3202  Trend - appreciating dance from within

Date: Mon, 7 Feb 2005 22:00:20 +0000
From: Oleh Kovalchuke <oleh_k@HOTMAIL.COM>
Subject: Trend - appreciating dance from within

Aron wrote:

I greatly dispise the tendency between milongero/as on the northern
hemisphere and also on this list to promote a sort of regressive
introvertedness.


This is one way to put it. Another way is to say that more and more dancers
begin to appreciate the dance from within, not from the way it looks but
from the way it feels.


Personally I am not an introvert and I'd feel badly if I'd have to withdraw
just for the sake of fashion. Of course, I don't mean that I'll dance at a
milonga like I'd dance on stage. I simply say, that I won't be limiting my
moves just because they are showy (if I feel like dancing them). (I might
limit them because of space, other dancers, my partners abilities/comfort,
but not only because it is not fashionable...)


The fashion is a straw man argument. Of course don't do it for fashion sake
(another external motivation). Do it only if you feel like it.

All too often people learn the flashy steps without understanding why and
when to use them. Now that's the real problem (or rather it is a common
stage in learning the dance).


Cheers, Oleh K.
https://TangoSpring.com




To: TANGO-L@MITVMA.MIT.EDU
Subject: Re: [TANGO-L] Seduction in tango

Date: Mon, 7 Feb 2005 23:39:12 +0100
From: Ecsedy Áron <aron@MILONGA.HU>
Subject: Re: Trend - appreciating dance from within

Dear Oleh,

> Aron wrote:
>
> I greatly dispise the tendency between milongero/as on the
> northern hemisphere and also on this list to promote a sort
> of regressive introvertedness.
>
>
> This is one way to put it. Another way is to say that more
> and more dancers begin to appreciate the dance from within,
> not from the way it looks but from the way it feels.

Although I understand what you refer to, but objectively is there a
difference?

People who dance for looks sake have a need _within_ to look right, while
those who choose to cut the "feedback sense" have a need to be separated
from the external environment and share the dance with the partner only.

IMHO it is only a problem if the partners don't have an honest view of
themselves and/or do not know the needs of the other. (the same problem as
with relationships...) If you don't know yourself you won't know what you do
to others. While, if you disregard the needs of the partner, you may not
dance with the partner - only yourself...

My view is that tango is a social dance. SOCIAL does not usually mean two
people. As such you cannot reduce the number of participants to just the two
persons involved in a dance. There are always those around you. If you'd
_truly_ want a dance with only the partner,you should not be doing the dance
at a public place such as a milonga.

The tendency that most (non-latin) people with extrovert mentalities choose
a different dances (like salsa), and that the more introverts (with a need
for companionship however) prefer tango does not necessarily mean that tango
itself is introverted. It does have such characteristics, but it isn't the
sort of thing it is so often described here on this list. This is a 'gil'
invention. I already wrote about this some time ago on tango-l (see my post
on 01.13).

> Personally I am not an introvert and I'd feel badly if I'd
> have to withdraw just for the sake of fashion. Of course, I
> don't mean that I'll dance at a milonga like I'd dance on
> stage. I simply say, that I won't be limiting my moves just
> because they are showy (if I feel like dancing them). (I
> might limit them because of space, other dancers, my partners
> abilities/comfort, but not only because it is not fashionable...)
>
>
> The fashion is a straw man argument. Of course don't do it
> for fashion sake (another external motivation). Do it only if
> you feel like it.
>
> All too often people learn the flashy steps without
> understanding why and when to use them. Now that's the real
> problem (or rather it is a common stage in learning the dance).

Dancing is like playing music: you cannot play fortissimo all the time,
because it hurts your ears. One of the things I try to teach my students.
But it doesn't mean that you must stick to Debussy or Mahler either...

Cheers,
Aron