3752  The paper article I

Date: Tue, 30 Aug 2005 18:51:17 +0000
From: Sergio Vandekier <sergiovandekier990@HOTMAIL.COM>
Subject: The paper article I

I wish to analyze each paragraph of this article. I will do it in two
notes.

Paper "For most of a recent Saturday night, Homer Ladas staged what appeared
to be a
program of traditional tango at a small studio here. Locked in tight
embrace,
dozens of couples gently swirled on the scuffed wooden floor as the sound of
violins from the golden age of tango in the 1940s floated in the air."

This is the way it happens in most places all over the world.

Paper " But by about 4 a.m., it was time for something quite different on
the dance
floor. With the traditional crowd gone home to bed, Mr. Ladas dumped the
orchestra music and replaced it with the sort of modern, bass-heavy dance
music
that might be played in a hip nightclub. The dancing was different, too: The
people in their twenties who remained switched over to a new kind of tango
that
had them lifting, twisting and ricocheting around the room."

This happens in many milongas in Argentina and abroad. The nuevo tango
dancers sit during the early hours of the milonga waiting for the floor to
have enough space to be able to dance.

Paper* "For years, the very word tango brought images of sophistication and
glamour:
tuxedoed, rose-clutching tangueros strutting across the floor with leggy
women -
tangueras - in dresses slit up the thigh. *** But the tango was withering
away. A
lot of American milongas, or dance parties, were kitschy affairs patronized
by
an aging and dwindling cast of die-hards who danced to scratchy records of
accordion music."

*this part of the paragraph is true.

*** This section is not true. Tango enthusiasm re-started due to the show
"Tango Argentino".

the style that ignited the new interest in tango was "Stage Tango" this in
turn originated interest in "Salon Tango, open embrace" and eventually the
interest extended to "Tango in close embrace" as a social dance.

Paper " But now, in city after city across the U.S., a new generation of
tango dancers
is packing the floor again. They swerve and kick, not to the traditional
violins
of, say, the great Francisco Canaro's orchestras, but to the dub beats of
Massive Attack or wailing guitar lines of Jimi Hendrix. Formal wear is out;
sneakers, low-rider jeans and halter tops are in.

People that dance the way as described are a minority of the total tango
world that dances Salon in open and close embrace .

Paper "While the traditional form of tango can be highly structured,
neotango's early
proponents believed dancers had to be free to experiment, and experiment
they
have."

This is not true, tango is characterized by improvisation, experimentation
and creation of new steps and figures it does not matter what style we are
using.

Paper " But when neotango started picking up steam, the passionate tango
community
divided into cliques as arguments brewed over which kind of tango is best.
Even
as Mr. Ladas's neotango events have swelled in popularity, some dancers have
branded him a "tango philistine" or have avoided his events. The same rifts
have
appeared in other communities, too. When new-style dancers first emerged in
Denver, they were dubbed the "nuevo brats" for causing collisions on the
floor
with their flashy and sometimes haphazard moves, said Stephen Brown,
founding
member of the Dallas tango community who has been a DJ at Denver tango
festivals."

This division into cliques is mostly seen in the USA. In Argentina people
are not conscious about style differences, they all dance tango. Some in one
way others in another way, they do not compare, they limit themselves to
dance the style that they prefer. On the other hand each milonguero is
deeply convinced that the"best" way to dance is the way he does it. People
dance the style of the club they attend. Most of the time Salon close
embrace, when there is space Salon open embrace or Nuevo tango. Milonguero
is danced in some clubs as well.

***Collisions are caused by not knowing how to dance, not by any specific
style.

Have a good day
Sergio from Buenos Aires
Presently in Erie- PA-USA

Date: Tue, 30 Aug 2005 15:42:26 -0500
From: Stephen Brown <Stephen.P.Brown@DAL.FRB.ORG>
Subject: Re: The paper article I

Sergio wrote:

>Collisions are caused by not knowing how to dance, not by any
>specific style.

I generally agree with this observation, but would qualify it as
collisions are caused by those who have not developed the requisite skills
for social dancing, not by any specific style. We have seen the same
complaints about dancers in all tango styles.

WSJ Article:

>>But when neotango started picking up steam, the passionate
>>tango community divided into cliques as arguments brewed
>> over which kind of tango is best.

Sergio's response:

>This division into cliques is mostly seen in the USA. In Argentina people
>are not conscious about style differences, they all dance tango.

I wonder whether the stylistic differences are really sufficiently great
enough to produce rifts or separate cliques.
1) Many of Homer's local organizers cannot be identified as nuevo- or
neo-style dancers. 2) In many U.S. cities, skilled dancers dance with
each other without regard to style. Owing to the differences in
instructional methods, beginners in one style may not be able to dance
very well with beginners of another style. 3) As the style of tango
danced in the United States evolved from stage tango to various social
forms, it was natural for those who were promoting what seemed to be new
approaches to learning and dancing as being different and better in order
to stand out from that which had gone before. These marketing strategies
have created the appearance of a rift. 4) Tango-L has been a convenient
forum to further promote the appearance of such a rift.

With best regards,
Steve

Date: Wed, 31 Aug 2005 22:52:36 -0700
From: Elemer Dubrovay <dubrovay@JUNO.COM>
Subject: Re: The paper article I

Sergio Vandekier, writes:

***Collisions are caused by not knowing how to dance, not by any specific
style.

Have a good day
Sergio from Buenos Aires
Presently in Erie- PA-USA


I think that the collisions from the lack of navigation skills are more
painful in the
Tango nuevo style than in the close embrace style.
Cristina broke her ankle in a collision a few years ago dancing tango
nuevo here in Seattle.

So please be careful if you have tango nuevo dancers, dancing around you.

Elemer in Redmond