268  Mechanics vs Aesthetics; What about Heart & Soul

Date: Mon, 15 Oct 2001 23:58:28 -0600
From: Tom Stermitz <Stermitz@RAGTIME.ORG>
Subject: Mechanics vs Aesthetics; What about Heart & Soul

Mechanics vs Aesthetics; What about Heart & Soul.


I had the pleasure of watching Daniel Trenner teach a 4-week series
to beginners, and I was EXTREMELY impressed with his ability to get
newcomer guys up and rolling with tango even in the more difficult
salon-style of tango. After watching many different teachers over the
past 7 years, I have never seen a better teacher for newcomers than
Daniel. (For intermediates, I'd have to give that honor to Eric
Jorissen, but that is a different story).

Daniel has a very interesting strategy: Separate AESTHETICS from MECHANICS.

In other words:
- Teach the followers how to stride with confidence and manage ochos
& turning steps;
- Teach the leaders how to manage the followers' movements in space,
WITHOUT worrying about ANY of their own accompanying steps or the tango pose
- Have both men and women do both parts under the assumption that the
Women are better off knowing the structure of the dance, and the
Men must experience the follower's role in order to lead it themselves.

At the end of 4 weeks, everybody was dancing and navigating the room
confidently, managing both lead AND follow. Nobody LOOKED like they
were doing tango; they were still pretty sloppy, but by gosh they
were DANCING.

My great fortune is to be the follow-up teacher to Daniel's classes
(with my teaching partner Lisa Battan). We get the fun job of adding
the look and feel of tango.

In other words, we get to bring the style or aesthetics of what we
consider "real" tango to people who already know how to dance.


The Argentine travelling teachers tend to mix aesthetics with
mechanics, or else completely emphasize aesthetics (style, technique
& fancy stuff). Many are extraordinarily good dancers, but their
focus is on SHOWING how to do something, which is a different
pedagogy from TEACHING how to do something.

My personal interest is something different from both aesthetics and
mechanics. It is to add rhythm, musicality, connection, drive,
passion, masculinity (and femininity) to tango.

I don't agree at all that you can't teach heart and soul; in fact I
think it is easy to teach guys to be wooden and intellectual, if not
timid and boring.
--
Tom Stermitz
2612 Clermont St
Denver, CO 80207
home: 303-388-2560
cell: 303-725-5963

Date: Thu, 18 Oct 2001 01:08:58 +0900
From: astrid <astrid@RUBY.PLALA.OR.JP>
Subject: Re: Mechanics vs Aesthetics; What about Heart & Soul

> The Argentine travelling teachers tend to mix aesthetics with
> mechanics, or else completely emphasize aesthetics (style, technique
> & fancy stuff).

Tom, style and technique are by far not as redundant as "fancy stuff", the
whole frame dynamics depend on it ! Of course anybody can be walking around
the room, stepping on the beat while holding each other, and hopefully, not
stepping on each other's feet, but that is not tango !
Style and technique cannot be put in a relation to mechanics like make up to
natural beauty, IMO style and technique are part of the mechanics.

The mentioning of "heart and soul" versus the rest having to do with
dancer's training reminds me a bit of a friend who argued: "We Mexicans do
not need to take tango lessons, we were born with dance in our blood."

"in fact I
think it is easy to teach guys to be wooden and intellectual, if not
timid and boring."
Most guys like that don't need to be taught how to be that, Tom, it comes
pretty naturally to them. ; )