4747 Tango World Championship
Date: Tue, 20 Feb 2007 18:33:33 +1000
From: John Lowry <john@lowry.com.au>
Subject: [Tango-L] Tango World Championship
To: tango-l@mit.edu
Is there a reason that not one couple from North America (US or
Canada) was represented in either the social or performance
categories of the "Mundial" in Buenos Aires in 2006?
Date: Tue, 20 Feb 2007 12:43:54 +0900
From: "astrid" <astrid@ruby.plala.or.jp>
Subject: Re: [Tango-L] Tango World Championship
To: <tango-l@mit.edu>, "John Lowry" <john@lowry.com.au>
For people to join, they either have to win the local champoinships (like
the "Asia tango championships" in Tokyo) or apply directly. From Japan, a
lot of dancers participated in BA.
My personal interpretation is that many American dancers see no reason to
compete with Argentines. Would be happy to be told otherwise.
> Is there a reason that not one couple from North America (US or
> Canada) was represented in either the social or performance
> categories of the "Mundial" in Buenos Aires in 2006?
Date: Tue, 20 Feb 2007 15:36:52 +1100
From: "june es" <esjune@hotmail.com>
Subject: [Tango-L] Tango World Championship
To: tango-l@mit.edu
Hi John
I asked this very question last August and received the answer in Albert's
post:
https://mailman.mit.edu/pipermail/tango-l/2006-August/001931.html
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Date: Tue, 20 Feb 2007 14:03:18 +0900
From: "astrid" <astrid@ruby.plala.or.jp>
Subject: Re: [Tango-L] Tango World Championship
To: "june es" <esjune@hotmail.com>, <tango-l@mit.edu>
>>From the outside, Japan would seem a much more unlikely country to
participate in the mundial than the US. From here it is a 36 hour flight to
BA, with two transfers in the US usually (West Coast and East coast or
Houston), and there are not many Japanese who speak Spanish or even fluent
English either. But many of the local teachers participated in the
organisation. They either competed themselves or functioned as judges or
hosts etc. in the Asia championships, the judges who came over from
Argentina were Sergio Cortazzo and Gachi Fernandes, and maybe the Rivarolas,
all dancers who have been to Tokyo many times before and would be able to do
lots of other things while they are here, and then the teachers either went
as couple to BA if they were Japanese, or, in case if the Argentine studio,
they paired some of their students (often teachers of other dances or
movements themselves) with some of their young teaching assistents from
Argentina. All of this seems to have worked quite well, as almost everybody
>from Tokyo made it into the second round, and some to the semifinals, and we
had several winning couples (the combined ones ) who ranked place 3, 4 and 5
(place 4 in 2005, place 3 and 5 in 2006). I believe that place 2 this year
was a couple from Hyogo, Japan, who I don't know personally. 3 years ago a
couple from Korea won the Mundial and they danced in Tokyo at our milonga on
their way back to Seoul.
The only thing that is still lacking here is, I wish we had teachers who
prepare us for the salon tango competition...
Astrid
Sent: Tuesday, February 20, 2007 1:36 PM
Subject: [Tango-L] Tango World Championship
> Hi John
> I asked this very question last August and received the answer in Albert's
> post:
> https://mailman.mit.edu/pipermail/tango-l/2006-August/001931.html
>
> Advertisement: 50% off on Xbox 360, PS and Nintendo Wii titles!
> https://www.play-asia.com/SOap-23-83-4lab-71-bn-49-en-84-k-40-extended.html
>
Date: Tue, 20 Feb 2007 07:32:22 -0800 (PST)
From: "Trini y Sean (PATangoS)" <patangos@yahoo.com>
Subject: Re: [Tango-L] Tango World Championship
It could also be that the geographical size of the U.S. is
so big compared with other countries (a day just to cross
Texas) that it would take lots and lots of advertising to
attract people to any competition. I think people are more
aware of what's only happening in their local or regional
areas, except for established events such as the Portland
and Denver fests.
Trini de Pittsburgh
--- june es <esjune@hotmail.com> wrote:
> Hi John
> I asked this very question last August and received the
> answer in Albert's
> post:
>
https://mailman.mit.edu/pipermail/tango-l/2006-August/001931.html
>
>
> Advertisement: 50% off on Xbox 360, PS and Nintendo Wii
> titles!
