I have heard a lot about Steve Morrall. I've heard good things about his dancing, teaching methods and about his bandoneon playing skills. Unfortunately, I have never met him but given that he is not that far from me, I soon will.
I didn't write this post to talk about Steve but to praise him for the latest of his actions. His well known Tango Tangk events are aimed at intermediate/advanced dancers and once every often he invites a couple of professional teachers to share their tango knowledge. As it happens everywhere, there are always those people that think they are 10x times better than they really are. And those people ruin workshops because the minority of people that SHOULD be in that class end up by having yet another improver class, as the teachers soon realise that they have to lower the level in order to get anywhere.
So Steve announced that he will not accept inscriptions from people that are not up to the level. He did it in a very curious way, and I will transcribe the words from his site:
"A dear friend and music maestro once told me "people seem to have forgotten how to humble themselves to a learning process". I have been reminded of his comments as we implement a specific level of technique for dancers wanting to attend a Tango Tangk.
Most dancers accept and trust our decision about their ability, but some react as though we have insulted or humiliated them. Humility and effective learning go hand in hand, and sadly, dancers who have not yet made this connection compromise their ability to improve their dance."
So, Steve, if you read this, well done! I am sure Jenny and Ricardo will thank you endlessly!
Friday, October 24, 2008
Raising the bar
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
7 comments:
This is SO profound. So much so that with your blessing (I hope), I will spread the Wisdom of Steve on my blog as well.
Hi Johanna:
Thanks for helping to spread the word. And the way you put it in your blog is quite nice, thanks for that.
I don't know how it is over there but in the UK we have this kind of events that organisers want to do three or four workshops and shove as many people as possible in them. So what happens is that you get people that should be only in the beginner's lesson doing intermediate lessons and obviously, getting little more than nothing from it.
In fact, when I organised an event last July, I was quite unmoved when people I thought shouldn't be there wanted to go for more skilled lessons. I took a gamble, some of them were my students and I could lose them. But what happened is that respected my opinion and did not complain too much about it. I still don't know if they feel the same about it as I do but I think it was better for them.
I have a text coming on how taking a lesson that is not for your level can actually be worse than using your time visiting the local amenities...
It's a complex problem, KR. Organizers and teachers are also part of the problem. When the bottom line is to "shove as many people as possible" into an event, then you get crap all around.
I think it's the same everywhere. Greed and impatience make for a very destructive partnership.
Hi KR, thanks for the post and Steve's very nice way of putting it. Looking forward to your future post "taking a lesson that is not for your level can actually be worse than using your time visiting the local amenities..."
Reading your post I remembered about when I started a few years back and how in retrospect so many times I participated in a class that actually set me back in my development for being way above my level and experience.
I also think many people have forgotten that being treated with respect also could mean being treated with honesty and that may implies accepting that one is not quite there yet...
HI mathieu.
That post in on the forge, more in my mind than in the computer. But by what you say, I can see you'll find it very familiar!
And, yes, I think "waking people up and making them smell the coffee" is also a form of teaching. Certainly, keeping them in the world of ignorance is not going to help...
Hi KR, thanks for your post and vote of confidence which I find hugely encouraging after a very difficult transition period of 'raising the bar' at the Tango Tangk.
Jenny and Ricardo did indeed acknowledge the change in the common standard the group demonstrated at this last Tangk and commented on the positive effects it had on the class dynamics.
Due to a number of reasons, we ran the event at 80% capacity. It would have been so easy to cave in to economics and 'top up' the last 20% with 'below the bar' dancers.
Having experienced many workshops and classes in the past that failed to deliver the advertised standard, Debbie and I believe we are making an investment in the future by establishing a learning environment that dancers in the UK can trust will deliver 'exactly what it says on the tin.'
Regards, Steve
Hi Steve, you're on the right track. I am sure that those 20% lost on the first session will be compensated by proper intermediate tangueros finding out that there is actually a workshop for their level and rushing in to Tango Tangk!
And definitely good to see you around here!
Post a Comment