Re: [TANGO-L] narrow-minded religiosity?

[Derik Rawson <rawsonweb @YAHOO.COM>]

Dear Clint:

Exactly.  I agree with ever thing that you are saying
here...

My personal direct experience with Susana Miller was
exactly the same as yours, when I took her class here
in Houston.  I am the one who first introduced her
here to Houston.  No one here had ever heard of her
before that to my knowledge, although now, I am sure
that they will claim otherwise.  Janell came down here
from the Washington D.C. tango group to dance with me
at a milonga here in Houston, and Susana Miller had
just taught Janell a class the same week in D.C., so
Janell told me about Susana Miller and I told the
people here to contact her, which they did.  When I
took my first class with Susana Miller, I thought that
she was cool, and that out of her disorganized way of
teaching, something interesting would finally appear.
Unfortunately, as time went on, she became more and
more disorganized.  I finally wrote her off completely
when I saw her be rude to a local tango teacher here
in Houston who was not teaching her style.  She
embarrassed him in public, on purpose, in front of his
students.  He is a very nice Argentine man, and he did
not deserve this kind of treatment.  When I saw that,
I knew that the woman was a problem, and lacked the
social skills needed for me to really enjoy dancing
tango.  As time went on, I also saw the local group
here, which now "preaches" her style, become more and
more anti-social and dogmatic, so I just let them go
off and do their thing.  Now, I am enjoying just
dancing tango as a social experience, and life is
good.  People do forget that tango is more a social
experience than a dance.  If dancers lack social
skills, the joy is gone.  I have only one rule in
tango, and that rule is, "If they are not fun, do not
dance with them."  It has worked so far.  My personal
direct experience, and my opinion.  Thanks.

Derik
d.rawson  @rawsonweb.com


--- Clint Rauscher <clint  @AXIALPARTNERS.COM> wrote:

> Thanks for your defense Manuel.
>
> I may have come off a bit strong in my posting, but
> it was just an opinion.
> I realize that many many people enjoy Miller's
> classes and proclaim to get a
> lot out of them. Maybe I caught her on an off day,
> but I do feel that a
> teacher with as much experience as she has should
> know how to organize a
> class for everyone to get something out of it.
>
> I think the main point I would like to make is this:
> If social dancing is
> your primary goal, which it is in my case. Take
> classes with many teachers.
> Take classes with teachers of many styles. Master
> all of them. Then remove
> what you don't like. Don't dismiss something just
> because a teacher of one
> style turns their nose up at it. Filter everything
> teachers tell you through
> your own sense of what is "right and wrong for you".
>
> The problem is that many people that dance
> Milonguero, don't seem to think
> of it as A style but rather THE style. Miller
> clearly propogates this and
> students believe her.
>
> I just want to be clear... I don't dislike Miller...
> or think that she is a
> bad teacher... I just don't like her ideas and
> attitudes.. I don't think
> that they are positive for Tango. It is nothing
> personal.
>
> You have to understand that the vast majority of
> students do not read
> Tango-L, nor are they able to afford to go to BA. So
> they may spend years
> paying for Milonguero lessons thinking that they are
> learning the ONLY
> authentic style of tango.
>
> Milonguero is a perfectly valid form of tango and I
> think if you were to
> take only classes with Miller and her proteges..
> from what I hear you will
> be able to find plenty of people to dance with in
> BA.
>
> But I would argue that if you learn proper Salon
> Open and Close technique,
> you will be able to go ANYWHERE that Argentine Tango
> is danced and dance
> with woman in the room. Again, because learning
> Salon Close embrace will
> teach you all of the elements found in Milonguero.
> It is does not put limits
> on what you can learn.
>
> All the best,
>
> Clint
> clint  @tangoevolution.com
> http://www.tangoevolution.com



		
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