>
https://www.play-asia.com/SOap-23-83-4lab-71-bn-49-en-84-k-40-extended.html
>
>
PATangoS - Pittsburgh Argentine Tango Society
Our Mission: To make Argentine Tango Pittsburgh's most popular social dance.
https://patangos.home.comcast.net/
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Date: Wed, 21 Feb 2007 00:40:39 +0900
From: "astrid" <astrid@ruby.plala.or.jp>
Subject: Re: [Tango-L] Tango World Championship
To: "Trini y Sean \(PATangoS\)" <patangos@yahoo.com>, "Tango-L"
I always thought that Japan is much more a village society and an "island
nation" than many other countries, but even in Japan, we have several
websites for tango announcements, even if people are not as good at using
the internet as the Americans yet...
----- Original Message -----
From: "Trini y Sean (PATangoS)" <patangos@yahoo.com>
Sent: Wednesday, February 21, 2007 12:32 AM
Subject: Re: [Tango-L] Tango World Championship
> It could also be that the geographical size of the U.S. is
> so big compared with other countries (a day just to cross
> Texas) that it would take lots and lots of advertising to
> attract people to any competition. I think people are more
> aware of what's only happening in their local or regional
> areas, except for established events such as the Portland
> and Denver fests.
>
> Trini de Pittsburgh
>
> --- june es <esjune@hotmail.com> wrote:
>
> > Hi John
> > I asked this very question last August and received the
> > answer in Albert's
> > post:
> >
> https://mailman.mit.edu/pipermail/tango-l/2006-August/001931.html
> >
> >
> > Advertisement: 50% off on Xbox 360, PS and Nintendo Wii
> > titles!
> >
> https://www.play-asia.com/SOap-23-83-4lab-71-bn-49-en-84-k-40-extended.html
> >
> >
>
>
> PATangoS - Pittsburgh Argentine Tango Society
> Our Mission: To make Argentine Tango Pittsburgh's most popular social
dance.
> https://patangos.home.comcast.net/
>
>
>
>
>
________
> Never miss an email again!
> Yahoo! Toolbar alerts you the instant new Mail arrives.
Date: Tue, 20 Feb 2007 08:03:29 -0800 (PST)
From: NANCY <ningle_2000@yahoo.com>
Subject: Re: [Tango-L] Tango World Championship
There have been preliminary rounds in the US. In
Miami only three couples competed a few years ago and
the third couple did it only at the behest of the
organizer. I would have to say that the consensus
among the dancers was that such a competition is just
purely silly. I have said it here before: How does
one judge how something feels?
Is there a contest for best ballet dancer? For best
artist? For best sexual performance? No. Why not?
Yes, there are competitions in ballroom dancing. I
have been in them. They are jokes. Many points are
awarded for dress, appearance, etc. Judges favor
those couples they have been paid to 'coach'.
Teachers who bring many students are given favorable
markings.
Surley we have all had the experience of watching
someone on the dance floor and thought, "oh, what a
good dancer he/she is" only to later dance with that
person and realize they are really not good dancers
for a variety of reasons. There is a couple currently
teaching in the US and performing and competing. I
danced with the leader. He doesn't lead. But she
does according to the men who dance with her.
Nancy
off to Atlanta for some great tango
<<Rito es la danza en tu vida
y el tango que tu amas
te quema en su llama>>
de: Bailarina de tango
por: Horacio Sanguinetti
Get your own web address.
Date: Tue, 20 Feb 2007 11:08:12 -0600
From: "Lois Donnay" <donnay@donnay.net>
Subject: Re: [Tango-L] Tango World Championship
When I explain the differences between Argentine tango and ballroom tango to
my students, one of the things that I say is that in ballroom, you dance for
the crowd, in tango, you dance for your partner.
I've also heard it said in Argentina, that the only person who can judge
your tango is your partner.
Lois Donnay
Minneapolis, MN
-----Original Message-----
From: NANCY [mailto:ningle_2000@yahoo.com]
Sent: Tuesday, February 20, 2007 10:03 AM
To: tango-l
Subject: Re: [Tango-L] Tango World Championship
There have been preliminary rounds in the US. In
Miami only three couples competed a few years ago and
the third couple did it only at the behest of the
organizer. I would have to say that the consensus
among the dancers was that such a competition is just
purely silly. I have said it here before: How does
one judge how something feels?
Is there a contest for best ballet dancer? For best
artist? For best sexual performance? No. Why not?
Yes, there are competitions in ballroom dancing. I
have been in them. They are jokes. Many points are
awarded for dress, appearance, etc. Judges favor
those couples they have been paid to 'coach'.
