2730 Tango Research Group: An Invitation
Date: Thu, 2 Sep 2004 14:13:28 -0600
From: Brian Dunn <brian@DANCEOFTHEHEART.COM>
Subject: Tango Research Group: An Invitation
Dear List,
In many different tango conversations, we've heard statements like "there's
so many fascinating questions to answer in tango - somebody should do a
study to get some evidence - there's so many Ph.D. theses in tango - etc."
In recent years, various aspects of the tango cultural experience have in
fact become the subject of academic study. An Electronic Symposium held in
Buenos Aires this past June featured academic papers on tango from many
different disciplines (only in Spanish and Portugese - the link at
www.simposioelectronico.com.ar/tango is down now, unfortunately).
While many of these papers shed interesting light on historical aspects of
tango, some of us are interested in getting some evidence about questions in
the more experiential and psychological aspects of tango: How does it
affect our inner life? our relationship with our partners? our outlook on
the social world around us? What is going on between a couple when they are
in a tango trance? What kind of people are attracted to tango, and why? and
on and on and on...
We know from experience that, in the USA and much of Europe, tango attracts
an educated crowd, many of whom are comfortable with research protocols and
procedures as part of their professional callings. While many of you may
see tango as a sweet escape from concern with such quantitative
considerations as research (i.e., no FLAMES please - we won't respond), I
bet SOME of you, like us, are intrigued with quantitative, replicable
evidence in support of answers to questions like these.
We ourselves have begun a study in association with a graduate student at
Naropa University in Boulder to begin to answer some of these kinds of
questions. The first such study got underway last night, and should wrap up
by the end of September.
We are donating our time to this effort because we would like to form a
group of people interested in pursuing these qeustions within their own
tango communities. By identifying interested people who can serve as the
facilitators for particular studies in their area, we hope to avoid
unnecessary duplication of effort while also managing to verify each other's
work whenever possible and convenient. Most importantly, we want to start a
conversation among these people about the best way to proceed, so that we
can agree on some things like protocols and procedures in general terms. We
hope to provide a clearinghouse function, and eventually sponsor some
conferences here in Colorado.
Tango has so many different dimensions, and involves so many aspects of our
inner and outer lives - we are very excited to follow up on this
longstanding vision of tango research. We have received expressions of
interest and support for this effort from some very high-level academicians.
Please e-mail us if your are interested in being part of such a group. We
are especially interested in people with backgrounds in research psychology
that would have access to well-accepted testing procedures through their
current academic connections. But if the idea is exciting to you on any
level, please contact us! Let's see what we can do together.
All the best,
Brian Dunn and Deborah Sclar
Dance of the Heart
Boulder, Colorado USA
www.danceoftheheart.com
Date: Thu, 2 Sep 2004 14:10:30 -0700
From: Carlos Lima <amilsolrac@YAHOO.COM>
Subject: Tango Research Group: An Invitation
Hi, Deb & Brian,
Even though I am not offering to participate, I am so glad you are doing
this, and would be most interested in following up on the results of such
efforts -- as well as any others of the same ilk that you may be able to tell
me about. I would love to see this sort of thing advertised on the list,
perhaps as a substitute for our frequent bouts of suspect "magister-dixism"
:) ;) :)
By the way, I am a (graduate school) alumnus of CU, Boulder, and I am glad
that academic interest in tango has developed in one of my "Alma Maters" ...
A happy surprise.
Cheers,
Date: Fri, 14 Apr 2006 14:05:57 -0400
From: rtara <rtara@MAINE.RR.COM>
Subject: Research
Hi everyone,
I'm doing some research on tango shoes from the thirties and forties.
I wonder if anyone has old photos, catalogs, or actual shoes from this era.
I would prefer items that show a date from those years.
Thanks so much,
Robin
Tara Design, Inc.
www.taratangoshoes.com
Toll Free in US: 1-877-906-8272
18 Stillman St.
So. Portland ME 04106
207-741-2992--
Date: Tue, 6 May 2008 10:30:21 -0400
From: "Bryan De Valdivia" <devaldivia@gmail.com>
Subject: [Tango-L] Tango Research
To: tango-l@mit.edu
<ee62b11a0805060730j2620f28eg35272bc5b0c625b3@mail.gmail.com>
Hi all,
My name is Bryan and after the generous and cooperative experience of
Stone Soup this past weekend I'd like to open up a project I've been
working on.
I've been experimenting with wireless pressure sensors that record and
transmit real time data on where/how much pressure is applied to the
floor via the human foot while standing, embracing, walking, and
dancing tango. I'm out in to boonies so up until now I've only been
able to experiment with beginners, but will be able to work with
int/adv dancers this July-October.
My question is this:
If you could know where your/your partner's/your student's weight is
located at any point in the dance- what would you want to know, why,
and how would you use it?
I have several strains of research that I'm pursuing ( I mean this
loosely, I'm a tango teacher and have sports experience, but I'm not a
Kinesiologist), but as I don't have unlimited time to pursue
everything I thought I'd ask and see what other ideas people have and
get better work done.
In exchange for your experimental questions/designs- I'd be more than
happy to share results.
If interested, please shoot me an email. No offense, but I tend to
stay away from Tango-L because of the drama :)
thanks,
b.
Date: Wed, 7 May 2008 11:14:55 -0400
From: Michael <tangomaniac@cavtel.net>
Subject: Re: [Tango-L] Tango Research
To: "Bryan De Valdivia" <devaldivia@gmail.com>
Cc: Michael Ditkoff <tangomaniac@cavtel.net>, tango-l@mit.edu
<13176a380805070814u70b814fcy74f60cd1fcff74f9@mail.gmail.com>
On 5/6/08, Bryan De Valdivia <devaldivia@gmail.com> wrote:
>
> Hi all,
>
> My question is this:
> If you could know where your/your partner's/your student's weight is
> located at any point in the dance- what would you want to know, why,
> and how would you use it?
>
> b.
Bryan:
I need to know which foot is free (has no weight on it). For example, some
women go into the cross but DON"T put weight on the left foot. I need to
know so I don't lead her to step with her right foot, which is the support
foot. I like to forward ochos (I'm moving backwards, but WITH the line of
dance (LOD). I stop the ochos with my frame. Sometimes, the woman will
continue to pivot and step forward, right into me. I need to know when she
has stopped moving.
Michael Ditkoff
Washington, DC
Going to the New York All Night Milonga Saturday
>
