4944  Application of Statistics to Tango Teaching

Date: Fri, 11 May 2007 17:49:00 -0700
From: "Igor Polk" <ipolk@virtuar.com>
Subject: Re: [Tango-L] Application of Statistics to Tango Teaching

Triny & Sean

I do not want to be involved into discussion between you and Chris, since I
believe both of you have valid points, but I want to clarify a little what
Chris was pointing out.

We said you talked, consulted other teachers and that is the basis of your
statistics.
I believe these people are your friends, dancers sharing your view on tango
teaching.
Judging about everyone else by the selection of your personal statistical
source is bound to fail because it is faulty by definition.

I bet there are at least 40 people teaching tango in San Francisco Bay Area.
How many of them did you discussed the problem with?
Frankly, I'd rather be on the Chris's side in the conclusion: most teachers
do not teach dancing. Or they are not able to. One has to be a great dancer
himself to be able to teach dancing. Otherwise he just does not know what it
is..

There are many people on the list who teach, I believe. Did you consult all
of them?

I do not know the answer, but it seems to me no.
There are still a lot of teachers teaching figures in the most dumb sense.
And there are several school who do not like each other very much. And there
are a lot of great teachers teaching dancing but not the way you would like,
so the idea of discussing tango teaching problems would not even come to
your mind. And there are a lot of young people who have something to say,
you just do not know about them.

Forgive me, if I am wrong...

Igor Polk.
The idea of teaching dancing instead of teaching figures is fascinating, but
then what?

PS.
Not in any way I want to criticize the local organizers who struggle to
promote tango in their places. It is better to have something, so they talk
about whatever they know and the way they know. And this is good. Someone
has to show the direction. They are not teachers they are Visionaries ! They
bring people to tango.

It is better to teach figures than nothing, it is the easiest way. So that
then, the traveling real teaching dancer can come and fix it. Make it a real
tango, make it dancing.

Many people have dancing abilities. They do not need to be taught dancing.
They only need to know about specific moves, philosophy, methods, concepts,
and rituals. They need a place to practice to different sorts of music. Then
they will figure it out themselves how to dance it. It might be not your
way, so what !?