4035 close-embrace-all-the-time
Date: Sat, 14 Jan 2006 18:45:40 -0800
From: Michael Figart II <michaelfigart@YAHOO.COM>
Subject: close-embrace-all-the-time
Wow! I`ve not posted in months and now twice on the same day (maybe, I guess; what time zone does Tango-L use?). It´s 11pm in Buenos Aires; almos=
t time to take a shower and start deciding where to dance tonight!
Alright, listeros, I´ve had enough, and I must speak out. I`m sick and tired of reading Derik`s pusillanimous tirades against us milongueros. Yea=
h, I know, a milonguero could just be considered a dancer of tango. But what it has come to mean, in the US, to Derik, and even here, in Buenos Aires,=
is those like me who desire to dance in close embrace apilado all the time. One like all of us who love it, and go to Denver twice a year. Those of u=
s who follow the teachings of Robert, Barbara, Robin, Jennifer, Christopher and Caroline........and yes, even the devil incarnate Susana Miller!!!! An=
d many, many more.
I`m not going to tell you that in the latest editions of "El Tangauta" and "BA Tango" there are countless ads for people here teaching "estilo milongu=
ero". I`m not going to tell you that practically everybody here in Buenos Aires dances the accursed "estilo milonguero". I`m not going to tell you tha=
t in the last six months I`ve danced in California, Washington, Oregon, Colorado, Michigan, Missouri, New York, and also in Spain and in England, all =
in estilo milonguero. I`m not going to tell you that damn near without fail that my followers have expressed their appreciation of all the hard work, =
time and money that I`ve invested in my search for Milonguero Tango Argentino. And I`m certainly not going to tell you that I`m now in Buenos Aires, a=
nd that the followers here express the same.I also won`t tell you that you must know Argentine Spanish or must have lived here for six months to know =
Argentine Tango. I don`t know much Spanish, but I don`t really need to; yo hablo tango.
I`m also not going to tell you that I know eighteen members of so and so tango orchestra, or that I was offered a position at so and so university, or=
that I know this consul, or that I became an interpreter for a travel agency because I speak better french than their professional. Or that I met so =
and so on the Chomps de Elisee (great french, huh?). And I´m not going to sign this email with twelve different email addresses, fourteen differe=
nt phone numbers, and three websites.
Maybe someone started using the term "milonguero" for financial advantage. Maybe even Susana Miller....and many thanks to whoever it was. But Derik`s =
posting of two or three days ago casting aspersions on my friend Susana was completely and totally uncalled for.....and totally unforgiveable. Derik, =
you crossed the line, a line I`ve redrawn many times. I don`t have the time to look through archives and offer direct quotes. I`m sitting in a hot loc=
utorio right now, and also there`s no need. Derik went over the line and we all know it. And where did he come up with the "sex" part of it? I was at =
Susana`s apartment yesterday and she never offered me any sex. All I got was another grueling hour of hard work, and more exclamations of "softer feet=
"!
And for those of you who don`t know, his accusations are also direct insults to me, my milonguero friends in Houston, and one of America`s great teach=
ers, Joan Bishop.They are also direct insults to many of you, mostly because many of you give him the benefit of doubt, and some authority to speak as=
from experience, assuming that he knows something of that of which he speaks.
Derik is from Houston. I`m from Houston. He hates our milonguero community. Why is not really important, and I really don`t know. Probably jealousy. W=
hy jealousy? Because Derik can`t dance. Derik does not know Argentine Tango. I`ve kept my mouth shut for at least a year while hoping Derik would shut=
up and quit mouthing off with no authority.
I do appreciate Derik`s love of tango, and his desire to spread the word. His admiration of the Tango culture, and all it`s aspects is truly unwaverin=
g. But I will no longer stand for his vitriolic, acidic, and vicious diatribes against one of Argentine Tango`s greatest missionaries, Susana Miller. =
Yes, she can be abrasive, and there are those who don`t care for her. She can definitely be a "malita". But she also truly loves teaching tango, and l=
oves her students. She is a great lady, and I respect her, and damnit, I will today defend her, and me, and all of us milongueros.
If Derik actually knew any Argentine Tango, things would be different. He would actually have a leg to stand on, some authority. But sorry folks; his =
main area of expertise is looking at the floor, and asking his follower to, once again, and again, and again, polish her shoe on the leg of his pants.=
Ten times to a song......thirty to a tanda. No exaggeration. He`s been "dancing" for many years, but I`ve never seen him take a lesson, or try to dev=
elop or further any possible tango skills. Derik does something called Derik Tango, and I`m glad he enjoys it, but he should learn to enjoy it, and qu=
it insulting others because they do something else.
So Derik f*** off; I will not allow the opinions of an incompetent to be seen as even possibly credible to those on this list who haven`t had the priv=
elege of watching your foot-polishing.
Greetings to all my friends, from rainy Buenos Aires. Wish you were here!
Michael from Houston
