3568  Gavito homenaje

Date: Fri, 1 Jul 2005 17:59:24 EDT
From: LGMoseley@AOL.COM
Subject: Gavito homenaje

I was only once lucky enough to have a class - just the one - with Gavito.
I don't know if it was originally his statement, but, over a cigarette
(presumably his undoing) on the fire escape, he gently denounced the conventional
idea of lead and follow by saying "The man indicates, the lady leads, the man
follows". It made sense; "marcar" after all does mean, I think, "indicate".

It worked for him, and it seems to work for a lot of other people too. He
did epitomise the "less is more" message which is so useful for beginners.

By the way, he also said that he went to lessons once a month. When I
expressed surprise, and asked him who his teacher was, he replied "Any competent
teacher". "I can do all the fancy steps, but what I keep forgetting is how I
stand, how I walk, how I embrace the lady - all the simple things. Therefore,
when an external but competent teacher looks at me, my shortfalls on those
simple things are what they spot. I wouldn't spot them myself." Of course, it's
a paraphrase of his literal words, but that was the gist, and it is a useful
lesson. I went back to my own group and immediately invented a demonstration
of the principle.

I'd like to join the praise to him.

Laurie (Laurence)