Re: [TANGO-L] Technique

[Barbara Garvey <barbara @TANGOBAR-PRODUCTIONS.COM>]

During the last 17 years we have studied with many teachers (almost all
Argentine) so don't always remember who taught what. Actually Al remembers
everything, I don't. In the beginning most of the best dancers were quite
inexperienced in teaching and most often, as has been mentioned on the
Tango-L, knew how to dance but had never really analyzed what they did or
why. Then about the mid-'90s some of the younger pros in BA (Graciela
Gonzalez was among the first) with a knowledge of bodywork and pedagogy, led
the way to successful teaching of tango technique.

But in regard to leading and following what Al and I have learned and what
we teach is that the leader leads with his torso, the follower follows that
lead, then the leader follows the follower. In other words, lead, follow,
follow. When we teach I often take the part of leader, and although I am a
small woman (5'1") I can easily lead, even without arms, using this
technique. Until the leaders and followers can do this in the tango walk,
forward and backward, sideways and stopping, there is no possibility of
lead/follow in more complex movements. And actually it isn't very difficult
if both leader and follower have good (actually great) posture. Stand
straight and tall, back relaxed (in other words don't arch your back or
stick your buns out), stretch your diaphragm up and forward, pulling up from
your hips while from the hips down you sink into the floor. Shoulders back,
down and relaxed, pull up the back of your head like there's a string
pulling you up to the ceiling. Keep your weight on the balls of your feet.
This posture is 90 percent of good tango lead and follow. So the first
(second and third) part of teaching technique is insisting on good posture.
Then the lead follow follow should do the rest with occasional additional
embellishments at the intermediate and advanced levels.

It sounds  complicated but  isn't -- I suspect this is where the analogies
to tai chi, skiing etc. come in. I'm not a skier nor a martial artist but it
is obvious that one could hardly ski downhill or confront an opponent
without these principles of posture.  After that of course the leader and
follower need to avoid confusing the issue with limp or stiff arms, weird
head turns (as in ballroom tango) or arbitrary movements.

As for giving feedback to poor teachers, I imagine some teachers are
inexperienced either in tango and/or teaching and may not know how to
evaluate or respond to criticism. The number of people who start teaching
very quickly is amazing, although understandable in small isolated
communities. And the number of students who are more interested in new step
combinations than learning to dance tango is disheartening, as this attitude
can destroy tango in the long run. Tango is not ballroom dance; it is not
for the stage; it is not fantasia; it is not for competition (although god
knows it is competitive!). Tango is tango, an unique seemingly impossible
communication between two people.

There are now quite a number (like, way too many)  of good to sensational
instructors from Argentina, the US and Europe (and other continents  -- Asia
(Turkey), Australia, etc) traveling about . Local instructors should not be
shy about taking workshops and private classes from those with the best
credentials.  Some of the most famous maestros now travelling began as
fabulous dancers with no teaching skill but enough humility to learn
wherever they could; now they are not only great dancers but great teachers.
In tango there can be no end to learning and inventing.  El tango es una
posibilidad infinita.
Abrazos to all,
Barbara