3736 III Campeonato Mundial de Tango -- Tango de Salon music and judging
Date: Tue, 23 Aug 2005 00:32:29 -0300
From: Janis Kenyon <jantango@FEEDBACK.NET.AR>
Subject: III Campeonato Mundial de Tango -- Tango de Salon music and judging
The orchestra recordings selected for the Tango de Salon finals:
1) Fresedo - Vida Mia; Lomuto; Pugliese
2) Di Sarli - Bahia Blanca; Canaro; Pugliese - Arrabal
3) Di Sarli; D'Arienzo; Sexteto Major - Danzarin
4) Di Sarli - Viviani; Troilo - Milongueando en los 40; Pugliese -
Emancipacion
5) Di Sarli - Amanacer; D'Arienzo; Pugliese
6) Demare; Troilo -- Cachirulo; Gobbi --- (final elimination rounds)
Much of the same music was used during the semifinals rounds. Danzarin is
the tango that Juan Carlos Copes danced with Maria Nieves in Tango
Argentino. It's great music for the stage. During the long rhythmic pauses
in the Pugliese recordings, the dancers looked like statues. They were
permitted two musical measures without moving, but several looked as if they
didn't know what to do and waited as many as 8 measures before progressing.
What about Tanturi, Calo, etc.? I would like to see the person responsible
for the music selection improvise with his partner before a large audience
to an unfamiliar tango. I thought we dance because the music inspires us.
How can this happen if we've never heard it before? Gobbi?
I made predictions on who the judges would be and who would finish in the
top ten. I was right about three of the judges: Jorge Firpo, Corina de la
Rosa, and Carlos Borquez. That's because Corina's husband Julio judged the
semifinals, so it was her turn to judge the finals; he did last year. Ines
Borquez judged a semifinal round, so it was her husband's turn in the
finals. The other judges were Roberto Herrera, Juan Manuel Fernandez, Maria
Rivarola (husband Carlos judged a qualifying round), and Natalia Hills.
Everyone is a member of the Associacion de Maestros, Bailarines y
Coreografos de Tango Argentino and most of them are on the staff of Escuela
Argentina de Tango. All of the judges, except Juan Manuel, have had stage
careers. Why are they the experts who judge tango de salon? Any what was
so important to talk about with one another while there was an orchestra
playing on stage?
I predicted that couples from Colombia; Stuttgart, Germany; Italy; and
Portugal would be in the top ten. There were many good dancers from
Colombia, but not one of them placed. A couple from Stuttgart placed 4th in
the finals of 2004, and their friends placed 10th this year. Portugal
didn't place, but couple #27 from Italy did. They begin and end their
dancing as if they are doing an exhibition. I would be surprised if they
never studied with Gavito and Maria. The audience gave them the longest
round of applause of any of the top ten couples. Their investment paid off.
The couples who placed 5th and 9th in the Campeonato Metropolitano didn't
place among the last 20 couples in the finals. The couple who placed 4th in
the Campeonato Metropolitano didn't place in the top ten; she is a
psychologist who learned tango five years ago and has been teaching two
years. She and her partner shouldn't have placed in any dance competition.
The couple who placed 10th in the Campeonato Metropolitano were among the
last 20 couples, but have to learn to dance the music. There was another
teaching couple among the final 20 couples, and if they or the other
teaching couple had made the final ten, I would say that the future of tango
is doomed.
The couple who placed third in the finals were on my list of predictions,
but not because they are good dancers. I decided to film them during the
finals as evidence that they don't know how to dance tango de salon. They
have no musicality. They danced more in one spot on the floor than they did
around it. The pauses were challenging. The two-measure rule didn't mean
anything to them; they did their thing, meaning no-thing for as long as 8
measures. When the tempo picked up, he did lots of fast turns in one
place--you know, the way to end a choreography on stage. Her ex- dance
partner happened to be judging the finals. They were guaranteed to place.
I had no doubt about it the moment I saw the judges sit down.
Osvaldo Centeno told me something very interesting while we were on our way
by bus to La Rural. One of the judges approached him after the semifinals
and said he'd like to know how Osvaldo does his turn to the left. I yelled
with laughter because there was no one on the bus. Osvaldo merely smiled at
me. I replied--he wants to learn your turn so he can earn thousands of
dollars teaching it to foreigners.
I have one word for this competition -- trampa.
Janis Kenyon
Buenos Aires
Date: Tue, 23 Aug 2005 18:36:18 +1000
From: Gary Barnes <garybarn@OZEMAIL.COM.AU>
Subject: Re: III Campeonato Mundial de Tango -- Tango de Salon music and judging
> I thought we dance because the music inspires us.
> How can this happen if we've never heard it before?
Hmm. One of the great joys for me as I get better at tango is the huge
enjoyment of improvising to music I have not heard before - especially
that which is written for social dancers.
I don't understand why 'haven't heard it before ' and 'inspires us'
could be mutually exclusive.
Presumably, many years ago, when D'arienzo performed a new song, or a
new record was played by the DJ, the dancers on the floor improvised?
and were sometimes inspired? Or did they just stand there shouting
"play one we know!".
However, if there is to be a competition for social dancing, then the
music should be for social dancing. And the competitors should know
beforehand whether they will be dancing to a particular recording, or
random selection from their favourites, or best still, a new live
performance in a traditional style.
PS Another great joy for me is in finding new things in music I have
heard hundreds of times...
my 2.2 c
Gary
(Currently inspired by Donato, Gobbi, Nina Miranda, and Canaro)
