A
community project to teach second- and
third-graders the Argentine tango started
in September 20th
at the Watts Learning
Center in South Central Los Angeles.
"I
am very eager for the program to start,"
said Ms. Fisher, the school Principal,
"The kids will benefit from having
a global perspective on music and dance
arts."
"It's
great to just bring this art form to kids
who otherwise would not be learning this
dance" said Tatiana, one of the
volunteer dance teachers.
"The
idea is to let the kids have fun, a kind
of fun very different from what they experience
in everyday America," said Karan
Rasdan, who is organizing the project.
The
benefits are that the kids are more respectful
of each other, especially of the opposite
sex, that they are comfortable dancing
with one another, and that they are sharing
the space with other couples."This
is the only program of its kind in the
United States, that I know of, in which
kids are being taught the Argentine tango."
Rasdan,
a Los Angeles tanguero, or tango dancer,
said the tango program came from his participation
in the Self-Expression and Leadership
Program offered by Landmark Education
in Los Angeles.
"It's
an elegant dance," he said, "one
that engages the kids' artistic abilities,
provides them with yet another outlet
for their emotions and self-expression,
promotes their fitness and creates a community
feeling among them.
"Once they get over their initial
shyness, they take to the rules well,
and enjoy the experience," Karan
noted.
"I
taught the class once about a year ago,
at the request of Sima, a teacher at this
school who I know from church, and I'll
never forgot the experience, how rewarding
it was. So when it came time for a community
project, this idea was the finalist -
something I'm enjoying doing, and something
that involves my passion."
Tango teachers - professionals and amateurs
-- will volunteer their time to teach
a group of about 20 children per class.
Each
teaching couple (a leader and follower
required to dance tango) will commit to
one day. When they arrive at the school,
they consult the tango roster to find
out what the students have been studying
in the last class.
The teachers then start the students off
with the basic steps, and if they can
do the steps taught at the previous class
well, they will teach them the next steps
of the dance, or they will continue practicing
the basics, such as lead-follow in a circle.
After
the classes, the teachers write down on
the roster what they taught so that the
next group of teachers can pick up from
that point on.
The
class will start September 20 at
the elementary school located at 95th
Street and Broadway, and continue every
Monday, from 1:30 p.m. to 2:15 p.m. and
2:20 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.
If
you are a Tanguero or a Tanguera, and
would like to volunteer once a month,
please email karanrasdan@yahoo.com
or call him at 310-895-0583.
