What are you currently 'working on' in A.T.?-Vol.II

[Zoopsia59]

This is true, but I don't think that Andabien's post could interpeted in the sense that the follower doesn't have to mantain pressure forward, but the contrary (or maybe I didn't find the post you are talking about): if the leader pushes, the follower needs to push as well, this is clear.

If you don't have someone that pushes you back, you just can't push at all. Of course you can walk backward alone, and maybe it can be a good exercise, but walking alone has nothing to do with tango. You CAN dance alone, but that dance is not tango! Tango is something that you just can't do alone...
You can't lean if you have not a partner that leans on you, and you can't press if you don't have a partner that presses you.
And if you want to walk backward while pressing forward, then your parner must push stronger than you.

There is nothing worse than a follwer that "understands the lead" and then walks backwards alone, without waiting that the leader really pushes her, inevitably breaking the connection. Of course one can do it, but please don't tell me that "this" is tango...

I certainly didn't advocate a follower going off doing things that aren't led and the reason a follower should be pressing forward while walking backwards is so that she DOESN"T break the connection. I don't see how you can say that a follower who walks backwards on her own thus breaking the connection is "understanding of the lead". That's a complete distortion of my point. Sounds to me like she is anticipating the lead or else she is not maintaining her forward pressure while moving back.

Many people practice their tango dancing by themselves. You can argue the semantics of whether or not it is "tango" if you have no partner (If a tree falls in the forest, and there's no one around to hear it....) but it won't change the fact that practicing alone is common and beneficial to many people.

As far as how AD's post could be interpreted... I've found that its pretty easy for people to misinterpret almost anything (as so many threads on this forum, including this one, have proven) so I see no reason why clarification is a bad thing. Except that it seems to be useless today. I was actually AGREEING with you about needing movement/pressure/pushing from the leader in order to be led to walk back. FOr some reason, you are arguing with me even though I agreed with you

I'm tired of going in circles on this... so, whatever.

 

[Mario7]

Many people practice their tango dancing by themselves. ..practicing alone is common and beneficial to many people.
.

...Practicing alone is suprisingly VERY beneficial..and I'm talking about dancing alone especially. First of all, it should always be done with and in sync to good tango dance music = this alone will really boost the musicality of the practicioner.

 

[dchester]

...Practicing alone is suprisingly VERY beneficial..and I'm talking about dancing alone especially. First of all, it should always be done with and in sync to good tango dance music = this alone will really boost the musicality of the practicioner.

I agree, although it can also help (without music) in learning how to do a new step. I've worked out some issues (or learned a new move from a video), by practicing my steps, and then slowly doing the follower's steps to figure out in my mind how things fit together.

When you have limited time to practice with someone, this can really help to maximize the benefit that you do get from practicing with someone, later on.

 

[Mladenac]

Dancing alone you will be able to explore new possibilities and practice technique i.e. balance, enrosque, giros, dissociation, dancing by visualization with you partner i.e. what happens if I do this or that)

"Dancing" while you listen to the music you will improve your musicality.

Since on certain venues standard set of music is played listening to the same music will give you more opportunities in dancing improvisations because you will know many songs.
I know that is not very tanguish but that the way it is.
By listening later a dancer can feel the song.
Although the song is new dancer can know what is comming.

I will attend musicality classes very soon.

 

[chrisjj]

...it won't change the fact that practicing alone is common and beneficial to many people.

It won't make it true either.

There's no such thing as practicing tango dancing alone. There is doing exercises alone.

Yes, there's evidence that "practice dancing alone" is common and that students can be persuaded it is beneficial. I've seen no evidence it is beneficial. Those I know who "practice dancing alone" end up better at dancing alone... but usually worse at dancing with a partner. If you've danced with girls who've spent hours practicing ochos against a wall, you'll know what I mean - to have ochos done against you as if you were a wall is truly horrible.

 

[Zoopsia59]

It won't make it true either.

There's no such thing as practicing tango dancing alone. There is doing exercises alone.

Yes, there's evidence that "practice dancing alone" is common and that students can be persuaded it is beneficial. I've seen no evidence it is beneficial. Those I know who "practice dancing alone" end up better at dancing alone... but usually worse at dancing with a partner. If you've danced with girls who've spent hours practicing ochos against a wall, you'll know what I mean - to have ochos done against you as if you were a wall is truly horrible.

So we disagree.
What a shock

Obviously, whether practicing alone or with another person, you have to practice CORRECTLY!

Sheesh.

 

[chrisjj]

Obviously, whether practicing alone or with another person, you have to practice CORRECTLY!

And how do you know what's correct?

 

[Zoopsia59]

And how do you know what's correct?

Oh please.

Now we're going to go back to the "teaching" vs "instructing" vs just going to milongas in BAs and watching people and dancing with good dancersvs going to practicas in the states vs getting privates in the Uk vs taking workshops vs I don't know what all discussion which we already know is just another argument that seems to have its own thread already. I'm not interested in having it again. You'll have to find someone else to provoke.

 

[chrisjj]

Oh please.

Now we're going to go back to the "teaching" vs "instructing"

Well I was hoping you'd have something a bit more useful than that, but if not, no problem.

I'd like to hear from anyone who has suggestions of the "correct" way to practice alone on e.g. ochos.

 

[Mario7]

Well, I am a proponent of 'fluency is the best practice for fluency'..in language ..that is; conversation is the best practice for conversation ...not exercises.
However, there are other considerations too....I could practice 'greetings' and 'goodbyes' alone and at least get that right in the next 'real' conversation.
One Winter, I took a whole dance by Beto Alaya and memorized it and practiced it alone until I could lead every movement and then broke it down and improvised with it's 4 or 5 sequences.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JLD-Y5ptZ0s
When I could do it in my sleep, I tried it at a Milonga and it worked...I had no choice, there was no one else to dance with. When I went back to the East Coast USA, the women said that I was dancing with more confidence, was better. ...hmmm, and then I learned the missing piece; The Pause....and how did I do that? By attending a Milonga that played 'alternative music' (again I had no choice)..I had a bunch of women asking me to dance, so I did...but I said to myself, "I won't move until I feel compelled by the music to move"...and so, I learned to pause...long pauses. Unconsciously, I transferred this over to my Tango to Tango music...it just happened and Voila! I was a contender!!

 

[Zoopsia59]

Well I was hoping you'd have something a bit more useful than that, but if not, no problem.

I'd like to hear from anyone who has suggestions of the "correct" way to practice alone on e.g. ochos.

You didn't ask how to practice a step correctly alone, you asked how one knows what is correct. The answer to that is the same regardless of whether one is alone.

(excepting of course, that you can't easily practice a significant apilado without something to lean on)

 

[Peaches]

Two words: competent teacher.
Two more words: private lesson.

 

[New in NY]

calecitas (not too bad) and disassociation of torso from lower body (not too good)

 

[newbie]

I am more or less trying to work on my enrosques.

 

[tangonuevo]

Today my partner and I started working on: DANCING LEFT HANDED! I.e. Instead of my left hand connected to her right and my right arm and hand around her back I connected my right hand to her left and my left arm & hand around her back. But I am still leading! Everything is backwards!!

The goal is to better symmetrize our dance. But what a challenge. We have become beginners again! Oh well. We've decided that we will dance this way regularly until we have the same facility as we do right handed. Now whether that will be because our left handed dancing improves to equal our right, or our right falls apart to equal or left, is another issue entirely.