1463  Let's analyze

Date: Wed, 2 Jul 2003 08:43:53 -0400
From: Sergio <cachafaz@ADELPHIA.NET>
Subject: Let's analyze

Let's analyze for a moment.

Very few can argue with the fact that everyone should dance the way he/she
wishes to the music that he/she prefers.
There are no rules...or are there?

Argentine tango has many interacting elements: some are basic such as the
music and the dance, others belong in the realm of personal interests
(history, musicians, orchestras, lyrics, singers, instruments, great
dancers, teaching, teachers, movies, theater, musical shows, travels,
Argentina, Argentinean events, the city of Buenos Aires, etc.).

The discussion is centered on dancing tango to non-danceable (written for
listening) tango music or to non-tango music.

Here we have to consider a matter of degree. (1) Some people only dance to
danceable tango music, (2) some do it preferably to danceable tango music
but occasionally and sporadically dance to other types of music as well, and
finally (3) some will only dance to non-danceable tango music or to
non-tango music.

I think that most of us follow on (1), many of us, including myself follow
on (2), and very few on (3).

(1) consider that there are many tango orchestras with different styles and
so many tangos that do not need any other types of music.
They understand the music well, dance to the beat, the music awakens strong
feelings in them.

(2) the same as (1) but likes once in a while to dance to non-danceable
tango music or other musical forms as a challenge to obtain the right
feeling, interpretation of the music and produce a correct artistic
expression . Occasionally to develop a choreography.

(3) He dances to other types of music because either he does not like tango
music or else he does not understand it, tango music is not available to
him; but he enjoys the other aspects of tango dancing such as its
choreography and the communication with his partner.

I structure our milongas with tandas of three tangos, one or two milongas,
one vals, cortina. Then a tanda of ballroom music lasting three songs, I
mostly use, rumba, cha-cha, mambo, merengue, cumbia, salsa, bolero, American
tango, swing. cortina. Then repeat the tango tanda.
At certain moment of the night I use with each tango tanda one or two
unusual tangos or valses. It could be Piazzolla, Raul Garello, Jose
Colangelo, a French, Italian, Turkish, Finnish tango, maybe a fado.

Our milongas have a strong energy, people come from 100 miles away and dance
continuously from 8 pm to 2 am, usually with all the dancers on the floor.

My favorite tango orchestras are: Carlos Di Sarli, Osvaldo Pugliese
instrumental and with Roberto Chanel, Osvaldo Fresedo (Vida Mia), Angel
D'Agostino with Angel Vargas, Enrique Cadicamo (dance tango to Cadicamo's
music - Melopea), Miguel Calo, Francisco Canaro, Juan D'Arienzo, Tanturi -
Castillo, some Color Tango, some El Arranque, some Domingo Federico, some
Alfredo De Angelis, some Julio De Caro, some Roberto Firpo, some Biagi, some
Troilo, some Alfredo Gobbi, some Florindo Sassone, a little Tubatango, some
Orquesta Victor.
Sometimes I use Adolfo Carabelli, Edgardo Donato, Emilio Balcarce, Horacio
Salgan, Pedro Laurenz, Lucio Demare.

We must remember some principles:

1- The dance must fit the music.
2- It must contain the basic characteristics that sets it apart from other
dances.
3- It must be comfortable and pleasing to do.
4- The tango dancer must develop a strong connection with his partner, the
music and the other people in the room.

I personally have no objection to anything above written, I only have
certain reservations with respect to calling Argentine Tango something that
it is not. The reason for the reservation is not one of Puritanism or
conservatism, it is only that (IMO) this could be confusing for some people
at this time of the development of the tango community. Some video tapes in
circulation sold to learn Argentine Tango have no trace of either the music
or the choreography that we know.

I apologize to Guy Williams for addressing him personally, it was not my
intention and also to some that I may have (directly or indirectly) called
ignorant (I hope that they were very few). :))

May everyone dance the way he wishes but....:))...have a pleasant day.

Date: Fri, 21 Oct 2005 14:56:37 +0000
From: Sergio Vandekier <sergiovandekier990@HOTMAIL.COM>
Subject: Let's analyze a little

First we have the "Real milongueros" a group of people, women and men that
started dancing in their youth and have been dancing ever since. Each one of
them has his own style. They dance socially and occasionally do an
exhibition at the local club. They developed their own style because in
those days they learned practicing among themselves, among men, and then
danced and taught the women of their immediate family and their friends.
The result was a myriad of styles to dance tango socially .

Second we have the dancers that took lessons from great tango dancers and
teachers that developed groups of followers, dancers that also practiced
among themselves. People that are able to dance tango in all its forms and
under any circumstances, socially, in different styles and on stage.

This second group have the added capacity of being able to teach tango
properly as they had a formal instruction. Many became professional dancers
forming groups to travel with musical shows.

Some are excellent dancers but do not know or do not like to teach, some are
mediocre dancers but are great teachers and like to teach, some are both
good dancers and excellent teachers.

They teach all the tango styles: Nuevo or Salon (as social dance and for
stage) and milonguero which is fundamentally a social form of the dance.

So we have been dancing now for about 10-15 years or more, we have been
exposed to as many forms of tango styles as we were willing to learn, many
of us became tango instructors or professional dancers in turn.
Most of us had the privilege of learning from tango dancers of great
reputation all over the world and many developed its own style dancing in
the milongas not only of Buenos Aires but of all over the world.

As result of all this developments we have now active tango groups in most
cities .

The most popular form of dancing is and has been Salon style close and open
embrace. Within this style everybody develops his own form of dancing for
social or stage activity. Many people dance only milonguero style, many only
Nuevo Tango and many dance several styles.

All these styles and many popular sub styles were born and developed in
Buenos Aires.

Yet we have to hear again and again in a patronizing tone, that we are being
sold a "fake" tango in a good "package".

That the "real tango", in the correct package, is the one danced by the "old
milongueros".

My opinion (others may have a different one) is that Argentine Tango is all
of that.

The social tango of the old milongueros, the social tango of the new
milongueros (young people in late teens and early twenties), all the styles,
the popular ones and the personal ones as well:

Nuevo, salon, close,open, social, stage, they are all different
personalities of the same dance that it does not matter how, it adjusts to
the different circumstances of the social or professional environment and
never loses its character.

So it is fine that each interested party promotes his own style of tango,
but do not come with that patronizing tone to tell us that we do not know
what tango is about because we know as much as we need to know and we dance
the way we like to dance, at home, abroad or in Buenos Aires.

There is room for everybody in this world and also in the tango.

So Sr. Pedro Saenz tango is not dying, it is growing, full of vitality an
din all its diversity, "your" tango may be dying not mine, so go to your
local club, continue dancing your way and let me dance my own way.

Have a good day, Sergio

Date: Fri, 21 Oct 2005 13:54:10 -0500
From: donnay@DONNAY.NET
Subject: Re: Let's analyze a little

I once heard it said that Argentine tango doesn't have the competitions
found in ballroom style dance, because the tango dancer believes that no
one can judge your dancing but his/her partner.

I have danced with Daniel Lapidula, and it was a heavenly experience.
That's enough for me to put him in with the best. Daniel knows tango.

Lois Donnay
Minneapolis, MN