People keep talking at cross-purposes, but Laurie's coments below point out that things are different for different people, different situations, different levels and different styles. What is necessary for a beginner is insufficient for an intermediate, and doesn't makes sense for an advanced.
Most teachers tend to analyze things teach at THEIR level rather than teaching in layers appropriate for the different levels. And, judging from this list, tango teachers are an analytical, over-educated, over- verbal bunchh RULE-LEAD vs AXIS-LEAD CROSS The "RULE CROSS" (aka after two steps outside...) functions for beginners, but I find it teaches them to count, and that is harder to learn than feeling for what signals the cross. For more experienced people the "RULE" applies in the sense that it is such a common move, she just comes to expect the cross whenever he goes outside. Therefore, the not-cross becomes a critical lead. AXIS: A far better instruction for beginners is to teach lead for the cross using a diagonal shift of the axis, which enables the "in-line" cross and very subtle "right-side crosses" as well as, leading the "not- cross". A new beginner has the precision to lead and not lead crosses with great subtlety. SPIRAL: I'm very much against using the mans' spiral to lead the cross as I find this teaches very gross (if not grotesque) movements with the men over leading and the ladies losing their ability to follow the axis. For me, the spiral is how the man FOLLOWS the cross, not leads it. This is a very luscious connection that feels very connected. However it is an adv-beginner or intermediate skill. Comparing the "RULE CROSS" with the "FOLLOW HIS AXIS CROSS", I find that it takes 30 or 40 minutes for new beginners to learn the RULE- LEAD, and five minutes to learn the AXIS-LEAD. That is 30 minutes lost where they could be learning rhythm or music or lead-follow. Also, the AXIS-LEAD is experiential and intuitive, whereas the RULE- LEAD is mental and analytical. I do everything possible to keep people moving, in their physical bodies, and not thinking too much. I'm in the school of "Lead the cross; Lead the not-cross". This has the advantage that the ladies are taught to wait on the cusp of the decision, so the lead-follow can be more subtle. As followers get better, NUEVO ANALYSIS Gustavo and the others of the nuevo school are very analytical teachers, which is great fun for the teachers in this forum. But, to use the concept of the giro to explain the cross is useless for a beginner. They can hardly stand up, let alone learn ochos, and the giro has to come after ochos. In any case, depending on the situation, the giro is frequently distorted, (the cross is sort of a front ocho, theoretically) so only the curious really care whether the cross is part of the giro, a structured pattern, or an improvised walk. Yeah, it explains a few things, but who cares, really beyond Tango-L arguers? On Aug 26, 2007, at 2:09 AM, [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: > ...In my view (and I'm from the UK not the USA), the lady should > never cross > > automatically. In fact she should never do anything automatically > (unless > > she has been given the 'over to you signal', or has indicated that she > > wishes to do firuletes or something else of her choice). > > > ... On every step, the lady will have no idea what > > is going to come next. She has to wait for a lead. That wait is > commonly > > only a fraction of a second, but it is a wait. > > > ...Of course, with a a lady who walks to the beat (unless > otherwise led) > > and does not cross until it is indicated, there are many more > conversational > > and communicative possibilities. I’d happily discuss on another > occasion the > > many possibilities that getting into and out of the cross present, > but I have > > rabbited on long enough for one posting. > > Laurie (Laurence) > > 24 August 2007 > _______________________________________________ Tango-L mailing list [email protected] http://mailman.mit.edu/mailman/listinfo/tango-l
