[TANGO-L] Complex rhythms?

[Robert Hauk <robhauk @TELEPORT.COM>]

Hey everyone,

I meant to post this to the list, and realized reading what Stephen said
that I hed only sent it to him.  This may help to explain what he is
responding to.

Stephen Brown wrote:

> As Rick suggests most instruction puts the emphasis on technically
> advanced steps with little connection to the music or only a rudimentary
> connection to the music.  In many cases, the Argentine instructors take
> knowledge of the music for granted, not realizing that their American
> students do not understand the music.  In addition, the American
> instructors cannot teach what they do not know.  Yet, in advancing in our
> dancing, musicality maybe more essential, than the steps themselves.  I
> feel quite fortunate that Andre Samson taught Susan and me so much about
> moving to tango music.

I don't think any of the argentine teachers take knowledge of the music
for granted.  I think that they don't see their part as a teacher to
teach you how to feel the music.  That is your part as a dancer, and it
isn't something that can be taught.  You discover it while dancing.

I have often wondered what the argentine teachers think of us.  They
teach rooms full of people who have come to learn complex steps.  I
remember one workshop where the teacher was working on a fine point of
how a step worked, it was very interesting to me because the idea had a
lot of application outside the step pattern the guy was teaching.  When
he asked if people wanted to do more of this, the people asking for more
steps drowned those of us who were enjoying what he was doing.  It
seemed like he gave up in frustration, and began teaching some very
complicated steps, steps that only a few of us could do because we had
been paying attention to the technical point earlier.

When you go to a big festival watch the argentine teachers.  They are
teaching complex steps in classes, but what they dance on the social
dance floor is something else.  I have never heard anyone speak up in
class to ask for something like they dance socially.  I am sure they
would be delighted to teach something like that if people seemed to want
it.  Maybe you could get them to talk about their feeling of the music,
and their ideas of improvising with the movement.  I think they have
been frustrated over the years by trying to teach some of this and
having someone interrupt and ask when we are going to get to the steps.

What are teachers to do?  You as students have the biggest work to do,
and a lot of it is not anything a teacher can do for you.  The teacher
can give you tools, and ideas that will help you along your journey.
You have to walk the road yourself though.

Abrazos,

Robert