5370 If this was day one of your study of Tango..
Date: Mon, 17 Dec 2007 12:37:18 -0800 (PST)
From: Mario <sopelote@yahoo.com>
Subject: [Tango-L] If this was day one of your study of Tango..
To: tango-l@mit.edu
If you had it to do all over again and you were just beginning your study of the A.T. dance. What would you do differently in order to save time and advance more directly to where you are now or beyond. How much time whould you have saved? What would you begin with, what would you leave out, why ?
.. any details about why/how you would go about it differently with what you know today.
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Date: Thu, 20 Dec 2007 02:41:23 -1200
From: "Michael" <tangomaniac@cavtel.net>
Subject: Re: [Tango-L] If this was day one of your study of Tango..
To: Tango-L@Mit.Edu, Mario <sopelote@yahoo.com>
If you had it to do all over again and you were just
> beginning your study of the A.T. dance. What would you do
> differently in order to save time and advance more
> directly to where you are now or beyond.
Mario
I would have changed my attitude of trying to get good fast
and be patient with myself. Everything takes time. Instead
of being jealous of men who could lead figures that were
beyond my skill level, I should have told myself "one day
I'll be able to that figure."
Michael Ditkoff
Looking forward to New Year's in New York with
www.celebratetango.com
I'd rather be dancing Argentine Tango
Date: Thu, 20 Dec 2007 08:02:01 -0800 (PST)
From: Tango For Her <tangopeer@yahoo.com>
Subject: Re: [Tango-L] If this was day one of your study of Tango..
Great topic!
I had an advanced partner from day one. I didn't change partners, much. I really didn't start to progress quickly until I started to change partners a lot.
I used to take private lessons with a partner. I didn't realize until I started taking them alone that it was a big waste of my money to partner up.
I found that I retained A LOT of what I learned in close embrace private lessons and didn't retain much from open embrace private lessons. Body-to-body osmosis worked for me!
Michael <tangomaniac@cavtel.net> wrote:
If you had it to do all over again and you were just
> beginning your study of the A.T. dance. What would you do
> differently in order to save time and advance more
> directly to where you are now or beyond.
Mario
I would have changed my attitude of trying to get good fast
and be patient with myself. Everything takes time. Instead
of being jealous of men who could lead figures that were
beyond my skill level, I should have told myself "one day
I'll be able to that figure."
Michael Ditkoff
Looking forward to New Year's in New York with
www.celebratetango.com
I'd rather be dancing Argentine Tango
Looking for last minute shopping deals? Find them fast with Yahoo! Search.
Date: Thu, 20 Dec 2007 08:25:04 -0800 (PST)
From: Alberto Gesualdi <clambat2001@yahoo.com.ar>
Subject: [Tango-L] If this was day one of your study of Tango..
To: tango-l@mit.edu
I think I would chop off my brain or at least to have their rational part plugged off . The first six months of my learning were frustrating , until one day I made a pivot and make a change of direction while walking . I remember saying to my teacher " look , I can pivot now !!" and he , being a good friend , hold his tongue (he must have thought " damn it ... for six months I have trying to teach you to do this, well .... congratulations ...)
alberto
----- Mensaje original ----
De: Tango For Her <tangopeer@yahoo.com>
Enviado: jueves 20 de diciembre de 2007, 13:02:01
Asunto: Re: [Tango-L] If this was day one of your study of Tango..
Great topic!
I had an advanced partner from day one. I didn't change partners, much. I really didn't start to progress quickly until I started to change partners a lot.
I used to take private lessons with a partner. I didn't realize until I started taking them alone that it was a big waste of my money to partner up.
I found that I retained A LOT of what I learned in close embrace private lessons and didn't retain much from open embrace private lessons. Body-to-body osmosis worked for me!
Michael <tangomaniac@cavtel.net> wrote:
If you had it to do all over again and you were just
> beginning your study of the A.T. dance. What would you do
> differently in order to save time and advance more
> directly to where you are now or beyond.
Mario
I would have changed my attitude of trying to get good fast
and be patient with myself. Everything takes time. Instead
of being jealous of men who could lead figures that were
beyond my skill level, I should have told myself "one day
I'll be able to that figure."
Michael Ditkoff
Looking forward to New Year's in New York with
www.celebratetango.com
I'd rather be dancing Argentine Tango
Looking for last minute shopping deals? Find them fast with Yahoo! Search.
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Date: Thu, 20 Dec 2007 12:09:46 -0500
From: Keith <keith@tangohk.com>
Subject: Re: [Tango-L] If this was day one of your study of Tango..
