3548  Buenos Aires - Five years later, part 1

Date: Mon, 27 Jun 2005 16:44:23 -0600
From: Tom Stermitz <stermitz@TANGO.ORG>
Subject: Buenos Aires - Five years later, part 1

Just back from a trip to Buenos Aires... my first in five years.

Wish I'd gone back more often, but life intervenes sometimes...


GENERAL IMPRESSIONS

It was nice to visit Buenos Aires in the off season. Weather was
pleasantly cool. In many milongas foreigners added up to only five or
1o people, which is very small out of 200 people. But, we didn't go
to many late night milongas, where more foreigners hang out.

The exchange rate is extremely favorable to a foreigner. Milongas
cost $2 - $3 US dollars. Fine dining costs $25-40 for two including a
nice bottle of wine. Leather jacket costs $90. Renovated apt in the
center might cost $50,000. Met a number of foreigners buying apartments.


DANCE STYLE

We mostly went to afternoon or evening milongas in the center of
town, and to a couple of night milongas, which were only half-full
(Porteno y Bailarin and La Nacional).

The age group in the afternoons tends to be 50s, 60s & 70s, not 20s &
30s.

The dance style in all the milongas we attended was 95% milonguero.

The small amount of non-milonguero-style seemed to come from
foriegners, beginners or local hotshots (teachers?). I would classify
most of what they did as Fantasia. (in his defintion of "tango of the
1940s", Sergio includes ganchos, and boleos, so maybe he would put
some of the dancers we saw in that category). However you want to
name it, we did not attend a single milonga where "open-embrace
social salon tango as taught in the US" was typical.

I'm not saying that the "tango of the 1940s" doesn't exist, I just
didn't see it. Maybe someone can provide a list of milongas where
this style is still practiced.

Likewise we didn't really see much nuevo style. But we didn't go to
milongas with a high percentage of younger people, nor to any
practicas with big open floors.



SKILL LEVEL

I noticed that the level of dance was pretty decent in general, but
lower than five years ago.

The good thing about that is that you see a lot of "regular" people
(as opposed to professional dancers, going out 2 or 3 times a week,
and using tango as a social activity for their own pleasure, not
because they are addicted to the night life, hanging out at the
milongas to pick up dates or hustling for tango students. (Yes you
see some of that as well).

The bad thing about it is that you also see a more lower quality
dancing than five years ago, plus some some really bad dancing. The
couple in the middle of the floor doing wacky open-embrace stage
figures is now just as likely to be an Argentine as a foreigner. Five
years ago, I had the sense that the Argentine men were more hesitant
to step out on the dance floor if their navigational skills were
lacking. These days collisions were common enough.

I guess, like the world over, you get a lot of guys who get to the
point where they feel they are "good enough", rather than commit
themselves to becoming REALLY good. Maybe this is normal, but it is
notable because we have this ideal (myth?) that the generation of the
1940s Tango dancers were so intent on pursuing the utmost skill and
quality in their dance.

Michael Ditkoff should remain assured that if he can dance at a
crowded festival in the US, then he'll do fine in Buenos Aires.


AUTHENTICITY = QUALITY of MUSICALITY, FEELING & EMBRACE

An intermediate foreigner seems to have far more steps than an
intermediate Argentine.

Perhaps the technical skill level in the US & Europe vis a vis Buenos
Aires is more or less equal.

BUT, the musical sensibility, feeling and embrace in Buenos Aires are
something else.

Musicality, Feeling, and Embrace are the qualities that get you first
and repeat dances with the better dancers. The argentine woman REALLY
gives herself up to being led, and the argentine man REALLY puts
effort into dancing the woman.



Tom Stermitz
https://www.tango.org
2525 Birch St
Denver, CO 80207