On Fri, Apr 18, 2008 at 11:08 AM, Jeff Gaynor <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > Joe Grohens wrote: > >> On to another important question. On a side step, should you evert > >> the free foot or not? > >> > >
> The idea is to use your body's kinesthetic sense to tell you where your > feet go. It is better to ask the body what it knows about itself than > ask the person since, as I'm sure you've noticed, many people start to > do funny things when you ask them to consciously move. > The importance of the body's kinesthetic sense is not stressed enough. Dancers walking need to be comfortable with their own bodies. In practice the body often finds the most stable walk for the person's physical characteristics. The instructor's role can be to correct errors that result in imbalance or other physical problems (e.g., pulling or pushing your partner off balance). While there is a place in instruction for detailed description of technique regarding how to place the foot, change weight, etc., I believe it is more important to guide students in recognizing their kinesthetic sense and using the information it provides. We have all seen people walking awkwardly after a technique class. Save this for the most advanced dancers, who have the experience to decide for themselves what applies to them and what does not. Most of the rest need to be comfortable in their bodies dancing first. Ron _______________________________________________ Tango-L mailing list [email protected] http://mailman.mit.edu/mailman/listinfo/tango-l
