I am running an unofficial survey. It is for Argentine Tango dancers.
Q: How do you define "personal connection" in Argentine Tango?
If you could email or message your definition, it will be greatly appreciated.
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Yesterday, facebook stream brought a disturbing news.
It was about a California-based West Coast Swing (WCS) dance instructor sending inappropriate texts and making sexual advancement to his supposedly student, a 17 years old girl. The parent of the girl involved in the incident stepped forward and disclosed rather nasty details. The police was investigating. More reports indicated that the instructor may be a repeat offender and is likely involved in a rape case of 14 years old girl as well. The WCS-related facebook page is getting attention of WCS community.
Yikes.
I categorized this news as grievous professional misconduct.
A University professor can lose his job by sexual misconduct with his student. Bankers can lose their job by embezzlement. Scientists can lose their reputation and/or job by forging results.
Likewise, a dance instructor should lose his job by making inappropriate sexual advancement.
A common notion is that there are things in an industry that lead you to lose your position if you violate one of them. They are "you do it and you are outta here" things. With a major violation of the industry rule, finding another position in the same industry will be difficult. Punishment is great.
Sometimes these rules are set and published rules, like a University policy. Other times, it is a "common sense among the professionals", and in case of violation judgement call will be made by the people involved in the industry.
Although we tend to believe opinions by many should matter as democracy, in many real cases it is not democracy but Oligocracy, in which only a few people in the industry are in the position to decide. In this case, WCS event directors/organizers, regional associations, and his students are the people to decide how this incident is handled. They should decide whether they allow the instructor to keep teaching WCS or appearing events as an instructor or competitor.
Professional misconduct should have consequences. Otherwise, the industry will lack quality control, will lose trust, respect or relevance, and will corrupt.
If they rule his actions acceptable and give him the second chance, they would be sending a terrible message. They would be saying it is okay to rape a minor, make sexual advancement and send inappropriate texts in this dance community.
Personally I will not deal with a dance instructor with long history of misconducts. Teaching dance is a privilege, and once he abuse the privilege, he should be outta here.
PS
I read some comments on the WCS instructor incident, saying "let's not judge, forgive him and give him a second chance". These are misuse of Christian ideas. When the instructor die, where he go is God business and not for our judgement. But people in an industry have responsibility to make judgement call for the integrity of the industry.
August 17, 2014
August 10, 2014
Life/Science: Ideas are cheap, or are they?
Our bodies eventually die. The biological vehicle that carries each of us will perish and decay in a due time. No body is immortal. I am not very happy about it, but it's a fact, however cold it may seem.
In contrast, ideas can live longer than a person. Teachings by Jesus or Buddha. Philosophies by the ancient Greek or Chinese. Feminism, Patriotism and political right or left. Causes that are worth supporting. Even scientific discoveries. They are all ideas to a mind. Nietzsche is dead, but his ideas still live inside his books, and among minds of people who learned them.
Ideas can be immortal. They can just switch the host like a virus, and live on.
Here, I do not intend to discuss in depth about the purpose of life. It's personal, and it is different for everyone. To the least, it seems most people are aiming at leaving a dent in this world as a proof of his/her life. Let's call the "dent" as his/her purpose of life.
Intentionally or not, each of us has a favorite strategy to "leave a dent". What each of us is "doing" is the favorite strategy. What each of us is doing reflects who we are.
According to a book "Just your type", an MBTI-based relationship guidebook by Tieger and Barron-Tieger, people can be roughly categorized in four categories;
(1) Experiencers/Doers
(2) Traditionalists
(3) Idealists
(4) Conceptualizers
Which one do you (mostly) belong? There can be crossover categories, but you would have your favorite(s), where you (mostly) belong.
And, do you see each category has different stance with the "ideas"?
Doers have more focus on physical, body's aspects than on ideas.
Traditionalists honor and follow existing and established ideas. They submit to the idea of their choice and act to preserve the idea in this world.
Idealists see this existing world as a lacking place for an idea, and try to make the idea real, or spread wider.
Conceptualizers focus on creating ideas.
It may be helpful to know which category you belong and who you are. According to the book authors, it is helpful for your relationship. Hmm, I should have known.
I'll finish this entry with an example of myself. I am a scientist, and have a few ideas that may have an impact on public health by reducing cancer deaths. I am testing the ideas. If the ideas fly, the ideas and the impact may outlive me. When I act as a scientist, I am a conceptualizer (and idealist).
