1748  milonguero syllabus

Date: Sat, 23 Aug 2003 16:34:06 -0300
From: Janis Kenyon <jantango@FEEDBACK.NET.AR>
Subject: milonguero syllabus

Sergio wrote:
"What I meant is that Salon Style, danced with long steps feels better when
danced to slow music such as Di Sarli, Pugliese, or somewhat faster
orchestras like Calo. Milonguero on the other hand is more suitable than
salon to dance to faster music such as D'Arienzo, Biagi, Laurenz, etc. I
agree that you can dance any style to any music. I agree that you can dance
milonguero to all the orchestras that you mentioned above."

I danced regularly for more than three years with my partner, a milonguero,
whose favorite orchestra is Di Sarli. He dances differently to each
orchestra. If you think a milonguero can't/doesn't dance with long steps,
you are mistaken. You seem to believe they dance short steps to faster
tempo music. That is not true. I have danced with many milongueros,
whereas, I know you haven't danced with a single one.

Sergio continues:
"I was not describing any sequence, or formula I was talking about
independent, isolated moves that are chained in different ways by every
dancer. I am sure that the milongueros that you dance with walk, turn right,
turn left, some may do a sacada or a calesita, most will do balanceo, while
waiting for space to move, etc. Or perhaps they invented some new moves that
I have not yet seen. So somebody that you dance with does not do an ocho
cortado, big deal! Do you mean that nobody does ochos cortados?"

You gave us your version of the syllabus milonguero, which doesn't exist.
Sacadas, calesitas? never. Balenceo? rarely. Giros, yes. While waiting to
progress, milongueros continue to dance in the space they have. Your
syllabus can't begin to describe what the milongueros do. They are creative
and don't have to invent new moves. Ask a milonguero if he leads his
partners in an "ocho cortado" and he probably won't know what you're talking
about. They dance simply, with the music, and with feeling for themselves
and their partners.

"I described moves that I isolated at the milongas."

Now we're getting to the bottom of how you have written the official
syllabus milonguero. Are how do you know you were observing milongueros who
have been dancing since the 40s and 50s rather than a man who took lessons?

"Some milongueros use certain moves, others use different ones. The
repertoire in general is the
one I described."

So you seem to think. I wouldn't attempt to describe the moves of the
milongueros. Each one has his own.

"I take for granted that every one dances differently. Some only walk,
others do back ochos and turn left. etc. Some use rocking steps to turn or
while walking or while they change front, by rocking steps I mean what is
known as cunitas or gardelitos."

Analyzing tango as steps is going to kill it. You are an Argentine talking
about tango, and those reading your messages may think you know what you are
writing about. I suppose I'm too serious about tango, but I am concerned
that the essence of tango is going to be lost if it is presented as a
difficult dance of complicated steps. A milonguero dances for his partner,
and what he does with his feet in unimportant.

"I try to use vocabulary that may be easily understood by the larger number
of people."

Everyone is left to their own interpretation. So much talk about tango
isn't doing any good. It is being analyzed to death rather than practiced.
People are satisfied to copy rather than create their own style.

"I cannot believe that you thought I suggested that a hundred couples at any
given milonga were doing a certain sequence or formula as by me described at
the same time and repeated again and again."

No, I didn't think you wrote what many were dancing in a milonga. You
referred to "milongueros" and these days, if you can find five or six
milongueros in the same milonga, that's quite a few. On Thursdays in Nino
Bien, there can be as many as 350 people, but there are no more than five or
six milongueros. You wrote "if you are an old or a new milonguero the
moves are . . ." You are writing like an authority on tango. People are
reading what you wrote, and many are going to believe you know what you are
talking about. I have never seen you dancing in a milonga in Buenos Aires.
They next time you come, please let me know where you are going to dance.
I'd like to see if your walk is as good as your talk.

Pichi de Buenos Aires