101  Evolution of How Tango is Taught

Date: Mon, 23 Jul 2001 09:47:10 -0500
From: Stephen Brown <Stephen.P.Brown@DAL.FRB.ORG>
Subject: Evolution of How Tango is Taught

Arthur's comments (Keep It Simple Nice and Easy) remind me how much it
seems that instruction in tango has evolved over the past decade. In
particular, there seems to have been a movement toward softening and
lightening how the embrace is taught.

Unlike a decade ago, forced density of the type that Arthur describes no
longer seems to be part of standard teaching techniques for salon style
tango. >>Blondie was instructed to provide me with some resistance to my
forward motion while leaning toward me to "retard" my forward walk.<< A
natural density has become seen as more appropriate for dancing Argentine
tango. (Perhaps the early instruction to apply resistance was designed to
offset the unnatural lightness that dancers are encouraged to develop in
ballroom dancing.)

The teaching of milonguero style tango also has evolved--maybe as Tete
changed partners. At one time it was taught with a lean. Then people
realized there wasn't a lean (or the lean did not work), and begin to teach
the appearance of a lean. In a close embrace, it is more appropriate to
think of the frame as being the woman's body, and the appearance of a lean
is really secondary.

Gustavo and Fabian moved tango toward a softer (and looser) embrace with
the development of nuevo tango. This may have contributed toward a
softening of the embrace in other styles, or a softening may have simply
evolved as people discovered that stiffness interfered with turns.

All in all, the direction of tango instruction seems to be toward refining
more natural movements, rather than creating artificial difficulties. I
think this is a good thing for the growth of tango as a social dance form.
Many dancers who learned tango in the late 80s through the mid 90s have had
to develop their own knowledge of tango after being taught techniques that
to some extent made it more difficult to dance.

--Steve (de Tejas)

Date: Mon, 23 Jul 2001 11:10:27 -0400
From: Natarajan Balasundara <rajan@EMC.COM>
Subject: Re: Evolution of How Tango is Taught

Stephen Brown wrote:

> (Perhaps the early instruction to apply resistance was designed to
> offset the unnatural lightness that dancers are encouraged to develop in
> ballroom dancing.)

I wonder if certain amount of stiffness/resistance is necessary for
dancing a milonga. For sure, tango did not start from ballroom dancing
and therefore, at least outside ballroom circles, that may not have been
the reason for encouraging 'resistance'(it is also a matter of degree...
it is resistance as a feedback and a signal rather than pure force).

*Some* followers who dance tango beautifully seem to have enoromous
problems dancing milonga...why?


rajan.

Date: Mon, 23 Jul 2001 10:42:24 -0500
From: Stephen Brown <Stephen.P.Brown@DAL.FRB.ORG>
Subject: Re: Evolution of How Tango is Taught

Rajan wrote:

>*Some* followers who dance tango beautifully seem to have enoromous
>problems dancing milonga...why?

First, let me say that in my experience as a leader, my difficulty in
dancing milonga with followers has been inversely proportional with my own
skill. When I had difficulty dancing milonga, I found I could only dance
with followers who had a stiff embrace and a very strong sense of rhythm.
As my ability to dance milonga improved--which occurred when I discarded
some overly complex movements I had been taught--I found it much easier to
dance milonga with many followers.

Nonetheless, followers who dance tango excellently may have some difficulty
with milonga if they attempt to use the same techniques that they uses for
tango. In milonga, many steps--such as the forward ocho--need to be
greatly shortened to accomodate the amount of time available for movement.

Essentially, we all--leaders and followers--need to recognize that milonga
is really a different dance and has different requirements.

--Steve (de Tejas)

Date: Mon, 23 Jul 2001 12:08:53 -0500
From: "Frank G. Williams" <frankw@MAIL.AHC.UMN.EDU>
Subject: Re: Evolution of How Tango is Taught

Heyo friends,

> I wonder if certain amount of stiffness/resistance is necessary for
> dancing a milonga.

In my experience and humble opinion, *milonga especially* must be soft
and light. Milonga should be almost like a no-hands lead/follow and
rhythm drill. The less force, the nicer. The 'ballroom aesthetic' that
may pervade our initial learning of milonga probably can only be
satisfied using force and stiffness. ...been there... But big
movements are not what it's about. For me, large dynamic contrasts are
only nice when they remain soft and light. If they are not, then how
can one appreciate the pleasure of effortless lead and follow? The
follower will never enjoy traspie if it's just forced on her!

> *Some* followers who dance tango beautifully seem to have enoromous
> problems dancing milonga...why?

Milonga should feel easy. It sounds like these followers are used to
tango leaders who muscle them around. Between leaders and followers,
it's hard to break the cycle of dependence on force. For some
followers, it takes back injuries before they reject heavy-handed
leading. Followers who prefer 'strength' should know that some very
good leaders will avoid them because they only feel heavy. The beauty
of milonga is that the music itself lightens everything up! Keep the
milonga light, small, and just between your two bodies enjoy playing
with the rhythm.

Cheers,

Frank - Minneapolis

Frank G. Williams, Ph.D. University of Minnesota
frankw@mail.ahc.umn.edu Dept. of Neuroscience
(612) 625-6441 (office) 321 Church Street SE
(612) 624-4436 (lab) Minneapolis, MN 55455
(612) 281-3860 (cellular/home)

Date: Mon, 23 Jul 2001 13:08:49 -0400
From: Natarajan Balasundara <rajan@EMC.COM>
Subject: Re: Evolution of How Tango is Taught

"Frank G. Williams" wrote:

> Milonga should be almost like a no-hands lead/follow and
> rhythm drill. The less force, the nicer. The 'ballroom aesthetic' that
> may pervade our initial learning of milonga probably can only be
> satisfied using force and stiffness. ..

Before a lot of people answer about the aspect that I was *not* referring
to,
I would agree that milonga should be like no-hands lead/follow with
small movements. Let me clarify that by stiffness I do not mean force.

One reason I think some followers have problems is that after a lot of
certain type of tango, with the use of arms and hands, followers may not
be able to follow just the body lead...

By stiffness I mean whaterver it is by which you can feel sure where the
weight of the follower is and assuming she is dancing with her eyes
closed, the means by which she can feel what the leaders weight is as well.

If we are not going to call it 'resistance' or 'stiffness'(again stiffness
is not
the same as tenseness :-), I wonder what would be an appropriate term for
it would be.

rajan.

Date: Mon, 23 Jul 2001 13:55:48 -0500
From: "Frank G. Williams" <frankw@MAIL.AHC.UMN.EDU>
Subject: Re: Evolution of How Tango is Taught

Rajan and friends,

>> By stiffness I mean whaterver it is by which you can feel sure where

the weight of the follower is and assuming she is dancing with her eyes
closed, the means by which she can feel what the leaders weight is as
well.
...snip...
I wonder what would be an appropriate term for it would be.<<

I'd call it "good posture". ;-)

Cheers,

F. in Mpls.



Frank G. Williams, Ph.D. University of Minnesota
frankw@mail.ahc.umn.edu Dept. of Neuroscience
(612) 625-6441 (office) 321 Church Street SE
(612) 624-4436 (lab) Minneapolis, MN 55455
(612) 281-3860 (cellular/home)