A GREAT TANGO TEACHER, by Andreea Trascu
Logic: getting closer to another human being should have some sort of a natural flow, a grace, a common sense
But it doesn’t. Unless we’re 5. So at least this subject should be taught in school. But in general, it isn’t. Then considering only this, tango is (among a lot of other amazing things) the perfect puzzle piece for a healthy, responsible adult. It is for us to enjoy other people, instead of being afraid of them.
I know that for many it may sound sophisticated but the truth is that dancing tango is common sense if we consider ourselves a sophisticated social species. And this is the main thing we should have in mind when talking/teaching social tango: our bible as teachers is common sense. And our biggest challenge is to always remember how to come back to it.
For walking the path of becoming a great tango teacher we are offered three first magic challenges: how to look at each other, how to walk towards each other and how to stand there. How to stand in the - little space between two strangers - moments. And this is it. This is what we are supposed to teach them in their first month. This is what we are supposed to know/learn how to teach them. These three simple actions are our friends, our challenges, our fairies. We can play games, tell stories, create tales around them. The look/walk/stand is our playground for the first month. It is the labyrinth where we can shine as teachers, the stage where our work and insights should dance together and offer goosebumps.
And maybe, if we’re comfortable enough in this labyrinth, our stories are good enough for them and the goosebumps are their companionships in the classes, maybe they will come back next month. Or maybe we will have to present ourselves with more prepared stories or more prepared selves.
Either way, we will have a group of people that will feel a little bit more comfortable about walking towards each other. And that, my friends, is a huge step for…. humanity.
So go and graciously teach people the joy of looking/walking/standing in front of each other and walk the path of becoming a great tango teacher.