POLL: are solo followers encouraged / allowed / discouraged/ not allowed to take classes / workshops without a partner?

POLL: are solo followers encouraged / allowed / discouraged/ not allowed to take classes / workshops

  • Total voters
    13
lucia_l said:
I don't think my teachers year for my love?
Click to expand...
It doesn't go as far as that, but I think teachers really do enjoy having good students. In my case, I had had one private and multiple group instructors tell me they like how I pay 100% attention the whole time, want to understand everything fully, and the questions I asked. The private instructor said she really looked forward to teaching me -- she said most students don't really pay attention and she often just winds up dancing with them for the lesson, rather than really teaching.

Regarding teaching during a Milonga: FWIW, it is pretty common a new dancer will ask me to teach during a formal Milonga. Advanced dancers will also sometimes ask me to repeat a step or show how I led something. Also, sometimes an advanced follower will quick show me something, uninvited (but I appreciate it). Here is a good thing about codigos: I've heard many times to not teach on the dance floor! Very rarely, I'll do 15 seconds of showing something between songs, only on request. It's not really teaching, but rarely I'll ask someone to do more apilado, or adjust their arm position.

I realize I do not represent the majority. I have heard the best followers are beginners and experts, and that intermediate followers are the hardest to lead. Examples include the need to fully do every step in a figure, do the typical figure timings, take equal size right and left steps, etc. I was always impressed by what my favorite group instructor could get a new tango dancer to do. I think it is fun to get a beginner to do something for the first time -- no lessons, just a super clear lead that makes things happen. I also think it is fun when a beginner (well, anyone for that matter) makes a "mistake" and I can fix it so seamlessly they never realize things didn't go according to plan. Hmmmm, this is butchering the phrase, but I just had the thought that it is a form of "Forward Error Correction (FEC)." Instead of mistake-halt-send correction-fix, it's fixing errors on the fly with information you already have.
 
opendoor said:
But not every follower can afford that.
Click to expand...
I agree not every follower can afford it! I am sensitive when giving advice to others that somethings are too expensive. But on this forum, I'm not telling other follows they "should" do this-- especially if they can't afford it. The shouldn't. And also, if I did bring a taxi dancer and "real" dancers started asking me to dance, I would suggest the taxi dancer ask some other follows, approaching those who seem neglected. He could also take a break. But the main thing is if I want to learn, and some sustained dancingin a social environment helps, I'm going to do things that ensure I actually get to dance, not sit in a chair watching other people.

As for spending:I prefer learning dance to things like restaurants meals, fast cars, travel vacations, cruises and all sorts of other things some people spend money on. And I have a fairly ok income. So I'd hire a taxi dancer.
 
opendoor said:
I don't know anyone who dances socially to improve or learn something. Maybe there is such a thing, but the dancers in my cohort don't do it.
Click to expand...
I do and it has worked out. More social dancing. You have to be self aware to know what is lacking or what bad habit has creeped in and then fix it when social dancing. Agree, most dancers at socials are not that self aware.

If anything social dancing improves dancing because you are getting so many repetitions and you keep making adjustments. It can be conscious or unconscious. After a while you need less instruction. To improve you need more specific instruction that is individualized which means having a right instructor that works for you.
 
I don't see what's wrong about people using their appearance, social skills, money or any other resource to get better dance partners.

I know some people think it should be a meritocracy based on dance skills but 1) that doesn't exist, 2) you don't want that, it would be competitive and snobbish, and 3) really it's better for most people's ego to have the excuse that other people are just using some other factor to get dances
 
Rabbit said:
I don't see what's wrong about people using their appearance, social skills, money or any other resource to get better dance partners.
Click to expand...
I can't help but wonder if this doesn't lead to exclusivity, cliques, and general frustration. At one point, many years ago, I believed that skill was all that mattered. Then I learned that wasn't the case. Although sometimes it certainly is. I think people segment along several intersecting category lines such as age, appearance, skill level, personality, style (of dancing). And more and more I think we choose primarily in terms of personality, at least I think I do. The question then becomes: Do we like the people we dance with because of how they dance or Do we dance with the people we like regardless of how they dance?
 
ArbeeNYC said:
The question then becomes: Do we like the people we dance with because of how they dance or Do we dance with the people we like regardless of how they dance?
Click to expand...

I think it's both, and that it's better if there are more potential reasons to like someone, if a bunch of people only use one main criterion then you'll get cliques. Even "dance skill" evaluations are subjective anyway since it's really a number of different skills, and people don't care about the same ones
 
ArbeeNYC said:
The question then becomes: Do we like the people we dance with because of how they dance or Do we dance with the people we like regardless of how they dance?
Click to expand...
This has been one of the most important questions for me ever. One of my first threads here on DF was about "pity dances" and dances with organizers out of obligation. It took me over twenty years to free myself from these constraints. Now I prefer not-dancing to any compromise. I don't want to torture myself on the dance floor nor to suffer physically from making the wrong choice. This, of course, makes you appear picky or, at least, cliquish. But whatever. I often replace dancing with small talk after apologizing for not dancing with that woman anymore. Or, if a follower asks me, I say: Next week you'll be at the top of my dance list, but today the four spots already are taken.
 
Last edited:
Brummbaer said:
Isn't that the criticism of getting into AT now?
Click to expand...
But don't beginners also cultivate exclusivity and cliquishness? As a newbie, I went to milongas with my peers. We danced among ourselves. "Old farts" tried to break into this circle, but I mostly successfully defended my group.
 
opendoor said:
But don't beginners also cultivate exclusivity and cliquishness? As a newbie, I went to milongas with my peers. We danced among ourselves. "Old farts" tried to break into this circle, but I mostly successfully defended my group.
Click to expand...
It is natural, if group of begginers from particular school starts to visiting milonga. They dance only together, because they feel save and self conscious. And if they are generation younger then rest of dancers, bigger the barier is. Old farts, like we are, have a chance to break into, if girls allows you to invite her for dance. Often there is wow efect after tanda and since then I have no problem to dance with these girls anytime I want. Even they brake codigos and ask me to dance without cabeceo.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Dance Ads

Advertise on Dance Forums Reach dancers, teachers, studios, event organizers, and dance-friendly brands. View ad options
Back
Top