Teachers who bring many students are given favorable
markings.
Surley we have all had the experience of watching
someone on the dance floor and thought, "oh, what a
good dancer he/she is" only to later dance with that
person and realize they are really not good dancers
for a variety of reasons. There is a couple currently
teaching in the US and performing and competing. I
danced with the leader. He doesn't lead. But she
does according to the men who dance with her.
Nancy
off to Atlanta for some great tango
<<Rito es la danza en tu vida
y el tango que tu amas
te quema en su llama>>
de: Bailarina de tango
por: Horacio Sanguinetti
Date: Tue, 20 Feb 2007 10:53:20 -0700 (MST)
From: Huck Kennedy <huck@eninet.eas.asu.edu>
Subject: Re: [Tango-L] Tango World Championship
To: tango-l@mit.edu
John Lowry <john@lowry.com.au> writes:
> Is there a reason that not one couple from North America
> (US or Canada) was represented in either the social or
> performance categories of the "Mundial" in Buenos Aires
> in 2006?
I agree with Nancy and Lois on this.
You want to know why there was not one couple from
North America, John? Oh, I dunno, maybe the fact that
so many of us are disgusted with the way over-emphasis
on competition has ruined ballroom dancing in America
by turning it from primarily a social dance into
a trained-seal spectacle filled with thinly-veiled
favoritism, petty jealousies, and greedy profiteering?
And maybe because we thank our lucky stars everyday that
we've found a haven, within Argentine tango, away from
all that crap, a haven where the prize isn't some sports
trophy given to the best cookie-cutter imitation of
a caricaturized "standard" that some inbred judging
cartel has deemed to be "the" way to dress and dance,
but rather having a desired dance partner not avert your
cabeceo gaze at a milonga?
When it comes to whoring, sir, we Americans in
Argentine tango prefer the honesty of the neighborhood
brothel of tango's roots to this glitzily-veneered,
supposedly sophisticated alternative you would offer us,
like so much fool's gold.
Huck
Date: Tue, 20 Feb 2007 09:53:52 -0800
From: m i l e s <miles@tangobliss.com>
Subject: Re: [Tango-L] Tango World Championship
To: tango-l@mit.edu
All,
Lois Donnay wrote:
>I've also heard it said in Argentina, that the only person who can
judge
>your tango is your partner.
Nancy Wrote:
>How does one judge how something feels?
I'm hearing a concurrent theme here and I agree.
I think the idea of an Argentine Tango Competition is absolute
ridiculousness!
Nancy said it best above....but it bears repeating...why bother with
this kind of foolishness.
I can understand a novice on the outside looking in, that hasn't
danced argentine tango will jump to the conclusion that there
*SHOULD* be a competition for Argentine Tango. Until they dance the
dance with a partner and then its a whole different animal! And then
they're hooked, an addiction for which there is no cure except more
of the addiction....
I recently had the experience of explaining to a new friend why I was
dancing so much, and her immediate response was "are you tuning up
for a competition ?". I laughed. And she asked what was so funny.
I replied that in Argentine Tango the only competition that you have
is with yourself and its to get better, and that's part of the
addiction.
Having said that I have to preface my commentary above with not
having looked at the website for the competition or even having
investigated it further because it sounds just so ridiculous.
How do you judge how something feels ? You do, and I believe a
committee can't. Its not impossible but lets just say improbable.
How about we kill this thread and move onto something else as equally
inane, such as Argentine Underwater Tango. Or my personal favorite,
"Nailbitting for the Argentine Tango Dancer, A Historical
Retrospective", replete with director commentary and a full 2 hours
of never before seen Video....
Argentine Tango COMPETITION ? Paaaaah-lease.
M i l e s.
Date: Tue, 20 Feb 2007 14:05:20 -0800 (PST)
From: "Trini y Sean (PATangoS)" <patangos@yahoo.com>
Subject: Re: [Tango-L] Tango World Championship
Out of sight, out of mind.
It's actually word-of-mouth that is most effective at
getting people out and about, moreso than websites. Around
here, websites are used for reference but it is definitely
word-of-mouth that people rely on for their
decision-making.
So if preliminary rounds in Miami are held a 20 hour drive
>from where I live in Pennsylvania, I am not going to hear
about it because I do not really care about what happens in
Miami. If preliminary rounds were in DC, which is only 4
hours away (and very little tango between Pgh and DC), I
may hear about it. This is where size matters.