Yet, all scientists know ideas are cheap. For scientists, only ideas that are backed up by results and stand as "real" count. Scientists learned the cheapness of ideas in a hard way in the lab or in the field, where many of their hypotheses (ideas) go unsupported by their own experiments. In the process of science, there is an inherent BS elimination mechanism.
This difference in the stance of handling ideas may be a source for the occasional discordance between religious people (usually traditionalists) and scientists (mostly conceptualizers). Traditionalists don't take their core ideas as cheap. The ideas are off-limits (even infallible) and not a subject of testing, doubting, revising or switching. Scientists do test, doubt, revise and switch ideas.
PS
Comedian/thinker/commentator Bill Maher made a documentary-movie "Religulous" in 2008. No amount of his efforts, eye-rolling and mocking and facts-presentation, is unlikely to sway solidly-"religulous" midwest bikers, unfortunately. It's who they are. Some minds provide particularly good hosts to certain ideas. The combination results in very different people.
The movie was entertaining to me. The differences between Bill Maher and the "religulous" people are deeply character-based. You can see the movie as a comedy or tragedy, depending on how you see it.
In contrast, ideas can live longer than a person. Teachings by Jesus or Buddha. Philosophies by the ancient Greek or Chinese. Feminism, Patriotism and political right or left. Causes that are worth supporting. Even scientific discoveries. They are all ideas to a mind. Nietzsche is dead, but his ideas still live inside his books, and among minds of people who learned them.
Ideas can be immortal. They can just switch the host like a virus, and live on.
Here, I do not intend to discuss in depth about the purpose of life. It's personal, and it is different for everyone. To the least, it seems most people are aiming at leaving a dent in this world as a proof of his/her life. Let's call the "dent" as his/her purpose of life.
Intentionally or not, each of us has a favorite strategy to "leave a dent". What each of us is "doing" is the favorite strategy. What each of us is doing reflects who we are.
According to a book "Just your type", an MBTI-based relationship guidebook by Tieger and Barron-Tieger, people can be roughly categorized in four categories;
(1) Experiencers/Doers
(2) Traditionalists
(3) Idealists
(4) Conceptualizers
Which one do you (mostly) belong? There can be crossover categories, but you would have your favorite(s), where you (mostly) belong.
And, do you see each category has different stance with the "ideas"?
Doers have more focus on physical, body's aspects than on ideas.
Traditionalists honor and follow existing and established ideas. They submit to the idea of their choice and act to preserve the idea in this world.
Idealists see this existing world as a lacking place for an idea, and try to make the idea real, or spread wider.
Conceptualizers focus on creating ideas.
It may be helpful to know which category you belong and who you are. According to the book authors, it is helpful for your relationship. Hmm, I should have known.
I'll finish this entry with an example of myself. I am a scientist, and have a few ideas that may have an impact on public health by reducing cancer deaths. I am testing the ideas. If the ideas fly, the ideas and the impact may outlive me. When I act as a scientist, I am a conceptualizer (and idealist).
Yet, all scientists know ideas are cheap. For scientists, only ideas that are backed up by results and stand as "real" count. Scientists learned the cheapness of ideas in a hard way in the lab or in the field, where many of their hypotheses (ideas) go unsupported by their own experiments. In the process of science, there is an inherent BS elimination mechanism.
This difference in the stance of handling ideas may be a source for the occasional discordance between religious people (usually traditionalists) and scientists (mostly conceptualizers). Traditionalists don't take their core ideas as cheap. The ideas are off-limits (even infallible) and not a subject of testing, doubting, revising or switching. Scientists do test, doubt, revise and switch ideas.
PS
Comedian/thinker/commentator Bill Maher made a documentary-movie "Religulous" in 2008. No amount of his efforts, eye-rolling and mocking and facts-presentation, is unlikely to sway solidly-"religulous" midwest bikers, unfortunately. It's who they are. Some minds provide particularly good hosts to certain ideas. The combination results in very different people.
The movie was entertaining to me. The differences between Bill Maher and the "religulous" people are deeply character-based. You can see the movie as a comedy or tragedy, depending on how you see it.
August 3, 2014
Life: Neighborhood Malfoy kid and Crabbe kid
Today.
