341  Macamdan Tango (2)

Date: Wed, 5 Dec 2001 19:16:56 -0500
From: Daniel Saindon <gardien@TANGO.MONTREAL.QC.CA>
Subject: Macamdan Tango (2)

Good evening List

I find the letter of Khaled El-Hage
on MACADAM TANGO very interesting.

His point of view is the point
of view of a Tango Connaisseur.

When I wrote: "makes plenty of references..."
in my email of Monday, 3 Dec 2001 21:11:07
I had in mind some of the cliches about tango
that Khaled is refering to, he is proving my point.

We have to bare in mind the non-aficionado was
also targeted as an audience. ( This was the main
point of my letter this movie & the music want
to reach the mainstream of POP music.)

I have watched this program with my parents who
are non-aficionado and they liked it more than
other films on (Argentine) Tango that I have
shown to them in the past.

For example they found the many flash backs to the
period when the two lovers were children very interesting,
and I agree with them.

If Khaled was bored by the story line,
perharps it is because he is bored by the
cliches of the tango repertoire. I beleive,
repetition of a story line from movie to movie
is not boring ( Think of Harlequin romances ).
Because the value of a Artistic statement does not
resides always with the subject matter
but also by the way it is presented.
( I found the presentation interesting even if there
were indirect references to TANGO of Carlos
Saura ).

LIghtning effects were superb.

When I wrote the Lyrics were interesting
I had in mind lyrics that goes lie this:

"Be careful, if you continue"
"I will fall in love with you."

( I mean, thanks for the warning... )


Khaled main problem resides with the dancing.

I saw some flaws as well but I do not consider them
important and they were certainly not noticed by the
non aficionado. ( For example the ballet dancer who
dances with Carol Horrowitz ( Studio Tango )
who always jump in the air on ANY choregraphy because
she is light as a feather ) The flaw that I have
noticed with the dancer resides with the legs not closing
often enough. ( In Argentine Tango, legs have to
close ( feet together ) very often. It is part
of the elegance of tango. Ballet dancers like him,
enjoy to spread their legs apart which I think is not
nice in Argentine tango. I consider this to be a detail.

I have not seen the lack of balance that you mentioned
in your email probably because I do not consider myself a good
enough dancer to judge that point. What impressed
my parents ( non -aficonado ) was the level of
improvisation from the secondary couples who seemed to
maturally at ease with what they were doing. This, to me
provided me enough reasons to advocate a depth
( because of the variety of style and steps by the
secondary dancers. )

There were three different Tango schools ( out of the main five )
that were represented in this movie. ( The Tangueria, Studio Tango &
Lili Palmer ( the person who intorduced tango to mtl in the 1980s )
with Enrique. I think it is representative.

Hope these considerations have clarified
my thoughts although they probably will
not alter your perceptions.

Best regards

Daniel Saindon
gardien@tango.montreal.qc.ca