How to successfully teach on the social dance floor
08/12/2008 at 4:49 PM
Personally, I do not like
seeing people teach on the social dance floor. I do not do it myself even when
asked. Sometimes I will be dancing and will do something that the follower
might not understand and they might ask me to show it to them. If I feel that
they have the vocabulary to do it and just did not catch it the first time then
my response is to usually try it again and to try and lead it much more clearly
the second time. If I feel that they just don’t have the vocabulary to perform
that move then I just say, "Don’t worry about it. I did not lead it clearly."
Which is not untrue. Someone else very well might be able to lead that move
clearly enough for them to get it. If it needs a brief explanation I might try
to work that in during the pause between songs or during the cortina.
BUT again I
would only do that
if asked by the follower. I would not
ever try to instruct anyone on anything if it was not solicited
by them, period. I never volunteer feedback or comments unless specifically
asked by that person. I just dance with them and dance at their level and enjoy
myself. The dance does not have to be perfect to have a very nice time. True
instruction is for classes, practicas and private lessons, NOT MILONGAS.
Also, I find this very rude behaviour. These people have teachers and have
CHOSEN of their own
free will to accept instruction from their teachers. Who am I to try and force
my teaching onto them? If they wish to learn from me then they can attend my
classes or ask about private lessons and many do.
Some things I would
recommend not doing on the social floor:
1. Don’t hold up the line
of dance trying something new and then try to explain to the follower this new
pattern you just learned. If you can’t lead it then drop it. Patterns are BS and
useless in tango. I hate patterns. I think it is lazy teaching, promotes back
leading and promotes steps over musicality. People who only learn patterns are
generally bad leaders. If you are in a class that is focused on a
particular pattern then realize that you are not there to learn that pattern but
rather to learn the parts of the pattern. You should be learning the pieces and
techniques involved in the pattern not the pattern itself.
2. Don’t hunt out the
pretty young new girls and dance with them for 30 minutes trying to teach them
how to dance tango. Again, they are new and they are probably going to classes
and learning at their speed. If you are not capable of dancing with a new dancer
and giving them a solid dance then don’t ask them to dance and go back to class
yourself and learn how to dance at any level with any follow. This is the
fastest way to run new dancers off is for them to feel trapped by some creepy
old guy at their first or second milonga. AND YES they will pretend like they
appreciate your comments and help and then go put on their shoes leave and never
come back.
3. Don’t block the line of
dance standing still or moving at a snails pace whispering instructions in
your partner’s ear trying to teach her on the social
floor.
So when is teaching
acceptable in a social situation (my opinion obviously):
First and foremost, you and
your partner are friends and it is solicited by them. Then it should be only a
minor concept or technique, nothing that would not take a moment or two to
explain and demonstrate. This could be done between songs or during a cortina.
Prefereably behind the tables or if their is another room or lobby area, etc.
Not on the social floor. Now I must say that I really don’t even do any of this.
I really limit any instruction in a social setting to philosophical discussions
rather than experimentation.
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