There were two neighborhood kids (teenage for sure), taking turns riding a motorcycle, revving loudly and going up and down the unpaved alley facing my backyard every 40 seconds.
They kept coming back and going. Apparently they were having fun with the motorcycle, thinking the alley was their private track.
They were there yesterday, and they came back today. After 20 or so rounds, it got annoying. Also, I did not like a motorcycle coming and going in the alley where my cat sometimes wonder.
One kid looked like overgrown thick kid, like Crabbe kid in Harry Potter. He was the one on the motorcycle when I yelled "hey kid!". When he heard my complaint, he made lame excuses like "the cops said we can ride in the back alley" "we know people around". Duh. You are disturbing and provoking this entire neighborhood, and cops did not mean to permit that. It's not your private motorcycle track. This is a usually-quiet residential area and it's Sunday afternoon when many working people rest at home. You didn't hear the dogs barking at you?
Then quickly stepped in was another, shorter kid. he quickly said, "oh, so you live here?" and signaled the Crabbe kid to leave, then they left without apology. To my eyes, he was the smarter and slicker one, the Malfoy kid.
I heard some revving a few blocks away later on, but they don't seem to be sticking around. Okay, they are gone for now. It's an acceptable outcome. Thanks for your understanding and cooperation.
Kids, go to a park or an open field or somewhere. There are plenty of them in Oklahoma. But this is a residential area. Don't be lazy.
In America, there are many nutcases with guns, who shoot you in the eye when provoked. They are particularly dangerous if they feel it is justified and if the provocation happens around their residence (territory). I personally don't really fancy shooting a person (ok, honest. Not unless I find a stranger inside my home at night). But there might be someone who is itching to make his day in this neighborhood. Let's hope I did a favor for the kids.
What kind of crazy reasoning is this.
I'm originally from Japan where gun control was very strict and the gun-related deaths toll was 724 in 1999. In America, gun-related deaths toll was about 30,000 in 2010, suicide and homicide combined [wikipedia]. I don't intend to get into an argument on gun control in this entry. My point is that there is a difference in these two societies. This gun society certainly requires different ways of thinking.
There were two neighborhood kids (teenage for sure), taking turns riding a motorcycle, revving loudly and going up and down the unpaved alley facing my backyard every 40 seconds.
They kept coming back and going. Apparently they were having fun with the motorcycle, thinking the alley was their private track.
They were there yesterday, and they came back today. After 20 or so rounds, it got annoying. Also, I did not like a motorcycle coming and going in the alley where my cat sometimes wonder.
One kid looked like overgrown thick kid, like Crabbe kid in Harry Potter. He was the one on the motorcycle when I yelled "hey kid!". When he heard my complaint, he made lame excuses like "the cops said we can ride in the back alley" "we know people around". Duh. You are disturbing and provoking this entire neighborhood, and cops did not mean to permit that. It's not your private motorcycle track. This is a usually-quiet residential area and it's Sunday afternoon when many working people rest at home. You didn't hear the dogs barking at you?
Then quickly stepped in was another, shorter kid. he quickly said, "oh, so you live here?" and signaled the Crabbe kid to leave, then they left without apology. To my eyes, he was the smarter and slicker one, the Malfoy kid.
I heard some revving a few blocks away later on, but they don't seem to be sticking around. Okay, they are gone for now. It's an acceptable outcome. Thanks for your understanding and cooperation.
Kids, go to a park or an open field or somewhere. There are plenty of them in Oklahoma. But this is a residential area. Don't be lazy.
In America, there are many nutcases with guns, who shoot you in the eye when provoked. They are particularly dangerous if they feel it is justified and if the provocation happens around their residence (territory). I personally don't really fancy shooting a person (ok, honest. Not unless I find a stranger inside my home at night). But there might be someone who is itching to make his day in this neighborhood. Let's hope I did a favor for the kids.
What kind of crazy reasoning is this.
I'm originally from Japan where gun control was very strict and the gun-related deaths toll was 724 in 1999. In America, gun-related deaths toll was about 30,000 in 2010, suicide and homicide combined [wikipedia]. I don't intend to get into an argument on gun control in this entry. My point is that there is a difference in these two societies. This gun society certainly requires different ways of thinking.
July 28, 2014
Dance: Funky boxing in Salsa dancing
Last Saturday, iDance studio invited a Salsa team from Dallas for workshops, and they performed at the party. They were very good. I enjoyed watching the three couples dancing Stage salsa.
