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What shall we do after the first ten classes?
In these basics, we have seen content including necessary concepts to manage on the dancing floor and to learn future figures. However, it does not mean that every concept has been assimilated yet. In fact, the leader still has to learn to walk gracefully, to find comfort of his arm, to adjust it to every partner he dances with, to control his steps and to gain his position at the right moment. The follower has to become regular in round displacements and to connect movements, which will give it smoothness for the figures.
Actually, students need practice in everything. But we do have plenty of material to work with. And through it, by its understanding and control, we will promote other aspects of dancing that we have not been able to deal in depth before.
It is too much content for students’ minds, especially for leaders. They are likely to get desperate in some circumstances with so much information to assimilate. Here comes the teacher’s crucial hand to maintain the balance in class, using methodological strategies where this content can be applied, attracting students’ attention without overstressing them with repetition, and trying to round up ideas regarding dancing.
-Comprise half-beat in content where it is possible.
-Combinations of figures and displacements.
-Encouragement for more creativity in students to add new combinations: new combinations should be varied and include figures of the two learnt systems, with one more displacement. This is sometimes very hard for one student, so I suggest their doing it in groups.
-Every figure or displacement has two or three direct variations and lead to other concepts. For instance, in left leg sacadas, after a third sacada, the leader exits by the follower's side until reaching a cruzada. However, if in a third sacada the leader freezes the movement at the exact point when the right leg touches the follower's left leg, there is a foot “catching” effect. Then, the follower has to grasp what the leader's shoulder line wants at that moment: if it goes forwards, it means that it has to go backwards with the left leg. If the leader stops, the follower stays still between two support points waiting for a leader's new proposal. The new visual effect achieved by legs and feet is a consequence of bodies understanding each other. These variations help to understand this game a little more.
-Starting teaching Milonga.
-Learning new figures, which require learning other basics because of their variety.
-Learning of Tango-Vals.