Chucking out the kitchen sink
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.
July 1st, 2008 at 12:36 pm
I think your argument is a very strong one. “First, do no harm” is a good principle, especially if the course is short. Is this a single-lesson starter, or will it be a progressive course where it will be introduced later?
The perfect way to introduce it would be to find how to make them do it right the first time by accident, in the same way that everybody accidentally creates a backward ocho when they’re learning to lead.
July 1st, 2008 at 10:50 pm
This is to be part of a continuing cycle of classes. I hope to avoid the cross as much as possible in the beginners class.
July 2nd, 2008 at 2:47 am
I think this is likely a good idea, but I think the problem extends beyond the cross. I found that throughout my beginning classes I had trouble not just going through the motions. One of the hardest things for followers is to learn how to follow! I didn’t realize I wasn’t following until I went to a practica and danced with other leaders. I am now very good at following just what was led (obviously not perfect, but I am very demanding in a practice setting and have had leaders thank me for it!), but it took a lot of time to get over the “do the steps that were just taught” problem and really follow.
I think my ideal class would keep leaders and followers separate until the leaders have been taught how to lead whatever they are working on. Then the followers could be brought in (having been taught various things about their technique) to discover whatever it is that the leaders are doing. I don’t know how well it would turn out, but I like the idea.
July 2nd, 2008 at 10:31 am
Modern Tanguera I’d love to be in a position where I could start leaders and followers separately, but unfortunately my set up wouldn’t really accommodate this. Plus I think the Irish have enough problems with single sex education as it is
I also agree that the cross is not the sole cause of poor leading and following but it was the stone in a shoeful of grit. The other causes I hope to thwart by teaching very simple phrases that can be altered by the leaders very easily.
I think I might write about the phrases I’m teaching.
July 22nd, 2008 at 2:46 am
I agree with you. I consider the cross an advanced figure - well, an advanced BASIC figure. But I’d be curious what you teach as the very first figure, and how it relates to the larger structure of basic figures.
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Before I go further, let me interject a few questions. I’m planning to come to Limerick from Los Angeles for one day in mid-September. I can likely schedule my visit to fall on the day of your milonga.
But will your milonga be on the same day then as it is now? Will your milonga BE? (Are you likely to change schedule any time soon?) And lastly do you have any recommendation for a good hotels mentioned in following Google map - all of which are a few blocks from your milonga?
http://maps.google.com/maps?near=62+O‘Connell+St,+Limerick,+Co.+Limerick,+Ireland&geocode=&q=hotel&f=l&hl=en&sll=52.664151,-8.630276&sspn=0.023217,0.052528&ie=UTF8&z=15
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Back to the subject. My teaching method is to immediately pair up people and set up a rotation. Most students come to meet people. If you don’t satisfy this need you’ll lose your students.
Second, I have them listen to music and find the slow-slow rhythm that is the basic rhythm of tango. Third I get them moving to that rhythm, stepping in place (the cadencia) starting the men off on their left and the women on their right.
After a few seconds of this I have them change partners so that those who had none the previous round have one now. Then repeat. Lastly, I start the music and have the men lead their partners into the flow of the crowd and dance.
This last is crucial. As soon as possible students need to begin thinking of tango as (1) something they can do, and (2) fun. We teachers need to hook them. Advanced figure and other techniques can wait for later. That stuff will be hard enough without adding boredom and self-doubt to the mix.
Here’s hoping I can attend the Limerick milonga. And I’m absolutely delighted to be able to attend the land of my ancestors.
“Laer” Carroll
Larry de Los Angeles
July 22nd, 2008 at 11:45 am
Hi Larry,
I teach the walk as the primary figure. If you follow the preparatory cycle you’ll see that each class begins with the walk and I develop different steps out of that.
You are entirely correct about boredom and self-doubt though in the drive to stave off boredom I think many teachers throw too many figures at people in an attempt to hook them, only increasing the likelihood of self-doubt.
November 30th, 2009 at 3:04 pm
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