Clever guy. Most people think they're saving money by taking lessons with a partner - not true. With a couple, a teacher will demonstrate
whatever he's teaching with the woman and then with the man; the couple will then try it together [this time is pretty much wasted]. If
you're alone, you get to dance with the teacher for the full duration of the lesson, which is why you're paying for a private lesson. If a
couple take one private lesson each, separately, they'll learn far more than by taking two private lessons together. Of course, teachers
love to teach couples - way less work.
Keith, HK
On Fri Dec 21 0:02 , Tango For Her sent:
>
> I used to take private lessons with a partner. I didn't realize until I started taking them alone that it was a big waste of my money
to partner up.
>
Date: Thu, 20 Dec 2007 10:41:59 -0800 (PST)
From: "Trini y Sean (PATangoS)" <patangos@yahoo.com>
Subject: Re: [Tango-L] If this was day one of your study of Tango..
For couples, we find that 1.5 hours works better than just
an hour for both the man and the woman to get the attention
each needs.
If cost is an issue for privates, you and a partner can
just split the hour. The other person can take notes for
the one doing the lesson. For less experienced dancers,
this can be a good way to get enough info to work on
without exploding the budget or the brain.
I'm not sure why I'm not getting Mario's posts, but if I
had to do tango over again:
- I would not be so critical of my partner (Sean) because I
now know that he learns differently than I do and how
difficult it is to learn to lead,
- I wouldn't have been so shy about practicing/dancing with
other people,
- I'd have started a lot sooner on my Alexander Technique
lessons, since I didn't realize that having a good sense of
my own kinesthetics would have such on impact on my dancing
and sensing my partner. And I wouldn't have wasted so much
time on what appeared to be conflicting techniques.
Trini de Pittsburgh
--- Keith <keith@tangohk.com> wrote:
> Clever guy. Most people think they're saving money by
> taking lessons with a partner - not true. With a couple,
> a teacher will demonstrate
> whatever he's teaching with the woman and then with the
> man; the couple will then try it together [this time is
> pretty much wasted]. If
> you're alone, you get to dance with the teacher for the
> full duration of the lesson, which is why you're paying
> for a private lesson. If a
> couple take one private lesson each, separately, they'll
> learn far more than by taking two private lessons
> together. Of course, teachers
> love to teach couples - way less work.
>
> Keith, HK
>
> On Fri Dec 21 0:02 , Tango For Her sent:
>
> >
> > I used to take private lessons with a partner. I
> didn't realize until I started taking them alone that it
> was a big waste of my money
> to partner up.
> >
>
PATangoS - Pittsburgh Argentine Tango Society
Our Mission: To make Argentine Tango Pittsburgh?s most popular social dance!
https://patangos.home.comcast.net/
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Date: Thu, 20 Dec 2007 11:07:09 -0800 (PST)
From: Tango For Her <tangopeer@yahoo.com>
Subject: Re: [Tango-L] If this was day one of your study of Tango..
I always find that, when teaching couples, the man's brain turns to mush at 45 minutes and the woman can last the full 90 minutes. I am very dislexic, which I find to be an advantage in that I end up trying patterns 2 or 4(left, right, back, forward) ways. And, I notice that, after 45 minutes, all men seem to become dislexic.
I used to hear people talking about the Alexander Technique. I never studied it, though. Anyone have good links to pass along (and label the post "Alexander Technique"?
"Trini y Sean (PATangoS)" <patangos@yahoo.com> wrote:
For couples, we find that 1.5 hours works better than just
an hour for both the man and the woman to get the attention
each needs.
If cost is an issue for privates, you and a partner can
just split the hour. The other person can take notes for
the one doing the lesson. For less experienced dancers,
this can be a good way to get enough info to work on
without exploding the budget or the brain.
I'm not sure why I'm not getting Mario's posts, but if I
had to do tango over again:
- I would not be so critical of my partner (Sean) because I
now know that he learns differently than I do and how
difficult it is to learn to lead,
- I wouldn't have been so shy about practicing/dancing with
other people,
- I'd have started a lot sooner on my Alexander Technique
lessons, since I didn't realize that having a good sense of
my own kinesthetics would have such on impact on my dancing
and sensing my partner. And I wouldn't have wasted so much
time on what appeared to be conflicting techniques.
Trini de Pittsburgh
--- Keith wrote:
> Clever guy. Most people think they're saving money by
> taking lessons with a partner - not true. With a couple,
> a teacher will demonstrate
> whatever he's teaching with the woman and then with the
> man; the couple will then try it together [this time is
> pretty much wasted]. If
> you're alone, you get to dance with the teacher for the
> full duration of the lesson, which is why you're paying
> for a private lesson. If a
> couple take one private lesson each, separately, they'll
> learn far more than by taking two private lessons
> together. Of course, teachers
> love to teach couples - way less work.
