5071  "Structure" of Tango

Date: Fri, 20 Jul 2007 15:01:35 -0700
From: Norman Tiber <natiber@charter.net>
Subject: [Tango-L] "Structure" of Tango
To: tango-L@mit.edu
format=flowed

Dear David,

You asked about the ?structure? of Tango.

Perhaps this will help.

I think learning the Tango is like learning to speak a foreign
language. This can be taught on different levels. If we consider
the phrase ?See Spot run? as analogous to dancing Tango, you can:

1. Learn ?See Spot run? as a dance pattern.
2. Learn that ?Spot? is a noun, ?run? is a verb, and learn to dance
the pattern ?See Spot Run.?
3. Learn that this dance pattern has a noun and a verb and based on
the syntax (rules) of the language (dance), the verb follows the noun
(expect in some questions). The latter would be learning the
structure of Tango. You can then become a fluent dancer (not limited
to ?See Spot run?). You can then put together an infinite variety of
nouns and verbs, because you have assimilated the syntax of the dance.

Since different teachers use different approaches, you sometimes have
to translate what is being taught into your own language.

Hope this helps.

Norm

Date: Sun, 22 Jul 2007 03:35:01 -0400
From: "Jake Spatz (TangoDC.com)" <spatz@tangoDC.com>
Subject: Re: [Tango-L] "Structure" of Tango
To: tango-L@mit.edu

Hi all,

Norman Tiber wrote:

> I think learning the Tango is like learning to speak a foreign
> language.

Speak, speak, speak. What about reading? E.g.--

> you can:
>
> 1. Learn ?See Spot run? as a dance pattern.
> 2. Learn that ?Spot? is a noun, ?run? is a verb, and learn to dance the pattern ?See Spot Run.?
>

(Rather, the pattern described here would be "Spot run.")

> 3. Learn that this dance pattern has a noun and a verb and based on the syntax (rules) of the language (dance), _the verb follows the noun_ (expect in some questions).

Each of your sentences starts with a verb, and a noun ends each of them.

> The latter would be learning the structure of Tango.

"A after B" (as above) is not structure, but mere sequence.

> You can then become a fluent dancer (not limited to ?See Spot run?). You can then put together an infinite variety of nouns and verbs, because you have assimilated the syntax of the dance.
>

"But don't I need more vocabulary?"

So much for this analogy.

To my mind, the only real common ground between language and improv
dancing lies in our capacity to split known terms into pieces (if we
understand them), and recombine them in order to get ad hoc terms. But
this presupposes that we already know what we're doing-- that we're
rather more than fluent already. The only other similarity between the
two is that the bulk of people who don't know what they're talking about
feel entitled to share their wisdom on the topic.

I've got a better idea. How about... Learning to dance tango is like
learning to _dance tango_.

Jake
DC