1-B Shadow Legs (notes from first session)

[Tommykurtsmith]

These are notes from running these for the first time with my "seed" p2p group. I had 6 intermediate-level students and instructed them to read through the mission then attempt to teach it to their partner, with me answering questions and helping out.

• Most questions and debate about this one, specifically about upper body mirroring. Is the goal to flow the 1-A mirror game into shadowing legs? "6. Show how lower body shadows while upper body mirrors." Is this meant to communicate intention, i.e. upper body comes forward when leg extend backwards? Students debated that upper body shadows in tango via things like contra-body movement, or when a forward/backward step takes place. We could use some clarification on this.

-Goal we settled on "The goal of this exercise is to teach students to extend before moving." Some debate on whether to bring up different technique for forward steps here or in the next mission.

[mitramartin]

Hi @Tommykurtsmith !

Have been exploring ways to simplify this mission. The essence of it is basically:

• Distinguish weight shifts vs side steps - slow motion, "mirroring" legs
• Distinguish standing/free leg: follower shows and leader reads which is free!
• Inviting and extending before stepping - yes, upper bodies move slightly toward each other when invitation lands and as leg extends
• Different ways of stepping: advance, retreat, side, mix it up

Hope this makes sense? Revising the mission to reflect. This is a complex but important mission and the right words will really set the ground for it. Thanks, Mitra