As every student of exploration knows, the prize goes not to the explorer who first sets foot upon the virgin soil but to the one who gets that foot home first. If it is still attached to his leg, this is a bonus.
Jingo- Terry Pratchett
One of the lessons I use in fencing has a strange quirk. It is a chain of exercies that moves up through multiple orders of feints. The quirk is that people don’t perfect the first stage until they have perfected the last stage. The quality of movement that is exposed by the last stage is exactly that required to perfect the first stage.
In a way you could describe it as wisdom. “…I’ve seen this room and I’ve walked this floor…” and this time I know what to say. (Hindsight is all very well but it’s better when you can recognise what is coming down the tracks.)
I’m beginning to think that this applies to the dancing of Tango1. That your basics may never be great until you delve deep into the mysteries of the embrace. That it’s not just enough to make the journey but to return as well. That each layer of tango that you unwrap applies not only to itself and those inside it but those that came before it. It indicates the potential folly of ‘becoming Advanced’ and leaving those things of beginners behind. That in the end you have to walk the miles.
1Note capitalisation, I’m not writing about the dancing of tango.
Interesting.
Apropos fencing, is it too late to take up fencing for a grown-up?
And I guess I’m a bit slow (comes with age…;-), but what’s with the capitalisation?
As in actually Tangoing as opposed to throwing tango like shapes.
Apropos fencing for grown-ups: modern bouncy-bouncy sports fencing is fairly arduous for the mature beginner. However if you can find historical or classical martial arts focused fencing, of which I am a proponent, then the older you are the more cunning you’ll be.
So true. Ironically, practicing fancy moves helped me work improve very simple things, especially the embrace. That’s definitely a bone to chew for tango teacher’s all around the world
Ilyas