lessons not satisfying

UKDancer said:
I've come across this expression before, but in a different context.

One of the local teachers here refers to 'El Gato' as a well-known traditional opening move. Leader opens with a sidestep to his left, and a forward step on RF outside the follower, commencing a turn to the L (leading the follower into the sidestep of a giro). This 'turning' version of what appears to be steps 2&3 of an 8CB (:() is what he calls 'El Gato'.

Usually, almost anything this particular teacher says can be traced back to one of the Cote/Garcia DanceVision Tango DVDs, but I've drawn a blank on this one, and I've not found anything to support the suggestion that it is a well-known opening. Has anyone else come across it?
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I would say that it's a well known way to start a turn (giro), but wouldn't agree that it's a well known opening.
 
UKDancer said:
I've come across this expression before, but in a different context.

One of the local teachers here refers to 'El Gato' as a well-known traditional opening move. Leader opens with a sidestep to his left, and a forward step on RF outside the follower, commencing a turn to the L (leading the follower into the sidestep of a giro). This 'turning' version of what appears to be steps 2&3 of an 8CB (:() is what he calls 'El Gato'.

Usually, almost anything this particular teacher says can be traced back to one of the Cote/Garcia DanceVision Tango DVDs, but I've drawn a blank on this one, and I've not found anything to support the suggestion that it is a well-known opening. Has anyone else come across it?
Click to expand...

it sounds like chess, wasnt it used by Karpov against Kasparov?
 
dchester said:
I would say that it's a well known way to start a turn (giro), but wouldn't agree that it's a well known opening.
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It's perhaps the most obvious way to start a giro to the L, but I'm wondering about the name 'El Gato' as I can find no reference to it.
 
bordertangoman said:
it sounds like chess, wasnt it used by Karpov against Kasparov?
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Karpov used the Queen-Indian and Queen-gambit declined I think.
If the mentioned teacher used "gato" as a tango move name (like giro or gancho) then he is beyond salvation and huge, blinking "run for your life" signs should be put in front of his dance studio. But maybe he just used the word like in "and here,followers, you have to move like a cat".
 
Dave Bailey said:
Yep. And typically this is met by total silence - which, for a teacher, is pretty depressing.
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Yeah... like I said, people are afraid their question will make them look stupid. They don't realize that probably a fair number of other people might have the same question. The bigger the class, the more likely it is that people will be afraid to speak up.

I went back to college last year after (cough,cough) several decades away from school. The kids all looked like the idea of speaking aloud in class was the most terrifying thing that had ever happened to them. At my age, I've made a fool of myself in FAR more devastating situations (often professional) than asking a question in a community college class, so I'd speak right up. Almost every time, I'd see nods from others who had the same confusion that I did. Sometimes another student pick up the ball and expand on my question once it had been answered.
 
dchester said:
I would say that it's a well known way to start a turn (giro), but wouldn't agree that it's a well known opening.
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Agree.. and I've never heard it given its own name. In fact, I've never heard ANY move given the name Gato. (although there is a ballet move called Pas de Chat which would look completely ridiculous in Tango)

Frankly, my cats aren't very good at tango. They seem to think they can sacada my leading leg instead of my trailing leg. (hey! next time a leader does that, I'll tell him he's "cat-like" and he'll think it's a compliment!)
 
You folks are way too deep for me. Intriguing and occasionally hilarious. But too deep. Do I have to ... like ... read up on philosophy before I head over to that milonga/studio/lesson around the corner? *grin* :wink:
 
pygmalion said:
You folks are way too deep for me. Intriguing and occasionally hilarious. But too deep. Do I have to ... like ... read up on philosophy before I head over to that milonga/studio/lesson around the corner? *grin* :wink:
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That's the thing about AT, there is nothing objective about it, You have to decide for yourself which way you want to go.
 
Zoopsia59 said:
Yeah... like I said, people are afraid their question will make them look stupid. They don't realize that probably a fair number of other people might have the same question. The bigger the class, the more likely it is that people will be afraid to speak up.

I went back to college last year after (cough,cough) several decades away from school. The kids all looked like the idea of speaking aloud in class was the most terrifying thing that had ever happened to them. At my age, I've made a fool of myself in FAR more devastating situations (often professional) than asking a question in a community college class, so I'd speak right up. Almost every time, I'd see nods from others who had the same confusion that I did. Sometimes another student pick up the ball and expand on my question once it had been answered.
Click to expand...

Hey Zoopsia,

I went back to school after a 5 year layoff, and that was one big thing that I noticed about myself too. Now (not only in school/professional situations, but anytime) I ask all sorts of questions all the time and I get the same response as you.

Later,
Rip
 
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