Lack of Basic Step and teaching Standard

Chris Stratton

Chris Stratton

New Member
In the tango thread said:
I know this is off topic, but does anyone have any tips and tricks for introducing beginners to international standard in a way that is fun and easy, and gets them moving around the floor without frustrating them?
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I agree this can be difficult.

One possibility might be to teach repeatable American smooth basics, but with more technical details than they are usually presented with.

American Foxtrot can build a lot of skills in footwork and ultimately correct movement technique, probably more easily than waltz can. If you also cover quickstep as spatten suggested, you have some confusing similarities, or you can present them as informative differences.

Non-progressive box waltz can include a lot about connection, and some things about movement.

Amercian tango can be danced with international technique, though if you really curve the walks the basic stops being repeatable since you'd end up veering to center. However you might be able to leave out the CBM, and simply progress in a constanct CBMP/side lead manner, facing DC but moving crab-like down the LOD without turn.
 
Chris Stratton said:
Amercian tango can be danced with international technique, though if you really curve the walks the basic stops being repeatable since you'd end up veering to center.
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I solve this problem by teaching a reverse turn as the second American tango figure dancers learn. Whenever the leader has veered enough to face DC, he can do a reverse turn and end up DW again.
 
Another Elizabeth said:
I solve this problem by teaching a reverse turn as the second American tango figure dancers learn. Whenever the leader has veered enough to face DC, he can do a reverse turn and end up DW again.
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Yes. The only issue is that this gets us back to the question of which reverse turn to teach... And if the lady outside version usually chosen for international (which involves teaching outside partner) is legal in bronze smooth.
 
The whole issue of which figures are legal in bronze smooth is tricky. So far, I've never seen a couple invigilated against for the outside partner reverse turn, closed finish, though. I used to use it as a way to introduce outside partner. I'm no longer convinced that tango is the best vehicle for learning OP position, though - I think it may lend itself to learning a more distorted position than the swing dances. I haven't figured out a pedagogy that I prefer yet, though.
 
After the last time this came up and the novel to me discovery that the basic reverse turn (ie, viennese cross, ISTD fellow) is on most bronze smooth syllabi, I've found that I can often make that work socially when I can't make the lady outside reverse work. Either someone is teaching it, or closing the feet on the inside half is a more comfortable position for many with little knowledge of tango figures.
 
Yeah - the Fellow categorization of the Basic Reverse Turn, baffles me. I would have sworn it was Bronze (associate)
 
While all of your suggestions would be helpful with students who you see several times in a row, or even for at least for an hour one time, what about the situation I mentioned before? Where someone wanted to learn the "basic step", "real quick"? What then?

What if you're at a social dance and a beginner wants to learn the "basic" on the fly? What then?

I usually stick to smooth in these situations, unless standard is specifically requested. And sometimes it is.
 
skwiggy said:
While all of your suggestions would be helpful with students who you see several times in a row, or even for at least for an hour one time, what about the situation I mentioned before? Where someone wanted to learn the "basic step", "real quick"? What then?

What if you're at a social dance and a beginner wants to learn the "basic" on the fly? What then?

I usually stick to smooth in these situations, unless standard is specifically requested. And sometimes it is.
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Maybe you could say that while you can do it you don't understand it well enough to give a concise, usefull explanation.

Or you could say standard is just for competitions (just kidding)

If someone is really obstinate you can also resort to proving they can't learn it in a few minutes: explain the first figure as if that were most of the story, and try it, but raise the obvious objections to its execution. Or you could recite a six figure sequence and look at them funny when they can't remember it. Ideally, you somehow send the message that classes will make this possible.
 
That is a tough call. I could see manhandling a follower through a few steps of international. I think trying to get a absolute beginning leader through anything in the ISTD syllabus - on the spot - probably isn't going to happen.

But let's say this couple are geniouses - this is what I would teach...


Tango - I still think 2 Walks, Link, Closed Promenade is doable. Heck it is only 7 steps and the American basic is 5.

Waltz - How about a V.Waltz reverse turn really really slow.

Quickstep - Quarter Turns L & R.

Foxtrot - Feather/3/Feather/3. Everything else probably has a heel turn somehwere.
 
If you want to introduce beginners to international standard, don't teach them Foxtrot! I don't know anyone who tries to teach beginners foxtrot.

Most people start with Waltz, initially with change-steps and then natural turns, which is enough to navigate any floor.

Some people start with Quickstep, quarter turns are all you need, underturning/overturning to do corners.

I reckon you can get people to dance these basics to music in half an hour each.... (about the same time it takes to teach cha cha or Jive basic).

I was also taught Tango as a beginner in Germany and they had a "basic" which consisted of two walks (SS), a rock (QQS), then back, side, close(QQS). This can be alternated with a promenade, seeing that's very recognisably tango.

VW is difficult for beginners due to the speed. So I think initially it's best to leave out VW and Fox....
 
Another Elizabeth said:
The whole issue of which figures are legal in bronze smooth is tricky. So far, I've never seen a couple invigilated against for the outside partner reverse turn, closed finish, though.
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This is an allowable figure in competitive (and of course social) Bronze level American Smooth.
 
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