>
> Keith, HK
>
> On Fri Dec 21 0:02 , Tango For Her sent:
>
> >
> > I used to take private lessons with a partner. I
> didn't realize until I started taking them alone that it
> was a big waste of my money
> to partner up.
> >
>
PATangoS - Pittsburgh Argentine Tango Society
Our Mission: To make Argentine Tango Pittsburgh?s most popular social dance!
https://patangos.home.comcast.net/
Never miss a thing. Make Yahoo your home page.
Looking for last minute shopping deals? Find them fast with Yahoo! Search.
Date: Thu, 20 Dec 2007 19:36:54 +0000
From: Jay Rabe <jayrabe@hotmail.com>
Subject: Re: [Tango-L] If this was day one of your study of Tango..
To: <tango-l@mit.edu>
> Michael <tangomaniac@cavtel.net> wrote:
> If you had it to do all over again ... What would you do differently?
*) When I started learning tango, the predominant teaching method was the D8CB (The "Dreaded 8-count Basic"). Teaching HOW to lead was not done in any generic sense. In retrospect that was a waste of time. These days, teaching focuses on (after posture, balance, and fundamentals of stepping/walking) how to lead, how to follow, and how to maintain the connection.
*) As someone else pointed out, any reluctance to actually get out on the social dancefloor and JUST DO IT, is wasting time, regardless of the strength of your logic telling you otherwise. NOW is the time to dance, whether you've had 5 lessons or 5 minutes of a lesson.
*) If I did it over, I'd take fewer notes. Being an engineering type of person, analysis and detailed notes were the way I thought I needed to learn. They might have helped, but mostly it was a waste of time. Tango, to be done well, MUST be intuitive, and you can't develop that analytically. You can only develop it by actually doing it and developing your muscle memory.
*) If I did it over, I'd start much earlier to try and develop my own steps. When you start learning tango, you're painfully aware of how little you know. So the tendency is to invest your instructors with full authority to tell you what to do and how to do it. This delays your owning the dance. As another recent post pointed out, the master milongueros have the position of respect that they do because (among other reasons) they OWN their dancing. They have put the time in to know their repertoire so intimately that no thought (analysis, left-brain anything) is needed. It just happens. Start now to experiment. When you're in a given position, what are your options? Can you move this way? That way? What can you lead her to do? What do you need to do to lead her where you want?
*) Having a congenial follower who will give you feedback as you experiment and learn can be invaluable. That said, I agree completely that it's necessary, for fast progress, to dance with many partners. It helps you to find out what is Really necessary in your lead to make a given step work.
*) Get a CD or 3 and listen to them constantly.
*) Practice, practice, practice. Be aware of your posture and your balance and how you are walking with every step you take, and I'm talking when you're OFF the dancefloor.
Good luck! :-)
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Date: Thu, 20 Dec 2007 21:51:56 -0700
From: "David Hodgson" <DHodgson@TangoLabyrinth.com>
Subject: Re: [Tango-L] If this was day one of your study of Tango..
Well; when I started I took 3 classes, realized I had tried to bring
everything I had ever learned about dance into tango and it was going to be
a futile effort. So I stopped taking lessons and walked for 6 months, then I
took beginning lessons.
If I were to do things differently I would rent my soul to god or the devil
(which ever had the best offer). With the money take privates from Ricardo
Vidort, Carlos Gavito, and one other person. While still taking the 6 months
to walk.
David
-----Original Message-----
From: tango-l-bounces@mit.edu [mailto:tango-l-bounces@mit.edu] On Behalf Of
Mario
Sent: Monday, December 17, 2007 1:37 PM
To: tango-l@mit.edu
Subject: [Tango-L] If this was day one of your study of Tango..
If you had it to do all over again and you were just beginning your study of
the A.T. dance. What would you do differently in order to save time and
advance more directly to where you are now or beyond. How much time whould
you have saved? What would you begin with, what would you leave out, why ?
.. any details about why/how you would go about it differently with what you
know today.
Never miss a thing. Make Yahoo your homepage.
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Date: Sat, 22 Dec 2007 21:47 +0000 (GMT Standard Time)
From: "Chris, UK" <tl2@chrisjj.com>
Subject: Re: [Tango-L] If this was day one of your study of Tango..
Cc: tl2@chrisjj.com
> *) When I started learning tango, the predominant teaching method was
> the D8CB (The "Dreaded 8-count Basic")
The D8CB is not teaching method. It is teaching material. Though it has
fallen from favour, the method with which it was closely associated has
not. This method - DIC* - is still the predominant tango class teaching
method.
Chris
* Demonstrate - Instruct - Correct.
--
Chris
