1685 Dancing offset and poor instruction
Date: Mon, 11 Aug 2003 05:26:59 -0700
From: Gary Fay <gtf_ctim@YAHOO.COM>
Subject: Re: Dancing offset and poor instruction
Dancers,
I was curious about dancing offset to your partner, ie
feet not aligned when moving forward. Every real
dancer I ever met when dancing in closed position
dances feet aligned with their partner. I am dancing
with a girl who was learning, a little heavy and
difficult to dance with, she doesn't get out of the
way and was dancing sideways rather than progressing
down line of dance. She told me she was paying some
guy thousands for these lessons.
** Does not refer to transitioning between moves,
crosses or cross walking...
She started doing much better when I "pushed" her back
properaly aligned but what is there to do when they
don't believe you when you tell them the only way to
really learn to dance is to practice practice
practice. They go off any pay some self proclaimed
expert and then they can't dance when they get out in
public. ack charm and charisma works wonders on some
people.
Practice Practice Practice, its the only way. It can't
be purchased!
Anyway thanks for the recomendations on the dance
videos, great stuff.
Date: Mon, 11 Aug 2003 11:38:46 -0600
From: Tom Stermitz <Stermitz@RAGTIME.ORG>
Subject: Re: Dancing offset and poor instruction
There are so many different styles and sub-styles of tango, and so
many different (and equally great) male dancers, that the woman
really needs to be adaptive.
Men should be adaptive as well, but in terms of setting the style it
is 80% the leader and 20% the follower.
A woman should probably not take too many lessons from one man, or
within one style of tango. Male teachers are usually training her to
dance the way "he" likes, not necessarily giving her a more universal
foundation. Fundamentals, technique and style are often jumbled
together without explanation.
One of the stylistic differences is "how much offset." Certain
styles are extremely vertical & symmetric (nuevo & milonguero), other
styles are more offset with a "V-frame" or leaning on the leader.
A follower who learns symmetrically, can add a slight asymmetry as a
pose on top of a clean axis, while a follower who learns with an
offset or or v-frame habituates her body to feel asymmetry as normal.
One leg consistently steps longer than the other. Moves/figures to
the follower's left side feel unusual or difficult.
This can also harm her back and put pressure on the leader's back.
A follower who leans?
It hurts my back so much, I simply won't dance with such a follower,
I might even stop the dance. This is one of the very few things I
will actually say something about on the dance floor...I have a right
not to be injured.
Gary Fay <gtf_ctim@yahoo.com> wrote:
>Dancers,
>
>I was curious about dancing offset to your partner, ie
>feet not aligned when moving forward. Every real
>dancer I ever met when dancing in closed position
>dances feet aligned with their partner. I am dancing
>with a girl who was learning, a little heavy and
>difficult to dance with, she doesn't get out of the
>way and was dancing sideways rather than progressing
>down line of dance. She told me she was paying some
>guy thousands for these lessons.
>** Does not refer to transitioning between moves,
>crosses or cross walking...
--
Tom Stermitz
https://www.tango.org/
stermitz@tango.org
303-388-2560
