4006  Identifying the level of a dancer by clothes, frequency of dancing and steps

Date: Thu, 8 Dec 2005 12:55:19 -0600
From: Ron Weigel <tango.society@GMAIL.COM>
Subject: Identifying the level of a dancer by clothes, frequency of dancing and steps

On 12/8/05, Cherie Magnus <MACFroggy@aol.com> wrote:

> In my opinion there are three stages of American tango dancing.
>
> The first is the eager and naïve beginner.
>
> Then comes the full-blown "Look at me, I am a Tango Dancer." This person
> buys lots of special shoes and clothes--men black shirts, women beads,
> sequins
> and fringe. It is the second stage folks who harken back to the tango
> attire
> of history, when the men dressed as pimps and Mafiosi, and the women as
> prostitutes and cabaret dancers. If a man is wearing black and white shoes
> in a
> Buenos Aires milonga, I know he's a tourist. Second Stagers also try to
> dance every
> dance at every milonga.
>
> The third stage experienced dancer dresses conservatively and dances only
> when he or she chooses to.
>
> The beginning dancer has twenty steps, the intermediate twelve, and the
> advanced dancer uses perhaps five, but those five steps are never boring.
>
> As is often true in other fields of study, the beginning is the most fun.
> Knowledge and skill are dangerous things; whereas at first we are thrilled
> just
> to dance, later it is much more difficult to find Tango Heaven.
>
> Clothes don't make the tango dancer.
>
> Cherie
>

I was wondering how I could identify the stage of development of a
tango dancer. Now I know. (:->)

Generalizations such as these are not useful. They only serve to
pigeon-hole people and limit freedom of expression. There are many
factors that affect a person's dress at a milonga - age, social class,
ethnicity, single or coupled, and other factors affecting individual
taste.

We are free to wear what we want and others are free to respond to our
dress as they want. Let's avoid stereotypes. Let's allow people a
little freedom of expression.

Regarding number of tandas danced, thanks for the information. I will
now no longer get up and dance when I want to, because I enjoy the
music. I will think about how many tandas have passed since I last
honored the dance floor with my presence before I respond to the call
of the music. This way I will appear to be an advanced dancer. Yes, I
can sit at my table, sip my wine and act aloof, only getting up to
dance with the very best partners to the very best music.

If everyone became that advanced, tango would never survive.

Regarding the number of steps used, I know Cacho Dante has said
something like that and I understand the intention here - quality is
more important than quantity. However, let's not forget improvisation.
If a 'step' is a small sequence involving 2 or 3 weight changes (e.g.,
ocho cortado), then an advanced dancer may combine a small number of
these 'steps' in numerous ways, whereas the intermediate dancer has
many longer sequence 'figures' (maybe 10-20 weight changes) than are
unbroken. The advanced dancer can also take these limited-sequence
'steps' and change the timing or angle of movement and produce many
new combinations that appear as different 'steps' to the uninitiated.

Ron