2700  False or mistaken ideas

Date: Sun, 29 Aug 2004 00:19:42 +0000
From: Sergio Vandekier <sergiovandekier990@HOTMAIL.COM>
Subject: False or mistaken ideas

I will discuss some (IMO) erroneous concepts and ideas that are persistent
in certain tango circles.

If you are not interested just hit your delete button. If you disagree with
my
concept, please do it in a polite way and we can have a discussion. I will
not
participate in a flame war.

Fallacy #1: Salon Tango is same as Stage Tango.

The truth is that Salon Tango is a social dance that has all the elements of
Argentine Tango. It is highly versatile and always improvised. Stage Tango
utilizes elements from Salon, it has its own rules proper for exhibition in
a theater. The moves are done greatly augmented maintaining a front so that
the public can appreciate them from any area of the theater. It is
choreographed.

Fallacy #2: Salon tango is danced only in open embrace.

The truth is that it can be danced only in open embrace, only in close
embrace or alternating the embrace as convenient.

Fallacy #3: Salon tango sacrifices the feeling and enjoyment of the dancing
couple for the benefit of those that observe.

The truth is that it is primarily done for the personal enjoyment, feeling
and communication of the partners. It is so beautiful that people like to
observe the dancers, but this is an external, added element, not the main
purpose of the dance. If there are people that dance for exhibition this is
their prerogative to do so, but that is something personal and not a style
characteristic.

If dancing salon you do not develop the right feeling is your own fault or
your poor instruction as this is not a style characteristic.

Fallacy #4: Milonguero is the only style that uses close embrace.

The truth is that most people all over the world dance salon style in close
embrace, it is a minority that dance milonguero close embrace).

Fallacy #5: People in Denver dance Milonguero.

The truth is that most people in Denver dance Salon style. I recently spent
a week there. I had the great pleasure of attending several milongas :
Friday at "the Mercury Cafe", Saturday at a private milonga, Tuesday at
"Turnverein Salon". I had the chance to dance with excellent milongueras in
several different styles. Most people dance Salon in close embrace. Many
Salon in open embrace and some (at the practica on the side at Turnverein
Cafe) were doing Nuevo Tango with Nick Jones.

I stood observing with Tom Stermitz for a while and we saw very few people
doing milonguero.

He told me - " here in the USA people believe that close embrace and
milonguero are the same thing".

Fallacy #6: Argentine instructors are stage dancers.

The truth is that very few are stage dancers ( Carlos Copes, Gloria y
Eduardo, Miguel Zotto, Carlos Copello, come to mind) but the great majority
of instructors are social dancers that will do exhibitions only if
absolutely necessary as part of their teaching or touring agreement.

Fallacy #7: Argentine instructors teach Stage Tango.

The truth is that their main aim is to teach social dancing. The great
majority of them teach salon style in all its rich forms. Close and open
embrace . (stage if necessary and under specific requests).

They teach what the organizer of the event request them to teach.

Fallacy #8: You can get "those feelings of intimacy and sublime elevation"
only while dancing milonguero.

The truth is that you can get those feelings from dancing any form of tango.
I had most of my magical experiences dancing Salon either in close, open or
alternating embrace. You have to be properly train to obtain those elements
dancing in the other styles.

Fallacy #9: Milonguero style is the only acceptable form of social dancing.

The truth is that any form, except stage tango are proper for social
dancing.
You must learn how to navigate the floor and how to adjust to the local
conditions.
Many people learn how to navigate the floor in close embrace but are a total
failure when they have to navigate in open embrace or using more complicated
foot work than the utilized for close embrace.


Fallacy #10: To be able to dance in Buenos Aires you have to use Milonguero
style.

The truth is that most people in Buenos Aires dance Salon in close embrace,
many do it milonguero as well. There are moments and places were people
dance any other styles. Salon open embrace or Nuevo Tango.

Most instructors teach Salon tango *for social dancing. There are few
Argentinean instructors that teach Milonguero (Susana MIller, Cacho Dante,
Tete, Tommy O' Donnell, etc) and they all dance in a different way.

Fallacy #11: Milonguero and Salon close embrace are the same thing.

The truth is that both styles use a close embrace, both use walks but they
are different in style and technique. Salon walks landing on the heel or
most frequently on the ball of the foot, brushing the heels as the feet pass
each other. It allows occasional "light" (a little separation) between the
partners to shift the hips during ochos and turns, etc. Milonguero steps
"flat footed", may allow some separation of the feet (S. Miller), the chests
are always together, there is no shift of the hips for ochos or turns,etc.

I am sure that I can think of some more but this is long enough.

I believe that it is important to have some degree of uniformity in the
nomenclature, other wise we run the risk of not understanding each other.

There are entire areas of science where there is nomenclature anarchy,
Gasoline is called Bencine in some countries in Europe and Naphtha in
Argentina, for instance.

The correct way to refer to dancing in close embrace if you are certain you
are dancing like Susana Miller or Cacho Dante is MIlonguero (in reference to
your style) otherwise say "close embrace" .

Having said this if you insist in calling a tomato "potato" I swear that I
will shrug my shoulders and continue dancing my tango any style and form
that may be convinced that you are talking about something brown.

Date: Sun, 29 Aug 2004 01:53:24 -0700
From: Elemer Dubrovay <dubrovay@JUNO.COM>
Subject: Fw: Re: [TANGO-L] False or mistaken ideas

Thank you for the best analysis that I read of the differences between
the dancing styles.

Elemer in Redmond


On Sun, 29 Aug 2004 00:19:42 +0000 Sergio Vandekier
<sergiovandekier990@HOTMAIL.COM> writes:

> I will discuss some (IMO) erroneous concepts and ideas that are
> persistent
> in certain tango circles.
>
> If you are not interested just hit your delete button. If you
> disagree with
> my
> concept, please do it in a polite way and we can have a discussion.
> I will
> not
> participate in a flame war.
>
> Fallacy #1: Salon Tango is same as Stage Tango.
>
> The truth is that Salon Tango is a social dance that has all the
> elements of
> Argentine Tango. It is highly versatile and always improvised. Stage
> Tango
> utilizes elements from Salon, it has its own rules proper for
> exhibition in
> a theater. The moves are done greatly augmented maintaining a front
> so that
> the public can appreciate them from any area of the theater. It is
> choreographed.
>

Date: Sun, 29 Aug 2004 00:19:42 +0000
From: Sergio Vandekier <sergiovandekier990@HOTMAIL.COM>
Subject: False or mistaken ideas

I will discuss some (IMO) erroneous concepts and ideas that are persistent
in certain tango circles.......................................

Date: Mon, 30 Aug 2004 00:44:52 -0400
From: Miamidances@AOL.COM
Subject: False or mistaken ideas

As good as it gets, bravo Sergio.

Randy