Trini
--- astrid <astrid@ruby.plala.or.jp> wrote:
> I always thought that Japan is much more a village
> society and an "island
> nation" than many other countries, but even in Japan, we
> have several
> websites for tango announcements, even if people are not
> as good at using
> the internet as the Americans yet...
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Trini y Sean (PATangoS)" <patangos@yahoo.com>
> Sent: Wednesday, February 21, 2007 12:32 AM
> Subject: Re: [Tango-L] Tango World Championship
>
>
> > It could also be that the geographical size of the U.S.
> is
> > so big compared with other countries (a day just to
> cross
> > Texas) that it would take lots and lots of advertising
> to
> > attract people to any competition. I think people are
> more
> > aware of what's only happening in their local or
> regional
> > areas, except for established events such as the
> Portland
> > and Denver fests.
> >
> > Trini de Pittsburgh
> >
> > --- june es <esjune@hotmail.com> wrote:
> >
> > > Hi John
> > > I asked this very question last August and received
> the
> > > answer in Albert's
> > > post:
> > >
> >
>
https://mailman.mit.edu/pipermail/tango-l/2006-August/001931.html
> > >
> > >
> >
>
PATangoS - Pittsburgh Argentine Tango Society
Our Mission: To make Argentine Tango Pittsburgh's most popular social dance.
https://patangos.home.comcast.net/
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Date: Wed, 21 Feb 2007 10:01:45 +1100
From: "june es" <esjune@hotmail.com>
Subject: [Tango-L] Tango World Championship - judging
>How does one judge how something feels?
Well, one can tell if someone is feeling sad or happy, or simply a great
actor projecting such feelings. Dancing to me is like acting and the feeling
is projected through our body in response to the stimulus of the music.
And judging is an art in itself. I admire judges on shows such as "So you
think you can dance", and "Dancing with the Stars". I admire the skill of
judging - when judges offer their feedback to the competing dancers I am
amazed by what they see that I could not.
I have attempted to develop my own "judging" skill by visually assessing the
competitors' performance myself and then comparing my personal assessment
with that of the professional judges. Perhaps this is how you can develop
the same skill.
Occasionally, I have tested my visual assessment in practice by leading a
partner who I have assessed to be a good follower. I do believe that many
leaders have the ability to assess a potential partner.
I shall be interested to hear from others.
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Date: Wed, 21 Feb 2007 01:16 +0000 (GMT Standard Time)
From: "Chris, UK" <tl2@chrisjj.com>
Subject: Re: [Tango-L] Tango World Championship
Cc: tl2@chrisjj.com
Trini wrote
> It could also be that the geographical size of the U.S. is
> so big compared with other countries
Can't be, since clearly calling each state a country would not change
things.
> if preliminary rounds in Miami are held a 20 hour drive from where
> I live in Pennsylvania, I am not going to hear about it because I
> do not really care about what happens in Miami.
Ah, now "do not care" is a better explanation. When dancers are aren't
close enough to care about each other, you don't get a tango community.
You get a group that is mistaken for a community only by its 'tango
community leaders'.
Chris
PS Tom asked:
> When did tango start in London? When did it start outside of London?
> Is there tango in Slough?
a) 1913. b) Around 1860. c) Probably depends what you mean by "tango".. ;)
PPS Huck wrote
> the English Channel is there for a reason, to wit, to keep off the
> continent (or at least stem the tide of) Brit wankers like you, whose
> idea of culture is cracking a beer bottle over the head of anyone
> whose football blouse is a different color than his own.
Now Huck that's not true. The Channel was built by the English to fend off
the cultural depravity of the continent, tango included. And it would have
worked too, if a distracting war with the Argentines hadn't given the
sneaky French the chance to dig a tunnel...
;)
Date: Wed, 21 Feb 2007 12:01:54 +0900
From: "astrid" <astrid@ruby.plala.or.jp>
Subject: Re: [Tango-L] Tango World Championship - judging
> I have attempted to develop my own "judging" skill by visually assessing
the
> competitors' performance myself and then comparing my personal assessment
> with that of the professional judges. Perhaps this is how you can develop
> the same skill.
>
Yeah, but what do you do when the judges are corrupt? When a judge in an
Argentina chooses his own song as "the best song of the year" because he got
to sit on the jury which decided which song to choose ? Or when the juges
give the high points to those who took private lessons with them before the
competition, or only vote for those who have the same taste in style like
themselves?
