, it would be helpful to their students if they knew more than one style. Any "teacher" who isn't at least competent to dance styles other than their favorite IS in need of further training.

[Angel HI]

Excellent post, Steve. Further, I feel that the differences seen in the styles of dance as related to age have more to do with contemporary social norms rather than AT itself. Younger dancers, typically, though not always, go for the more flashy; older dancers have had more experience, and have either grown up with a particular style, or have done the flashy, and have mellowed with age (as is present in most things in life).

[bastet]

Rather than expect a teacher to be proficient in many styles, I would expect the student to go to different teachers to learn different styles.
Alex Krebs' "close embrace" is pretty different than Robert Hauk's "close embrace".
If I decide to work on boleos, ganchos, etc again, I won't go to Steven Payne, I'd probably look for a class with Alex.
What teachers should avoid is giving the impression that one stye is better than another, or has more right to use the floor. And of course, it would be helpful to their students if they knew more than one style. Any "teacher" who isn't at least competent to dance styles other than their favorite IS in need of further training.

Here here! Well put Steve!

[Gssh]

Don´t want to talk morally (uups, done again) but one reason for the polarized TA world Ampster mentioned is the lack in further training.

We have TA teacher about 60 that dance and teach Stage and Nuevo Tango (parallel, open), teachers between 40 and 50 that teach Salón (V) and a number of youngsters which try to find their style between Salón, Milonguero and Neo.

And: they all will age with their style! Development is very rare about. Unconventional and cross stylist are hard to find.

Would be interested in your opinion!

I think this is a good thing - i don't think developing a different style is the same thing as "further training". In my experience lots of teachers who only teach one thing spend a lot of time on further training and honing their skills. I don't judge my sushi chef by his lasangna, and i don't critizise my bbq place because the chef doesn't do a french onion soup well.

While i like variety in what i cook at home and when i eat out i prefer the experts to be truly experts and grounded in their own field.

Gssh