2859 The True Tango and the New Tango
Date: Tue, 5 Oct 2004 16:22:01 -0300
From: Janis Kenyon <jantango@FEEDBACK.NET.AR>
Subject: The True Tango and the New Tango
I recently read a very interesting article on the internet. I recommend it
to anyone who is interested in tango the dance. The author has accurately
and simply compared the tango danced by the milongueros with the new tango.
It is so well written that I think every teacher should read it and pass it
on to students. If you are willing to take the time to read this four-page
article, I know you will want to thank the author for writing it. I did.
https://www.gainesvilletango.org/articles.htm
Pichi de Buenos Aires
Date: Tue, 5 Oct 2004 18:51:35 -0400
From: Gülden Özen
<gulden@TANGOPHILIA.COM>
Subject: Re: The True Tango and the New Tango
Janis,
I tried to take your advice and read the mentioned article but when I
saw the photo, the "tango pose" of the writer, I decided not to go any
further...
Best wishes,
Gulden
At 03:22 PM 10/5/2004, Janis Kenyon wrote:
>I recently read a very interesting article on the internet. I recommend it
>to anyone who is interested in tango the dance. The author has accurately
>and simply compared the tango danced by the milongueros with the new tango.
>It is so well written that I think every teacher should read it and pass it
>on to students. If you are willing to take the time to read this four-page
>article, I know you will want to thank the author for writing it. I did.
>
>https://www.gainesvilletango.org/articles.htm
>
>
>Pichi de Buenos Aires
Date: Wed, 6 Oct 2004 00:17:08 -0400
From: WHITE 95 R <white95r@HOTMAIL.COM>
Subject: Re: The True Tango and the New Tango
>----Original Message Follows----
>From: Janis Kenyon <jantango@FEEDBACK.NET.AR>
>Reply-To: Janis Kenyon <jantango@FEEDBACK.NET.AR>
>I recently read a very interesting article on the internet. I recommend it
>to anyone who is interested in tango the dance. The author has accurately
>and simply compared the tango danced by the milongueros with the new tango.
>It is so well written that I think every teacher should read it and pass it
..on to students. If you are willing to take the time to read this four-page
..article, I know you will want to thank the author for writing it. I did.
..Pichi de Buenos Aires
Pichi, I really don't understand your tango politics, but I know that you
must really hate all the travelling teachers and dancers that come to the
USA and teach trough out the world. The Writer od that article is obviously
quite enamoured of the tango as he sees it. Without the need to go into ad
hominens, it's easy to see that it shows a very slanted and biased view of
tango and perhaps not a complete knowledge of the various things being
discussed.
A synopsis of the article can be deduced from the following excerpt. Anyone
who is really cognizant of tango and puts this forth as the ultimate truth
and final opinion of the matter, is disingenous at best. Let's let everyone
read for themselves these comparisons of "true tango" and "New(false?)
tango" (don't you just love the labels? ;-)) and see what they think of it.
A warning to newbies of tango: take the following words with a pound of salt
and a healthful dose of skepticism.
From the "article":
Salon Tango is:
1) Tango that comes from the heart.
2) Subjective, man and women, very personal.
3) Danced by all age groups and does not require exceptional athletic
ability or training, i.e. Ballet is not a pre-requisite.
4) Danced primarily for your partner, the music, the for the joy of the
dance, with little concern for those who are watching.
5) Danced in close embrace and the position of the body is used to lead, not
the arms.
6) Taught by milongueros not professional dancers and entertainers. Some
milongueros perform, but are milongueros first.
7) Teaching is motivated by the love of the dance. Financial gain is
secondary.
8) Danced socially by ordinary people in Buenos Aires.
The New Tango is:
1) Tango that comes from the head.
2) Objective, leader and follower, impersonal.
3) Athletic, physically demanding, requires training and conditioning. Not
easily learned.
4) Danced on the dance floor, but like show tango, it is done primarily for
those who are watching. The partner and the music are secondary. (Show tango
is a more complicated form of new tango.) 5) Danced in an open position with
a lot of space between the partners. It requires a spacious dance floor and
a trained partner.
6) Taught by professional dancers and entertainers. In general, they are not
milonqueros and do not dance with people at clubs in Buenos Aires. They
dance mostly with each other on stage. They are classically trained in
ballet, jazz, tap and modern dance.
7) Oriented toward pre-set steps, not improvisation.
8) Not easily danced in a social situation.
9) Not danced by people in the salons in Buenos Aires.
Date: Tue, 5 Oct 2004 21:23:02 -0700
From: Julian Centella <tangotiger888@YAHOO.COM>
Subject: True tango
The true tango and the nuevo tango.
Janis suggested that we read that note and I did.
I find that Sergio already explained in detail the characteristics of the different tango styles. Salon, milonguero and nuevo tango. Many concepts in the note are repetition of his posts. He also suggested to learn the basic elements of Salon Style first.
He finds that all the styles are part of true tango while this note suggests that some style is true tango and the other is an artificial invention of stage dancers.
Even if it was so, who cares? I will learn and dance the style that I prefer. The way I prefer, when and where I prefer. From common milongueros in the street or from stage dancers. I learned Salon first and then Nuevo tango. I dance both styles.
Later on...
I will find the place and the people. I will dance for my partner, for both of us and if I wish for the public around us. When I do Nuevo Tango I dance from my heart, I have great communication with my partner, we are highly concentrated in the music and in each other. Our tango is improvised. There is no choreography. We learnt hundreds of elements that we link together as we wish to create a new tango each time, and a different one with each partner. Everyone in our group does the same.
We go to certain places and dance socially, Socially, socially. I could not care less what style or what place other people dance. I repeat I dance for my partner, for myself, and if I wish for those that are watching. There is nothing wrong with any of this.
I have no objection to the fact that Janis likes to dance with old milongueros in a certain style, deep in the middle of a crowd. She, on the other hand is trying to convince everybody that the way I dance is not the true tango. :) Ha! HA! I dance close or separated, I change direction, I do boleos, amagues, heel sacadas, colgadas and volcadas, and everything combined. This is the way I dance, I think that it is as true as tango can be. I adjust my dancing to the available space, we do not disturb each other at all because we know how to dance and how to navigate the floor.
None of this is a recent invention, it has existed since the tango is tango.
Have good tangos with good Milongueros any style that you like. Do not let anyone tell you that what you do is not true tango.
I am a little tired of hearing that some people have the ownership of the true tango.
Dance as you wish and let the others do the same.
Sent: Tuesday, October 05, 2004 10:22 PM
Subject: [TANGO-L] The True Tango and the New Tango
> I recently read a very interesting article on the internet. I recommend
it
> to anyone who is interested in tango the dance. The author has accurately
> and simply compared the tango danced by the milongueros with the new
tango.
> It is so well written that I think every teacher should read it and pass
it
> on to students. If you are willing to take the time to read this
four-page
> article, I know you will want to thank the author for writing it. I did.
>
> https://www.gainesvilletango.org/articles.htm
>
>
> Pichi de Buenos Aires
>
