266  Observation and Experience

Date: Mon, 15 Oct 2001 16:05:25 -0500
From: Stephen Brown <Stephen.P.Brown@DAL.FRB.ORG>
Subject: Observation and Experience

When teaching, I have frequently observed that when a student finds fault
with his/her partner's dancing, the cause often arises from the complaining
student's own dancing.

As an example: When a male student complains his partner is not following
his lead, it may be because he is moving his feet before he leads his
partner's movements, not keeping his body movements still between steps, or
not rotating his shoulders sufficiently for the moves he is leading.* On
the other hand, when a female student complains that she cannot feel the
lead, it may be because she has not prepared her posture to receive the
lead, has not given enough of herself in the embrace, or has anticipated
the lead and moved ahead of it.

As an instructor, I find it easy to observe such phenomenon when watching
students. When I am the student, however, I have much more difficulty
feeling such a phenomenon. I must make a conscious effort to remember that
my movements can cause the problems that I would be inclined to blame on my
partner.

The difference between what I observe when I am teaching and what I find
myself thinking when I am working with my partner has led me a certain
amount of humility when I am practicing. It also leads me to question how
much tango one can learn without an instructor's feedback.

With best regards,
Steve (de Tejas)


*In response to the difference between my observations and the experience
he was sure he had, I am tempted to say that one of my students said, "Who
are you going to believe me or your own lying eyes?" ;-)