[TANGO-L] [TAngo-L] teaching technique

[astrid <astrid @RUBY.PLALA.OR.JP>]

> Dan wrote:
>
> "Andrew touched on a point when he mentioned the
> instructors he's seen
> are force-feeding steps to the students with no regard
>
> for technique,

Luda wrote:
The same instructor I mentioned
> previously who specializes in teaching technique, does
> not appear to be particularly popular at the moment,
> though. But it's changing. Slowly, but noticeably, I'm
> happy to see. He says his students tell him that
> learning technique is "boring".

Unfortunately, this is the sad truth about a lot, it appears, the majority,
of the students' attitude. Almost all of them just want to learn steps. Sort
of like preferring the tea bag approach to the bother of making real,
aromatic tea from tea leaves. That, as a result, their form and the way they
feel to their partner is worse than the taste of tea bag tea compared to the
real thing, does not seem to bother them. They don't have to see themselves
dancing, and they do not have to dance with themselves. On the other hand,
they are saving time, money, energy and effort, and can say, they are
dancing tango. Moreover, they can say: "Look, I can do 10/20/30 different
steps, and this one, I learned in my kitchen from a Zotto video !"
Once you go for technique, to establish real form in tango, you realise,
that it takes years, that you look terrible, or plain and boring at least,
that you have to practise the same move a hundred times before you can do it
smoothly.
The decision people make, is: Do you want to be a dancer ? Or do you just
want to meet people and be able to say, you can dance tango ?
Since many people are unable to tell the difference, it is easy to choose
the second alternative.
I have found, it is the same in Flamenco. Many students just want to be told
where to put their feet, and think, learning the posture is for
professionals and fanatics. Or something you do "at an advanced level". I am
told, that even in classical ballet, the teacher who, according to my
friend, is "the only real teacher in Tokyo" because he shows how to really
perform the moves, has a reputation of being "unnecessarily strict, overly
fussy, much too serious and no fun".
On the other hand, men who have mastered the technique, are real gems and a
great, and unfortunately, still rather rare, pleasure to dance with.

Astrid