How do you feel when you realise that actually the dancing couples who was
ranked as 10th are much better dancers than the boring number one who only
dance generic tango you have seen a hundred times before in mediocre videos?
I am starting to get the impression that to succeed in the contests is a
matter of knowing the right people, just like succeeding in many job
applications, in spite of a whole week of "preliminary decisions" by
interviews, workshops, task solving and so on which may be as much a farce
as a large part of those dance contests.
Astrid
Date: Tue, 20 Feb 2007 20:22:11 -0700 (MST)
From: Huck Kennedy <huck@eninet.eas.asu.edu>
Subject: Re: [Tango-L] Tango World Championship
To: tango-l@mit.edu
Chris writes:
> Now Huck that's not true. The Channel was built by the English
> to fend off the cultural depravity of the continent, tango
> included. And it would have worked too, if a distracting war
> with the Argentines hadn't given the sneaky French the chance
> to dig a tunnel...
>
> ;)
Well Chris, I happen to know that there was
an English crew tunneling from one end, and a French
crew from the other. How did the powers that be
inspire such cooperation? Well they told the
French workers starting out from Calais that
a great French chef was preparing a grand feast
for them at the far end of the tunnel, so they
merrily tunneled away in anticipation. They told
the English crew starting out from Kent that an
English chef was preparing them a great feast at
the near end of the tunnel. And they desperately
tunneled away in dread. :)
Huck
Date: Wed, 21 Feb 2007 12:33:18 +0900
From: "astrid" <astrid@ruby.plala.or.jp>
Subject: Re: [Tango-L] Tango World Championship
To: "Huck Kennedy" <huck@eninet.eas.asu.edu>, <tango-l@mit.edu>
No, Huck, you don't realise that the tunnel was dug so that Jane Birkin
could visit her home.
> Well Chris, I happen to know that there was
> an English crew tunneling from one end, and a French
> crew from the other. How did the powers that be
> inspire such cooperation? Well they told the
> French workers starting out from Calais that
> a great French chef was preparing a grand feast
> for them at the far end of the tunnel, so they
> merrily tunneled away in anticipation. They told
> the English crew starting out from Kent that an
> English chef was preparing them a great feast at
> the near end of the tunnel. And they desperately
> tunneled away in dread. :)
>
> Huck
Date: Thu, 22 Feb 2007 19:10 +0000 (GMT Standard Time)
From: "Chris, UK" <tl2@chrisjj.com>
Subject: Re: [Tango-L] Tango World Championship - judging
Cc: tl2@chrisjj.com
"june es" wrote:
> Dancing to me is like acting
That would be show tango, I guess.
Social tango is not an act. It is the real thing.
> the skill of judging - when judges offer their feedback to the competing
> dancers I am amazed by what they see that I could not.
June, if you can't see these things, how do you know the judges can?
Let's not forget that their business is business. Moreover, show business.
Chris
PS I hear that following the success of the Tango World Championship, the
city of BsAs is to hold a wine competition. The judges won't need to taste
the wine. They'll be able to determine the quality just by looking at it. ;)
PPS And Huck... LOL!
-------- Original Message --------
*Subject:* Re: [Tango-L] Tango World Championship
*From:* Huck Kennedy <huck@eninet.eas.asu.edu>
*To:* tango-l@mit.edu
*Date:* Tue, 20 Feb 2007 20:22:11 -0700 (MST)
Chris writes:
> Now Huck that's not true. The Channel was built by the English
> to fend off the cultural depravity of the continent, tango
> included. And it would have worked too, if a distracting war
> with the Argentines hadn't given the sneaky French the chance
> to dig a tunnel...
>
> ;)
Well Chris, I happen to know that there was
an English crew tunneling from one end, and a French
crew from the other. How did the powers that be
inspire such cooperation? Well they told the
French workers starting out from Calais that
a great French chef was preparing a grand feast
for them at the far end of the tunnel, so they
merrily tunneled away in anticipation. They told
the English crew starting out from Kent that an
English chef was preparing them a great feast at
the near end of the tunnel. And they desperately
tunneled away in dread. :)
Huck
Date: Fri, 23 Feb 2007 09:13:44 +1100
From: "june es" <esjune@hotmail.com>
Subject: [Tango-L] Tango World Championship - judging
To: tango-l@mit.edu
Hi Chris
>Social tango is not an act. It is the real thing.
