Enough Classes

[dchester]

That's very impressive. I am almost the opposite. I take in lessons quickly. My first teacher taught me enough to get me started. Then I start getting advices here and there, so I become the product of contradictory teaching. I think every once in a while, I should take a private lesson to tune up my technique and get things re-aligned. The problems is now that I get more exposed to the AT world, don't even know how to define a good teacher.

One of the hard things for me to make sense of, was all the contradictory information that people would give you. Eventually, I figured out that there is more than one right answer for many topics, due to different styles, preferences, and philosophies.

Of course, someone will probably tell you that I'm wrong, and there is only one correct answer on any topic in tango.

 

[Angel HI]

One of the hard things for me to make sense of, was all the contradictory information that people would give you. Eventually, I figured out that there is more than one right answer for many topics, due to different styles, preferences, and philosophies.

Of course, someone will probably tell you that I'm wrong, and there is only one correct answer on any topic in tango.

Well, it won't be me. I agree. And with all of my AT expertise (having taught beside and performed with the best of the best), I still study regularly. When one stops learning, or loving, life's reason ceases to exist.

 

[bastet]

One of the hard things for me to make sense of, was all the contradictory information that people would give you. Eventually, I figured out that there is more than one right answer for many topics, due to different styles, preferences, and philosophies.

Of course, someone will probably tell you that I'm wrong, and there is only one correct answer on any topic in tango.

I think you pretty much hit the nail on the head.

What I try to do is keep in mind what style the person I am taking a lesson from dances. So when I want to work on aplilado things, I take classes from teachers 1 and 2...etc. When I want to work on other stuff, I take classes with teachers 3 or 4 (or whatever).

Teachers 1 or 2 will be fine with me doing a,b or c and correct me for x,y and z.

Then teachers 3 and 4 will be fine with x,y and z and correct me for doing a or b....

Those things I don't worry about and I keep them in mind as relevent to the style they are teaching. The things I pay most attention to are things that all of them correct me on....that's when I know I have an issue to work on that no body likes.

 

[Peaches]

I've also found that what sometimes seems like contradiction at first blush, really isn't once I think about it a bit more. It's usually different ways of explaining the same thing, or getting at a slightly different aspect of things, or there's something unique about the situation which makes it a bit different and warrants something different.

 

[Angel HI]

^ Very true.

 

[Nathan]

I took a workshop with a well-known instructor who, when faced with the question of different teachers giving conflicting advice, told us that there are many ways to do almost anything, but what's most important is deciding who we're going to trust. I would like to add that not all sources are equally credible. :wink:

 

[UKDancer]

It seems a shame to me that there are no accessible 'credible' sources based on anything more tangible than the reputation of an individual or 'school' of dancing.

 

[bordertangoman]

I took a workshop with a well-known instructor who, when faced with the question of different teachers giving conflicting advice, told us that there are many ways to do almost anything, but what's most important is deciding who we're going to trust. I would like to add that not all sources are equally credible. :wink:

that's the sort of thing I would say....

 

[JohnEm]

It seems a shame to me that there are no accessible 'credible' sources based on anything more tangible than the reputation of an individual or 'school' of dancing.

You seem to be seeking the same prescriptive certainties
of the ballroom teaching syllabus for Tango.

Who would say what/who is a "credible" source?
In other words, who assesses the assessors?

Which is better for tango, self-appointed teachers or some self-appointed
over-arching, and probably restrictive, dance association? At least with
self-appointed teachers you can ignore the ones whose style you don't
sympathise with or, more positively, only seek those you prefer.

Tango repays the effort of researching and learning from other sources
than just teachers. Gain enough knowledge to make up your own mind
about what it is you want to do and then you can decide when and who
to learn from. Think of it as part of the Tango challenge.

 

[UKDancer]

Which is better for tango, self-appointed teachers or some self-appointed over-arching, and probably restrictive, dance association?

I am not in awe of the teaching societies - far from it, but I also have a healthy skepticism about anyone who is self-appointed. I very much doubt that any one organisation could succeed in being either 'over-arching' or 'restrictive', but the alternative of everyone going their own way seems to me to be a very inefficient way to either learn or grow the dance.

 

[JohnEm]

I am not in awe of the teaching societies - far from it, but I also have a healthy skepticism about anyone who is self-appointed.

And, based on experience, so do I! But Tango's entire
development has been based on that informality.

Whoever thinks they have enough knowledge can teach,
or in many cases other people, potential students,
cajole someone into teaching or coaching them.

I very much doubt that any one organisation could succeed in being either 'over-arching' or 'restrictive', but the alternative of everyone going their own way seems to me to be a very inefficient way to either learn or grow the dance.

Of course ad hoc teaching/learning is inefficient. Human evolution and
development was/is very inefficient, that's life. Talking about efficiency
starts alarming thoughts of bureaucracy and autocracy. I think not!

Tango was evolved informally over many years and its worldwide spread
is causing another evolution, part good and part not so good. But thankfully
Tango is alive and not pickled into books of steps and tiers of diplomas.

 

[UKDancer]

Oh, I've no interest in either books of steps or tiers of diplomas.

But if 'efficiency' meant that a beginning student of the dance could get to grips with the fundamental principles and typical elementary movements of the dance in six months, instead of two years, without the result being formulaic, than that would be a good thing. The challenge in this dance (and I'm not trying to turn it into a sixth Ballroom genre) is to distil the essence of its technique without 'steps' and standardisation - which would be the opposite of the reality.

I didn't say that it could be done, and perhaps it can't.

 

[Mladenac]

@UKDancer

define 6 months.

6 month group classes once a week, twice a week, three times, ...
Private classes ....

How many practicas, milongas, in that 6 months.
What are basics you define.

 

[UKDancer]

@UKDancer

define 6 months.

6 month group classes once a week, twice a week, three times, ...
Private classes ....

How many practicas, milongas, in that 6 months.
What are basics you define.

I hadn't thought of defining it, but I suppose I mean the typical beginning dancer who attends a weekly group class once a week, who doesn't stay on for any practise opportunity, isn't ready for/can't afford/wouldn't consider private lessons, and is far too frightened of this dance to risk ridicule/rejection by going to a milonga (except to watch) for many months.

If such a student could be introduced to the fundamental principles of this dance in such a way that they were moving confidently, but in very simple ways, in the first month, and then were building up an understanding of leading and following common patterns that we all use all the time (but prefer not to be reminded are patterns), and to begin to explore the ability to hear and respond to tango music in a genuinely improvisatory way, then they may very well be inexperienced, but genuine, members of the tango community within six months. In two years, they could be quite good...

Possibly?

 

[AndaBien]

...If such a student could be introduced to the fundamental principles of this dance in such a way that they were moving confidently, but in very simple ways, in the first month, and then were building up an understanding of leading and following common patterns that we all use all the time (but prefer not to be reminded are patterns), and to begin to explore the ability to hear and respond to tango music in a genuinely improvisatory way, then they may very well be inexperienced, but genuine, members of the tango community within six months. In two years, they could be quite good...

Possibly?

I think what you describe is the best way to dance, that is, doing basic steps with nuance, expression and simple grace. It's the way I try to dance and I'm very content with it. I think my partners are also.

I've tried hard to teach students to dance this way and I don't believe it should take very long, if they will study it. I found that they either didn't believe it was suitable and insisted on doing "steps", or they were unable to discover the satisfaction in that type of dance. I've come to think that it takes a good long time for dancers to realize what a fine dance can be had using basic steps.