406  Argentine Tango Music

Date: Sat, 9 Feb 2002 02:33:26 -0800
From: Sergio <cachafaz@ADELPHIA.NET>
Subject: Argentine Tango Music

I totally agree with Manuel.
Learning to dance tango is a process.
Somebody sees an exhibition in a movie or on TV, feels that it is romantic,
exuberant, acrobatic and becomes interested in the dance.
The next step is to find an instructor. He learns some steps, the base, how
to walk, ochos and turns. He begins to move around the floor but he is
totally ignorant of the beat and the music. His dance is totally
disconnected from it. The music is in the background but the moves are not
related to it. This is awkward and little knowledge of dance and music that
he has he realizes this fact. This person likes the choreography and wishes
he could dance properly.
He is familiar with other types of music, music that he grew up with,
rock&roll, swing, fox-trot, American tango, jazz, perhaps Latin ball room
dances. He understands those beats but when it comes to Argentine tango he
does not get it. The music is there but it has no feeling, it has no beat.
Maybe if he tries to dance tango to Evora or similar non tango music things
could be easier. It is natural that he could try to make A. Tango like the
other ball room dances.

It will take time for this person to discover that Argentine Tango is
totally different.
Most of us at some time have experienced this problem.

Ball room one dances for fun and to the beat following a certain repetitious
sequence that is more or less steady throughout the dance. A certain
combination of quicks and slows. The dance is fairly symmetrical, both
partners do the same choreographic moves. American Tango follows this
pattern. Most dancers will do sequences of steps that are fairly similar.
A good dancer usually knows about ten patterns that he will use in two
dances. This is the reason this type of music changes continuously. Two
cha-chas, two fox-trots, two merengues, two rumbas, two swings, etc.

Argentine tango on the other hand is danced for the feeling, the emotion,
the communication with the partner.
There is not set sequence of quicks or slows, actually the steps could be
all slows, all of the same duration or use some syncopations, combinations
and pauses. The dance is asymmetrical. The man does some steps while he
leads the lady to do other completely different moves from his. There is no
pattern, the dancer knows hundreds of elements that he links together
according to his interpretation of the music and his feeling at the moment.
He creates a different tango each time. Each dance changes with a different
partner. He improvises!
This is the reason one can dance only Argentine tango all night. It is not
boring, it is not repetitive. A new experience each time and with each
different partner.
Every couple on the floor is doing a different choreography.

*Feeling is the most important element, this feeling in great part is
provided by the specific music.
It is essential then to become acquainted with the music. Argentine tango
danced to other music is not Argentine tango.
That does not mean that you cannot do it, by all means dance to whatever
music you like but...do not mislead yourself into believing that you are
dancing Argentine Tango. The quality of the music could be irrelevant to the
good tango dancer the same as it is to the poor one. Good music to the
second is the same as shouting to somebody that cannot hear.

The essential element here is to get to know the music and then to dance to
it. Musicality, interpretation of the music, communication with one's
partner...improvisation.
How is this accomplished? ...uhm!... this is another subject ...I will try
to discuss later.