When I dance I am acting out the emotions, and their range and degree, as
suggested by the music. By acting I mean putting into action via body
language of what I feel in response to the music. It's the music that drives
me. I guess I am good at being driven by the music because I have, through
my expression of the music, stirred some partners into responses which I am
scared to reciprocate after the three minutes or so of the dance. Once the
music is over, the dance is over. Is my dance not an act?
I hope the above explanation makes sense. I'm probably going to get some
brickbats for this comment.
>June, if you can't see these things, how do you know the judges can?
About judging, it is possible that others can see what we cannot see
ourselves. For example, one workshop teacher spotted that I was tense in the
chest area and I asked her how she knew because I did not know it myself.
She was right, of course, and I have subsequently worked on relaxing this
area.
There are good judges and bad judges, just as we have good and bad dancers.
In Dancesport, judges need to be certified through examinations in order to
qualify to judge.
Tango competitions are new, perhaps there will be a day when teachers and
judges hold similar professional qualifications.
PS. I am going to duck for cover now.
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Date: Thu, 22 Feb 2007 15:19:10 -0800 (PST)
From: NANCY <ningle_2000@yahoo.com>
Subject: Re: [Tango-L] Tango World Championship - judging
To: june es <esjune@hotmail.com>
Cc: tango-l <tango-l@mit.edu>
Dancesport competitions rely on a syllabus for the
various levels and for evaluation purposes. Please
tell me where I can obtain an Argentine tango syllabus
that is recognized world-wide.
And Trini: who IS the best ballerina in the world as
of Feb. 24, 2007?
Apples and oranges, folks.
--- june es <esjune@hotmail.com> wrote:
> Hi Chris
>
> >Social tango is not an act. It is the real thing.
> When I dance I am acting out the emotions, and their
> range and degree, as
> suggested by the music. By acting I mean putting
> into action via body
> language of what I feel in response to the music.
> It's the music that drives
> me. I guess I am good at being driven by the music
> because I have, through
> my expression of the music, stirred some partners
> into responses which I am
> scared to reciprocate after the three minutes or so
> of the dance. Once the
> music is over, the dance is over. Is my dance not an
> act?
> I hope the above explanation makes sense. I'm
> probably going to get some
> brickbats for this comment.
>
> >June, if you can't see these things, how do you
> know the judges can?
> About judging, it is possible that others can see
> what we cannot see
> ourselves. For example, one workshop teacher spotted
> that I was tense in the
> chest area and I asked her how she knew because I
> did not know it myself.
> She was right, of course, and I have subsequently
> worked on relaxing this
> area.
> There are good judges and bad judges, just as we
> have good and bad dancers.
> In Dancesport, judges need to be certified through
> examinations in order to
> qualify to judge.
> Tango competitions are new, perhaps there will be a
> day when teachers and
> judges hold similar professional qualifications.
> PS. I am going to duck for cover now.
>
>
> Advertisement: Fresh jobs daily. Stop waiting for
> the newspaper. Search now!
> www.seek.com.au
>
>
>
The fish are biting.
Date: Thu, 22 Feb 2007 23:11:15 -0500
From: miamidances@aol.com
Subject: Re: [Tango-L] Tango World Championship - judging
To: tango-l@mit.edu
I personally believe that a syllabus could be developed. I've always joked about dancing needs to have people certified and licensed the same as doctors or lawyers. To know what you are doing does takes 4 to 6 years just to start. Let's not get that serious. How about if dance instructors get licensed like beauticians, aerobics & pilates instructors or masseuse's, Needing a year to two years to get licensed. It is ridiculous with many of the people presenting themselves as dance instructors.
Not even Arthur Murray Fred Astaire studio follow strict guidelines or a professional set of rules. I received a 6 week training course at Arthur Murray's and they threw us out on the floor as teachers with students paying full price. I later did go thru being certified, It took me 2 1/2 years for my first certification. It is about a four hour process having to perform the man's and woman's parts by yourself when steps are called out. Then dance the ladies and man's part by yourself in time to music. Then dance both parts with a partner in time to music.
If dance instructors had to be licensed, Arthur Murray and Fred Astaire would lose Seventy five percent of their instructors over night. In Miami and the Tango world we would lose about ninety percent of the people that proclaim themselves to be teachers.
I feel sorry for you students attempting to find teachers that know what they are doing. There aren't very many.
