2656 insensitivity, narrowmindedness
Date: Tue, 17 Aug 2004 10:19:20 -0700
From: Carlos Rojas <Crojas@HACIENDACDC.ORG>
Subject: Re: insensitivity, narrowmindedness
I think at some point we all have been guilty of teaching at the milongas, I
think it is in our nature to pass knowledge and enthusiasm to others, try to
help them and communicate our experiences and frustrations so they don't
have to.
Eventually we learned/find ways to dance with new dancers and adapt our
dancing to their experience level, and try to make them feel that they are
good dancers, while we can have a good time and enjoy the dance without
teaching.
I remember when I started, I was at a tango party in SF with Marcelo Solis,
I had just danced with a woman, I could not danced very well with her, I
thought she needed this and that, then Marcelo danced with her, and she was
perfect, that night I learned the meaning of what a good leader was.
Marcelo did not need to teach her anything to make her dance like a goddess.
Carlos Rojas
Portland, OR
-----Original Message-----
Sent: Tuesday, August 17, 2004 8:35 AM
To: TANGO-L@MITVMA.MIT.EDU
Subject: Re: [TANGO-L] insensitivity, narrowmindedness
Michael from Tango Bellingham has blamed organizers of milongas and quoted
Heinlein on good manners thus:
-------start message
---
--------------------
Elemer Dubrovay wrote:
"Actually I think that they are still beginners and in place of practicing
steps in the social milongas they should learn to follow the music, the
line of dance and a good navigation."
I blame the organizers of the milongas as much as the dancers
themselves. The organizers are afraid of offending someone (and thus
losing $$) if they try to enforce etiquette.
And the alledged "advanced" dancers are so lost in their narcissism that
they can't even envision that they are doing anything inappropriate. As
I said a few weeks back, it's the cult of "Nobody tells me what to do!"
Heinlein said it best:
"Moving parts in rubbing contact require lubrication to avoid excessive
wear. Honorifics and formal politeness provide lubrication where people
rub together. Often the very young, the untraveled, the naive, the
sophisticated deplore these formalities as 'empty,' 'meaningless,' or
'dishonest,' and scorn to use them. No matter how 'pure' their motives,
they thereby throw sand into machinery that does not work too well at best."
--------end message
---
----------------------------
A better quote would be the following one from Nietzsche. It would address
the misplaced timidity of the organizers of milonga instead of general bad
manners of some "advanced" dancers.
Incidentally this quote is also relevant to the title of this message
thread.
Thus spake Zarathustra (from:
https://www.underthesun.cc/Classics/Nietzsche/Zarathustra/zarathustra62.html)
-------------start quote------------
...When however the kings approached to him, he said half-aloud, like one
speaking only to himself: "Strange! Strange! How doth this harmonise? Two
kings do I see--and only one ass!"
Thereupon the two kings made a halt; they smiled and looked towards the spot
whence the voice proceeded, and afterwards looked into each other`s faces.
"Such things do we also think among ourselves," said the king on the right,
"but we do not utter them."
The king on the left, however, shrugged his shoulders and answered: "That
may perhaps be a goat-herd. Or an anchorite who hath lived too long among
rocks and trees. For no society at all spoileth also good manners."
"Good manners?" replied angrily and bitterly the other king: "what then do
we run out of the way of? Is it not `good manners`? Our `good society`?
Better, verily, to live among anchorites and goat-herds, than with our
gilded, false, over-rouged populace--though it call itself `good society.`
--Though it call itself `nobility.` But there all is false and foul, above
all the blood--thanks to old evil diseases and worse curers.
The best and dearest to me at present is still a sound peasant, coarse,
artful, obstinate and enduring: that is at present the noblest type.
The peasant is at present the best; and the peasant type should be master!
But it is the kingdom of the populace--I no longer allow anything to be
imposed upon me. The populace, however--that meaneth, hodgepodge.
Good manners! Everything is false and foul with us. No one knoweth any
longer how to reverence: it is THAT precisely that we run away from. They
are fulsome obtrusive dogs; they gild palm-leaves.
This loathing choketh me, that we kings ourselves have become false, draped
and disguised with the old faded pomp of our ancestors, show-pieces for the
stupidest, the craftiest, and whosoever at present trafficketh for power.
We ARE NOT the first men--and have nevertheless to STAND FOR them: of this
imposture have we at last become weary and disgusted.
-----end quote-----
And speaking about kings the famous tale of naked king and outspoken child
also comes to mind. No quote is available at this time.
Cheers, Oleh K.
https://TangoSpring.com - Tango in the Park milonga in Manitou Springs is
this Saturaday
FREE!
