Limerick Tango

Given that I am an engineer I am somewhat more comfortable moving beyond a simple CD player set up. I also want the greater flexibility that an advanced set up can give me.

Hardware:
The room has a built in PA system with a mixer that I can just plug into.
Laptop.
SoundBlaster 16bit USB external sound card.
Remote control

Software:
The laptop’s OS is currently Ubuntu Hardy Heron
running Music Player Daemon, LIRC, irexec, Apache and Pitchfork

All of my tango collection has been ripped to FLAC. MPD provides gapless playback, playlists and through integration with LIRC and irexec works with the remote control. The front end to MPD is provided by Pitchfork which is web based hence the apache web server (a bit of overkill but it is still the best interface to MPD). Tracks 1-9 of each playlist map onto the remote control numerical buttons. The stop function has been tweaked to stop when the current track ends.

I have been meaning to write about this for sometime and koolricky’s post on Beginners I like, beginners I don’t finally tickled me into tackling the subject.

I have never liked the Beginners, Intermediate, Advanced nomenclature. Especially not the systems where these are directly mapped onto years e.g. a beginner is someone who has danced less than a year. They imply somewhat that you can progress simply by putting in the time. Or, having put in the time, one can consider yourself advanced. I have seen beginners that were ready for the next level on their third class and I have seen people who wouldn’t be seen dead near a beginners class drag down a high level workshop.

On the fencing side of the shop the progression is slightly more straight forward. When someone starts they take eight weeks (in some schools it’s six months) of lessons before their first bout. The next milestone is being comfortable on the piste. Once they have achieved that they may consider themselves a fencer and something other than a beginner. Advanced fencers are those that are seriously adept with more than one weapon. All of this occurs without any grading, there are no tests to acquire a belt. That is because the fencer grades himself in every bout, is tested by every opponent. A fencers progression is only in their personal perception of their skill and their confidence in that skill.

Tango can only move past some of its problems if it drops its ridiculous time based beginner/intermediate/advanced class description model and instead clearly states that this class deals with X, to do this you should be comfortable doing Y and Z.

Ever since I figured out that I was stepping up to the plate I have been thinking long and hard about what I would teach.

The first, and almost immediate, decision was to drop the cross from the beginners class.

It’s not that I think the cross is particularly beyond beginners but because of the problems it causes. The scenario is as follows. She has an appetite for dance and picks things up easily. He has just about learned to put one foot in front of the other and is only there because she suggested it. You add in a sequence with a cross and that’s where the problems start. There isn’t a hope of him giving the indication for her to cross (stepping outside has been daunting enough) so she ends up doing the cross by rote and already the rot has set in. She acquires the attitude of doing steps because she knows what’s coming next at which point what chance does he have of learning to properly lead from the start.

With the departure of Veronica Alegre there has been the obvious necessity of finding someone to teach so that tango can continue in Limerick. For a number of reasons this has ended up being me. From dancer to organiser to teacher in three years flat.

Disturbing enough except that this happens to be deja-vu.

Let me explain. I began my study of the art of fencing in a school that had a clear path towards becoming an instructor or master. Fencing has long had the problem of unqualified persons setting themselves up as masters. As far back as 1536 Achille Marozzo was complaining about the lack of ‘authenticated masters’. Equally the classical and historical community is beset by the problem of people who think it is enough to unplug the scoring machine or simply pick up a reproduction rapier to call oneself a classical or historical fencer and assume the title of master at arms.

Unfortunately my sojourn at the Martinez Academy of Arms was nowhere near long enough to acquire the qualification of instructor before I returned to Limerick. In Limerick there was no fencing whatsoever to speak of. Not sport or classical. If I wanted to continue fencing I would have to teach. It was a daunting task but after learning from many mistakes I have developed my own teaching methodology and have had my students complimented by my former masters. It is something that I am glad that I am glad I have done. I would not be the teacher I am today if I had stayed at the Academy. Not that I would be any better or worse, but that my methodology would be more inherited than one that I developed myself.

And in somewhat the same manner I begin teaching tango. I am not doing so out of a desire to teach or in dissatisfaction with the teaching available or because I think I can teach better, as some have done, but because of necessity.

It is somewhat easier second time round. I carry with me the pedagogic methods and analytical tools from fencing. I inherit good dancers from Veronica.

So the role of this blog will change from the public scratch-pad and response space of a tango organiser to that of a teacher.

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Tuesday was Veronica Alegre’s last night with us during her current European sojourn. She returns to Buenos Aires soon but we look forward to seeing her again in early 2009.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank Veronica for all the energy she has put into her teaching over the past nine months and it won’t be soon enough before she is back.

A funny little piece critiquing some of the antics of followers.
Jose Garofalo & Veronica Alvarenga March 2008

Stop letting the tango get in the way and dance!

Fred Astaire wrote of Cyd Charisse

When you’ve danced with her, you stay danced with.

Now there is a compliment to strive towards.

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