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Once you get used to a dance, it can feel very simple. After all, partner dancing is based on repetitions.
Salsa is among the dances that are easy to start. You may not need to get many patterns to enjoy the dance. Sure, to be really good at it, you got to take your time to smooth out your body usage, and it takes work.
But do you know this? Your enjoyment is not necessarily correlated with how well you dance.
You can have fun at any level, and also you can feel stuck at any level.
Let's say, you feel stuck after some period of dancing salsa. What do you do?
An approach is bring in some other elements from other dances. Salsa is a street dance, and you can do that. Break your boredom. Add little free style in a part of dancing. See how you can entertain your partner by your showboating.
Here is an idea for your showboating. It's from (surprise!), boxing.
In the long history of boxing, there were some unorthodox yet tough champion boxers. They were fascinating as dancers, too.
My favorites are "The Drunken Master" Emanuel Augustus and "Prince" Naseem Hamed.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wvkRpykP6mQ [Emanuel Augustus: 38 (20KO)-34-6]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lLXcgZ84ndk [Naseem Hamed: 36 (32KO)-1-0]
When you get (too) used to watch dancing, many dancing become predictable. Salsa guys dancing salsa. West Coast swing dancers dancing WCS. Tango dancers dance Tango. Okay, what's new?
To bring the newness, (i) you have to be very, very good at it (difficult), or (ii) use something new that creates interest (easier).
In a contest setting, they may restrict how much of "other dance" content can go in to your dance. But I am talking about a party setting. Who cares. Dancers who got more fun win in the party. Dancers who entertain others more win, too. And for a variety, it's good to have a lot of references.
Add some free moves to your street and party dance. It's fun. Followers, when the leader is not asking your hand, you are supposed to dance by yourself in Salsa anyways. And he's got to do something then, too. These are suggestions for extra moves you can pick up for your partner's and viewer's entertainment.
[Disclaimer. These YouTube videos are not mine. All rights belong to creators of the originals.]
[Disclaimer 2. I won't believe anyone is going to attempt to punch his partner after reading this. But to be sure. Don't.]
-----------------------------------------------------
Once you get used to a dance, it can feel very simple. After all, partner dancing is based on repetitions.
Salsa is among the dances that are easy to start. You may not need to get many patterns to enjoy the dance. Sure, to be really good at it, you got to take your time to smooth out your body usage, and it takes work.
But do you know this? Your enjoyment is not necessarily correlated with how well you dance.
You can have fun at any level, and also you can feel stuck at any level.
Let's say, you feel stuck after some period of dancing salsa. What do you do?
An approach is bring in some other elements from other dances. Salsa is a street dance, and you can do that. Break your boredom. Add little free style in a part of dancing. See how you can entertain your partner by your showboating.
Here is an idea for your showboating. It's from (surprise!), boxing.
In the long history of boxing, there were some unorthodox yet tough champion boxers. They were fascinating as dancers, too.
My favorites are "The Drunken Master" Emanuel Augustus and "Prince" Naseem Hamed.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wvkRpykP6mQ [Emanuel Augustus: 38 (20KO)-34-6]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lLXcgZ84ndk [Naseem Hamed: 36 (32KO)-1-0]
When you get (too) used to watch dancing, many dancing become predictable. Salsa guys dancing salsa. West Coast swing dancers dancing WCS. Tango dancers dance Tango. Okay, what's new?
To bring the newness, (i) you have to be very, very good at it (difficult), or (ii) use something new that creates interest (easier).
In a contest setting, they may restrict how much of "other dance" content can go in to your dance. But I am talking about a party setting. Who cares. Dancers who got more fun win in the party. Dancers who entertain others more win, too. And for a variety, it's good to have a lot of references.
Add some free moves to your street and party dance. It's fun. Followers, when the leader is not asking your hand, you are supposed to dance by yourself in Salsa anyways. And he's got to do something then, too. These are suggestions for extra moves you can pick up for your partner's and viewer's entertainment.
"The Drunken Master" Emanuel Augustus
"Prince" Naseem Hamed
[Disclaimer. These YouTube videos are not mine. All rights belong to creators of the originals.]
[Disclaimer 2. I won't believe anyone is going to attempt to punch his partner after reading this. But to be sure. Don't.]
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