Teaching of Tango
Almost any Tango teacher worth his salt – be they of the “resident” variety or the travelling maestros – would have (or should have) struggled with these questions at some point in his teaching career: What do I teach to the students? And in what order should I present what I know?
It goes without saying that considerations for a resident teacher who may (or may not) choose to take on the responsibility of helping a community to grow, i.e starting from raw beginners, will be different from the “hit-and-run” strategies of visiting masters, who may be in town for a weekend or two for a festival or intensive workshops.
Tango love
In the most recent Tango Noticias (the site http://www.tangonoticias.com/ seems dead now 1/2011), the newsletter for the Chicago Tango community, there is an interview with Geraldine Rojas and Ezequiel Paludi. When they broke up with their respective dance partners of many years a little more than two years ago, there was quite a big hooha at the time. Now, we finally get a refreshing glimpse of some of the behind-the-scene events from the two main protagonists.
I think, at the end of the day, dancers (Tango teachers or not) are human beings like the rest of us. It is very easy to confuse Tango-god-like status of some teachers and our selfish desire to see beautiful creations on the dancefloor by various couples with the real needs of these people. After reading their take on the events, I am very glad that both of them followed their hearts and found happiness, off and on the dance floor.
The business of Tango
Tango is a social dance form enjoyed by thousands across the world. At the same time, Tango is undoubtedly also an industry which provides a means of living for many. These people may include the Tango show participants, dance schools, the musicians, travelling Tango teachers, and organizers of various sort (milongas, festivals or workshops).
However, in my opinion, more importantly and similar to many businesses in the service industry, Tango is above all a business about relationships. There are, for example, the relationship between performers to their audience, the professional conduct expected of a teacher to his/her students, a certain mutual respect and professionalism between the travelling teachers and local organizers, and social interactions between a milonga host or organizes with the regular dancers like you and me. While it is true that part of this relationship involves financial transactions, the same relationship needs to be built on trust: both parties trusting each other to do the right thing and providing fair value. For example, a student is entitled to professional services upon registering for a class; on the other hand, teachers should receive fair compensation for imparting their skills.
When this relationship breaks down, there is inevitably a very strong sense of betrayal and let-down. Once the trust is broken, it will need incredible efforts to make amends. Sadly, this is what can happen when egos and/or financial gains get in the way. Once the relationship is broken, there can no longer be a viable business. Treat people well, and they will surely return the favour…
Professional teaching
During a recent discussion on Tango-L discussion list, someone offered a very beautiful definition of “absolutely professional teaching“. Here are two points which I personally found very important; full text here
- … prepare their lessons in advance, studying deeply what what they are going to teach and how to transfer their knownledge to the students.
- … treat the students with respect and kindness… As students, we’re all vulnerable… some teachers act as if they were born knowing how to dance, forgetting the fact that to come to a class means to forget our ego by telling other people “I don’t know, please, teach me what you do know, help me”.
Something that all anyone currently teaching Tango or planning to do so should try to aim for, in my opinion.