Let's think about the following scenario.
A woman goes in a practice studio. The setting is empty, the floor is wooden and shiny, there is a huge mirror covering one wall and there are holding poles around the room. A very fit Young Woman is standing at the far corner, changing shoes. Woman A approaches Young Woman, in a scouting manner, looking around slowly and with embarrashment. There is awkwardness in the air, the two women look at each other, they measure each other's presence in the room. Woman A is off base. Young Woman asks the question:
"What do you want to learn today?"
****
The scenario could go on and on and a great story could be written, but I'd rather stop here: at the moment before the beginning of a private class. It's the moment when a feel like a rookie again. Standing next to a good dancer, whose technique and movement I've been admiring, I suddenly feel too small and inexperienced. In a moment's time, in my head, I question my skill and my ability and I'm at a loss: What can she teach me today? Which moves, which decorations, what secrets, what movement? There is a sea of knowledge out there and I have to narrow it down to one thing. What can be taught in an hour?
I want to say - "take my body and transform my movement. I want to move like you for just one hour." (I don't want to freak Young Woman out - I don't say this out loud).
Of course, soon after a decision is made; Woman A replies "I have trouble doing this feagure" or "I love the way you do boleos, please tell me what's wrong with mine" or "show me how to do A or B". For me what is practiced is not as much as practicing next to a dancer whose style I admire, seeing how she moves and learning from that.
Yesterday I had a private class with Nayla Vacca at the event we organised at the Uni of Birmingham. I could spend 3 hours talking about all the new things I learnt in an hour with her. But what counts more, for me, is that after the class, when I started dancing in the milonga, I felt more plastic, like there was no tension in my body obscuring my movement. In the milonga I didn't practice what we did in class, yet my dancing has been affected already.
What do you get out of private classes?
Monday, April 21, 2008
private scenarios
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4 comments:
I have only had one private class so far, but what I like is being able to tell the teacher my general goals (being a flexible dancer, a comfortable follower, etc) and then discovering what steps I need to take to get there. To dance with the teacher until we identify something specific to work on. And even though I know I don't retain every little correction, I find myself dancing better in general.
But what counts more, for me, is that after the class, when I started dancing in the milonga, I felt more plastic, like there was no tension in my body obscuring my movement.
That was only because you were dancing with me! ;oP
Out of joke, some workshops are just inspirational. Is not so much what they teach you but the path they show you. Suddendly, with that door opened, a new universe is there, new to you but old to itself.
As far as my experience goes with private classes, sometimes it clicks more than others. I'm glad this one did it for you!
Some teachers do seem to have the ability to implant technique directly into your body rather than into your head don't they?
This is the type of teacher I look for in private classes. The one's that can give you the feeling of the dance rather than a technical analysis that you have to move from your head into your body.
As to the question of what do I get out of a private class, I'm never quite sure until a dance partner comments about something to do with my dance that I realised was worked on in a class.
I hope you have many more classes like that.
Thanks David, I'm still impressed by how much I took from this class with Nayla! I do agree that the ability to pass the feeling of flexible dancing is more important than the technique. Three weeks after the private class though, I realise that my understanding of the technique and it's relationship to musicality has changed and I hope we had such a teacher as a resident teacher here in Birmingham... Because right now, I only have a vage understanding of my technique mistakes!
Moderntanguera, I agree with you. No matter how much one retains from the corrections that occur in a private lesson, in the end, one observes that one dances better!
hurray
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