[Tango-A] New Videos on Youtube - "The Origins of Villa Urquiza Style" Series

[Ney Melo]

In the 1940's, a group of dancers developed the "tango de salon" by
refining moves from the the tango of the guardia vieja. They created a
new way of walking, caressing the floor, and slurring the rhythmical
stressed moves which characterized the previous tango generation.

When tango became popular again after the end of the Argentine
military dictatorships in 1983, that elegant salon style of the 1940's
was resurrected by dancers from that Golden Era: Gerardo Portalea
(still living),  El Turco Jose (still living),  Milonguita (deceased),
"Finito" Ramón Rivera (deceased), "Lampazo" Jose Vazquez (deceased),
Virulazo (deceased), and Miguel Balmaceda (deceased). Since they
danced in the milongas at Club Sin Rumbo, Sunderland, and Canning and
this style came to be known as the Villa Urquiza style, named after
the northern barrio of Buenos Aires where the clubs Sin Rumbo and
Sunderland are located. This style has experienced a renaissance with
a group of young dancers who are now dancing, performing and teaching
in the tango scene.

I have posted some videos of the original tango masters:
Gerardo Portalea (still living),
"Finito" Ramón Rivera (deceased),
"Lampazo" Jose Vazquez (deceased),
Virulazo (deceased),
Miguel Balmaceda (deceased).
Alberto & Esther

I love these videos. Yes, some steps look old-fashioned, and some are
done in a rough way, but there is something very retro cool about the
all these performances. These are not classical ballet trained
bailarines, they are regular working people doing beautiful enrosques,
lapizes, and other steps that the tango inspired in them.

Also, there has been alot of discussion about what characterizes a
style. I would have to say that it is the musicality and the way of
moving. Watch these videos and try to spot the things that have
inspired the villa urquiza dancers of today (the Misses, Javier
Rodriguez, Geraldine Rojas, Dispari y La Turca, Pablo y Noelia, Julio
Balmaceda, et al)

Enjoy.

Also, I am in search of the "Holy Grail" of tango videos and that is a
video of Milonguita dancing.

-- 
Ney Melo
www.youtube.com/tangotelevision
www.neymelo.com