Good times bad times

[Peaches]

This is beating a dead [thread] but...  *breathes huge freakin' sigh of relief!*  OMG, I thought I was the only one having those thoughts regarding what had been happening on D-F earlier this year.  I'm not crazy!!!

[QPO]

yes. I think those that have never tried someones else's style can be flippant at times. but each one has its pros and cons and you need to be in a place where you feel comfortable.

For me it is ballroom and new vouge..others it will be Latin or Rock'n'roll or AT..just keep moving moving

[MusicChica]

That said, during the class prior to the open dancing, the teacher said something that I found vaguely offensive as a ballroom dancer.  She was talking about AT close embrace and how AT is danced grounded into the floor.  Then, she approximated a (very bad) ballroom hold and said, "And this is in contrast to ballroom tango, which is danced very high and you ignore your partner."  Now, I would hope that you more educated AT dancers realize that ballroom tango is neither of those things--it's danced very low into the floor, the knees are actually bent the whole time, and while you don't look at your partner, you're hardly ignoring them.  In fact, the connection with your partner is paramount.  And besides, in a true AT close embrace, you don't look at your partner either!

So my question is, is this a common attitude amongst AT dancers, this misguided information about ballroom tango?

LOL. 

I'm sorry, I just have to laugh.  Yeah, I've found this to be pretty common amongst AT dancers.  It's the same exact inverse of ballroom dancers who think they know AT just because they can throw together a few figures. 

Well, that's certainly not this ballroom dancer's view of "knowing" AT!  I fully realize I don't know jack-crap about the dance and should probably leave it to those better suited to it, LOL...

[Peaches]

I don't think it's being flippant, so much as seeing the illusion without understanding what's going on to make it happen.  It happens with AT dancers wrt ballroom (a parody of being up on toes, not connected to the partner, with a parody of a frame), and it happens with ballroom dancers wrt AT (looking at floor, shuffling around, bad posture, random boleos thrown in everywhere). 

*shrug*

So long as the person isn't performing or teaching...whatever.  Unfortunately, there are plenty of people who do think they can teach what they don't know...because they never humble themselves enough to realize they don't know something.

[elisedance]

wow, yes indeed. And thats true in absolutely everything. 

My favorite is the american woman who was trying to teach me what an English Cream Tea is (er, tea with cream in it (yeuch))...

[Bordertangoman]

wow, yes indeed. And thats true in absolutely everything. 

My favorite is the american woman who was trying to teach me what an English Cream Tea is (er, tea with cream in it (yeuch))...

you've never had a coffee in Ireland: delicious cream on top of the cheapest instant coffee!

yeurch indeed

[elisedance]

yeurch - until they put the irish whiskey in

[TangoDancer]

....so much as seeing the illusion without understanding what's going on to make it happen.  It happens with AT dancers wrt ballroom

Unfortunately, there are plenty of people who do think they can teach what they don't know...because they never humble themselves enough to realize they don't know something.

So, incredibly true! It is amazing how many persons do not realize that;
1. dance is all an illusion, and if you are busy trying to do what you 'believe' is happening, then you are missing all of what really is. And,
2. partnership dance is exactly that, and if you stop to remember all of the things necessary w/i your own movement, plus the outside stimuli of partner/music/space, you will not have time or desire to try to find these things in your partner, let asidse havng the nerve to criticize or teach.