4499  Why I do dance close embrace

Date: Tue, 18 Jul 2006 21:46:20 -0400
From: "TangoDC.com" <spatz@tangoDC.com>
Subject: Re: [Tango-L] Why I do dance close embrace
To: tango-L@mit.edu

Interestingly, almost all the reasons you offer, Sergio, are reasons why
someone might dance close-embrace *exclusively*. Or why someone might
defend dancing that way, against other styles, polemically. (I find it
bizarre that so many people have this mindset, but they do, and that's
ultimately more their problem than mine. Perhaps you framed this thread
that way on purpose.)

For my part, I choose to dance close-- provided nothing else compels me
to do so-- because it's a unique form of dancing, with its own feel and
expressive possibilities. Like everything else, it has its limitations;
but it also has options that aren't readily available by other means. It
is a genre of tango, as it were; it has its conventions, its sub-genres,
and so forth. Sometimes it's the best decision. And sometimes I dance
open because That's the best decision. Sometimes things change as the
song progresses. I "prefer" nothing; I choose to strive after quality.

But when it comes to loose change on the floor, I'm open-embrace all the
way, Chas. Your way may work in Buenos Aires, but that's only because
you have to hide the coin with your shoe and drag it to the end of the
tanda, because there's no room to bend over and pick it up. (Not that
you actually "drag" it... the coin is going there anyway.)

Jake Spatz
Washington, DC


Sergio Vandekier wrote:

> 1 - Because after learning several different tango styles I prefer close
> embrace.
>
> Because I like the closeness to my partner that allows an intense
> communication and a better interpretation of the music.
>
> 2 - Because I learned only this style. I was convinced that this was the
> only possible way to dance tango socially, actually I ignored that there
> were other tango styles.
>
> 3 - Because I only learned this style and it is the way everybody dances in
> the club where I go.
>
> 4 - Because after trying different styles I decided that this is the best
> for my age and my dancing skills.
>
> 5 - Because it is danced in most milongas in Buenos Aires. I decided that
> the dancers of other styles have problems dancing socially (collisions,
> disturbing other dancers), so I decided that this must be the only possible
> way to dance socially. Although we have plenty of room to dance, we imitate
> the crowded conditions of Buenos Aires.
>
> 6 - Because that is the style my partner prefers.
>
> Can you give any other reasons?
>
> Sergio
>
>
>
>
>
>