Tommykurtsmith
commented
7 years ago To me, this mission isn't about variation or improvisation. I think its purpose is to show the student how the basic elements can be linked together...thus far they've only been doing them in isolation.
This seems like a pivotal mission to show the student that Tango at its core is simply a few basic steps (side, forward, ocho, and cross) creatively improvised into a choreography.
-> The mission description should call this out.
This mission can be taught very simplistic: left, forward, cross, back - hey, we are done. Or it can be taught for the duration of 10 missions because there is so much depth possible. The many and varied notes make this mission hard to comprehend quickly as a mentor. Plus, they leave a lot of possibilities on how and what to teach open.
-> Is there a away to make this a more focused mission?
Note: In high school math in Germany, there is a specific topic, where the math teachers comes to school wearing a suit. It's because the particular math topic is very pivotal in math and casts everything that has been taught so far in a new light. At the time, I did not see why the topic was such a big deal. Yet, I remember how serious the math teacher took wearing the suit for that days. Days before he told us about wearing the suit.
The moment when a student learns that Tango is unlike other dances with patterns to learn but essentially basic movement patterns combined in a million ways, it fundamentally changes once perception of the dance.
Maybe, it's only my view. It seemed like it might add to the experience to have some social mark like the suit for this moment. And the mission might call out why this is so pivotal. Perhaps, a suit is not practical because teaching students don't know in advance that they'll teach this mission. Maybe, there is a gesture or something to commemorate this moment.