1001 Let's just dance
Date: Wed, 5 Feb 2003 13:05:36 -0900
From: Dan Boccia <redfox@ALASKA.NET>
Subject: Let's just dance
The discussion on styles has produced some great notes. I totally agree with Brian Dunn when he says that the class is a POOR place to ad=
dress this issue, and that it's best for an instructor to simply state that this is the dance as he/she sees it, acknowledge that others h=
ave valid and useful points, and move on.
I don't care what embrace or style anyone uses. If they can make it work on the social dance floor, if it works for their partner, and th=
ey add positive energy to the milonga, it works for me. Anything else (as far as social dancing is concerned) is just bad dancing, and th=
at's the one style I'm not interested in. In fact I have a lot of respect for those dancers who allow their embrace and movement qualitie=
s to change and vary with the music, their partners, the available space, etc.
Sharing the dance socially with a good attitude and good respect/floorcraft/navigation transcends styles.
The one truly great thing about all the varieties of a very close embrace that stays close throughout the dance is that when the room is s=
uper-crowded with more dancers than available space, there's not room for anything else, because it's virtually standing room only on the =
dance floor. Everyone else who doesn't understand how to dance very close in tight quarters gets to sit and watch in this type of environ=
ment. The rest of us dance and get really high on the experience of dancing in a crowd of people without even having our shirt-sleeve ruf=
fled by the others around you. When everyone gets into the groove you get the feeling that you're dancing with every other dancer in the =
room. The leaders are connecting with each other via subtle but profound and very friendly eye contact, often with little smiles or winks=
of the eye to acknowledge how much we appreciate the others' great navigation and positive energy. I've gotten this from lots of differe=
nt Argentines/Europeans/American.........
That said, a similar experience is available to rooms that aren't as crowded, and with dancers who may or may not choose to let the embrac=
e ebb and flow from open to close and everything in between. But all the other ingredients are the same - impeccible navigation, incredib=
le music from a sensitive and attentive orchestra or DJ, deep connections, a certain critical mass of dancers to form a cohesive ronda, an=
d the willingness and desire to add positive energy to the room. This has also happened in a few exceptional circumstances, and it's amaz=
ing.......but there's something really special about the crowded room and the huge amount of human energy that gets created in that atmosp=
here.
Let's all dance together, let's embrace and celebrate our collective variety and diversity, and let's put some positive energy into the da=
nce.
Dan
Date: Wed, 5 Feb 2003 20:04:37 -0600
From: "Frank G. Williams" <frankw@MAIL.AHC.UMN.EDU>
Subject: Re: Let's just dance
Hi Friends,
Dan Boccia wrote:
>> I don't care what embrace or style anyone uses. If they can make it
work on the social dance floor, if it works for their partner, and they
add positive energy to the milonga, it works for me.
How absolutely true. I had a request off-line to explain some of my
last post so I'll do it in light of Dan's comment.
I said:
>> But for Argentines who like recognition on the pista, there is
definitely an *art of understatement*. That 'understatement' looks quite
alot like 'elegance'. ...and it is not a matter of 'style'...
When tango is really working for a couple of good dancers, the musical
expression is unmistakable and it is a great pleasure to watch or to
dance nearby. It enhances my own musical enjoyment simply to see that
couple. That effect is not dependent on the style they dance, it
depends on the musicality with which they dance and the 'couple
chemistry' they broadcast. For me, this elegance easily transcends style.
Regarding dancing 'to be seen': It's been explained to me this way and
it fits what I've seen visiting BA. The dancers who want to show off
their wares usually don't venture out onto extremely crowded floors.
When there's room and they DO go out, how do they dance? They never
want to be seen as 'the Ace with the sweaty brow'. They want what they
do to look easy - non-chalant, fitting the available space, *with* the
music. Pretty much your basic 'elegant'!!! Make something look hard
and you make yourself look bad. This, IMHO, works at every level of
ability in tango.
...enjoying this thread,
Frank - Mpls.
--
Frank G. Williams, Ph.D.
University of Minnesota
612-625-6441
Department of Neuroscience
6-145 Jackson Hall
321 Church Street SE
Minneapolis, MN 55455
Department of Veterinary Pathobiology
205 Veterinary Science
1971 Commonwealth Ave.
St. Paul, MN 55108
Date: Thu, 6 Feb 2003 14:46:35 +0000
From: TANGO made SIMPLE <wbtango@HOTMAIL.COM>
Subject: "Let's just dance"
Hello,
Regarding the discussion entitled "let's find a new name instead of this
silly old milonguero style thing, Dan Boccia said, "Let's just dance."
Amen!
If I may, I'd like to list two quotations from Tango Zen web site.
"Dance isn't something that can be explained in words; it has to be danced."
-Paige Arden
"The Tango can debated, and we have debated over it, but it still guards, as
does all that is truthful, a secret."
-Jorge Luis Borges
If you want more, check https://wbtango.com/tangozen/experience.html.
Chan Park
Tango Zen: Meditation in Motion
https://wbTango.com/tangozen
Date: Thu, 6 Feb 2003 17:26:58 -0800
From: Rick FromPdx <bugsbunny1959@HOTMAIL.COM>
Subject: "Let's just dance"
I'm curious if embracing & enjoying our diversity, applies to enjoying
dancing to diverse kinds of danceable music at our dances & festivals?
Golden Age, post-GoldenAge, modern Tango & alternative Tango music? Gladly
taking requests for danceable music from dancers?
Rick
Date: Sat, 8 Feb 2003 19:16:41 -0800
From: Elemer Dubrovay <dubrovay@JUNO.COM>
Subject: Fw: [TANGO-L] "Let's just dance"
Modern Tango, Piazzolla, Alternative Tango, ETC, Is danceable only for
the good dancers, in most of the milongas as soon as the DJ plays that
type of music, the dancing floor gets kind of empty.
Elemer in Redmond
**
--------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Thu, 6 Feb 2003 17:26:58 -0800
Subject: [TANGO-L] "Let's just dance"
I'm curious if embracing & enjoying our diversity, applies to enjoying
dancing to diverse kinds of danceable music at our dances & festivals?
Golden Age, post-GoldenAge, modern Tango & alternative Tango music?
Gladly
taking requests for danceable music from dancers?
Rick