Randy in Miami
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Date: Thu, 22 Feb 2007 22:18:41 -0800 (PST)
From: "Trini y Sean (PATangoS)" <patangos@yahoo.com>
Subject: Re: [Tango-L] Tango World Championship - judging
To: tango-l <tango-l@mit.edu>
I don't follow ballet closely enough, however, if you ask
Baryshnikov, I'm sure he'd have an opinion.
We all make judgements on dancers when we select partners
at a milonga or when we critique a demo. But these
judgements are usually kept private. A Competition makes
these judgements public.
We make judgements on what teacher we'd like to study with.
As an organizer, I make judgements on who I'd like to
bring in. To claim that one's tango skill cannot be judged
strikes me as hypocritical.
This thread, though, has been dominated by observers rather
than participants. No competitor or judge have commented.
Perhaps there are none on this list. Their comments is
what I would find interesting.
Trini de Pittsburgh
--- NANCY <ningle_2000@yahoo.com> wrote:
> Dancesport competitions rely on a syllabus for the
> various levels and for evaluation purposes. Please
> tell me where I can obtain an Argentine tango syllabus
> that is recognized world-wide.
>
> And Trini: who IS the best ballerina in the world as
> of Feb. 24, 2007?
>
>
> Apples and oranges, folks.
>
PATangoS - Pittsburgh Argentine Tango Society
Our Mission: To make Argentine Tango Pittsburgh's most popular social dance.
https://patangos.home.comcast.net/
The fish are biting.
Date: Fri, 23 Feb 2007 19:08:01 +0900
From: "astrid" <astrid@ruby.plala.or.jp>
Subject: Re: [Tango-L] Tango World Championship - judging
To: "Trini y Sean \(PATangoS\)" <patangos@yahoo.com>, "tango-l"
<tango-l@mit.edu>
> I don't follow ballet closely enough, however, if you ask
> Baryshnikov, I'm sure he'd have an opinion.
If you'd follow ballet a little more you would know that Baryshnikov is no
longer really where it's at...
> We all make judgements on dancers when we select partners
> at a milonga or when we critique a demo. But these
> judgements are usually kept private. A Competition makes
> these judgements public.
No. In a competition the daners are only seen from the outside, the judges
do not dance with them.
>
To claim that one's tango skill cannot be judged
> strikes me as hypocritical.
See above. One's tango skill can only really be judged by someone who dances
with us and who is at least our level or above.
As I pointed out before, what do you do when the whole competition is a
little hypocritical? It reminds me a bit of that mail that appeared once on
tango-l about "there was an international tango competition in (xy, don't
want to embarrass anyone) where I live, I was there and all the top places
>from 1-3 were won by students that I trained. " When I asked who won the
other places I received no answer from him. I am not trying to say that the
first 3 places in the mundial are always won by Argentines, this is no
longer the case, but the judging certainly appears to be very subjective.
Dance judges are notorious for being corrupt, not just in Argentina.
>
> This thread, though, has been dominated by observers rather
> than participants. No competitor or judge have commented.
> Perhaps there are none on this list. Their comments is
> what I would find interesting.
Those who won are not going to tell you how they did it. I know six of the
couples who participated personally. I saw some of the rehearsals right
before they went to BA. Yes, the ones here were ranked later in the order of
their skill, but where they ended up in the competition, in relation to the
other participants, is another story. I have also danced with all of the men
at some time or other, and taken lessons with them.. I know that most of
them can dance one or two of the styles, but not the other.
I have also seen the winners of stage tango and salon tango competition 2006
in a performance in Tokyo, together with Sergio Cortazzo and his new
partner. They were not bad, but the only one who looked really good in that
show was Sergio and his partner. As far as I know, Sergio was also on the
jury, and he was also on the jury in the Asian competition. Who knows, he
may even have taught them himself...
Astrid
> --- NANCY <ningle_2000@yahoo.com> wrote:
>
> > Dancesport competitions rely on a syllabus for the
> > various levels and for evaluation purposes. Please
> > tell me where I can obtain an Argentine tango syllabus
> > that is recognized world-wide.
> >
> > And Trini: who IS the best ballerina in the world as
> > of Feb. 24, 2007?
> >
> >
> > Apples and oranges, folks.
> >
>
>
> PATangoS - Pittsburgh Argentine Tango Society
> Our Mission: To make Argentine Tango Pittsburgh's most popular social
dance.
> https://patangos.home.comcast.net/
>
>
>
>
>
________
> The fish are biting.
