Tango is not a religion. Just because somebody important tells me that something is the way it is it doesn’t mean it’s necessarily right.
Challenge!
Filter!
Sheep will always be sheep. And sheep never go anywhere.
Friday, December 28, 2007
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
4 comments:
I so agree with you on this! For beginners in a non-argentine world, tango is a mystery, and fake tango abounds. Explore, research, talk to people who dance the way you want to dance. Don't be a sheep. Tango makes us use brain, instinct, body, and soul. Good advice
Welcome to tangologue Elizabeth (funnily enough I was browsing your arts website just a few minutes ago, before I came here, you've got some nice colours in your still "lives"!).
It's true that beginners believe everything they are told and, to a certain extent, it may be difficult for them to challenge someone who has apparently much more knowledge than them. My "rant" goes to those that having learnt tango for a few years still have sacred cows and do everything they are told without ever thinking "wait a minute, why that?". It may be my scientific mind working (as we in science have to question everything we read) but in the end, when I am dancing, I am dancing a bit of my tango and not somebody else's regurgitated tango. I loved your remark "Tango makes us use brain, instinct, body, and soul." Nothing could be nearer the truth.
I have had few discussions with world acclaimed teachers. Most of the times, they proved me wrong, and I accepted it but there were a few times that I saw them listening to what i was saying and looking to the ceiling thinking it through. And you know what, once a teacher that I truly respect thought over what I asked and said, "yes, you're right!"
PS - I am not saying one should start an argument everytime somebody tells you something. But when something doen't sound right pursue it. It's worth it.
Yes, I started to get a clue when I got totally conflicting information about technique from various visiting teachers. One teacher told me, "Oh, that way of taking the backstep was just a fashion last year" What???? O.K. so now I know, to find my way of doing the move, it fits my body, my style, and does not freak anyone out. Just an example, one of many. We in Seattle have a bunch of workshops every year, lots of visiting major and minor dieties of the tango world. After a while you get wise. The gods come down a notch. They are admirable dancers of course, and since we all want to be good, and to get better, we look at them with a tinge of worship. The trouble is that they are just people with one view. Another thing too is that many of them are very good athletes, something that most of us are not, and will never be. We have to temper our ambitions with a dose of reality maybe? Your scientific approach is good. And Hey, thanks for looking at the website. E
Very good advice! It took me at least a year of dancing to figure this out (and unlearn some other stuff, too).
It's also very wise counsel for just life in general. ;-)
Post a Comment