[Tango-L] Women and Classes

[Euroking@aol.com]

The brilliance of the Internet is how well a simple statement can be  
construed. It is like analyzing a poet, what did the poet mean when he wrote....  400 
years ago. It makes for good points but accuracy can be fleeting.
 
I say this because I took Ron's statement totally different.  I took  his 
comparison to the intent of the dancer(s) in a social setting. I read his  
preference to be the same as you stated here. The key is the partners and what  
transpires between them. The peanut gallery be dammed. It is not them you are  
dancing for. If you and you partner are enjoying the dance, that is all that  
counts. Ron's counterpoint seemed to imply IMO that some leads or partners are  
not dancing for themselves, but to "perform" for the people sitting around  
watching the dance. These leads or couples are performing to gain the acceptance  
or to impress those around them. That is not good.
 
I did not read his comment as a derogation of performers or their  art.  
Again that is IMO,
 
Just some thoughts,
 
Bill in Seattle
 
In a message dated 7/12/2006 1:39:35 P.M. Pacific Daylight Time,  
dani at tango-la-dolce-vita.eu writes:

In a  social dance setting, in principle there IS no audience...! In a 
performance  setting, there IS an audience...! The premise in what you are saying, 
Ron, is  that you don't differentiate between the two. Does this mean you have 
no  concept of one, the other or both? You generalize and bleat "Dancing with 
your  partner is preferred over dancing for the audience". You must try, Ron, 
try to  understand that there is a difference. You cannot generalize.

I come  from a performance background; I mean, before tango. I prefer 
performing to  social dancing... it's as simple as that! However, when I perform in 
anything  (in this example, tango) although there are many considerations to be 
aware of  such as where the audience is, the type of audience, the atmosphere 
 (emotional), and much more... I do 'dance with my partner'. The thing about  
tango is that, as most people know, the passion between the two dancers is  
extremely important to convey the message, the story of the relationship...  
i.e. the music, the lyric, the connection. Now, this aspect of 'dancing with  
your partner' is exactly that... another aspect (in tango performance) added  to 
all the other factors aforementioned. It's a necessity to convey the  message 
of the dance. This adds to the beauty of the performance, but it's not  the 
only factor.

*Being able to turn heads IS another factor for  me*.

I hasten to add: that's not to say I'm aiming for that in a social  setting. 
I don't pay attention to what's going on in the seats/tables around  the dance 
floor while I'm dancing. I don't care... unless they interfere with  me or my 
partner!!! I'm aiming to enjoy the dance, the music, the connection  between 
me and my partner; if I happen to turn head, then even better! I'm not  
necessarily aware of it at the time as I'm concentrating on my partner and me  and 
the music, but it is something I'm told about by people  afterwards.

It's altogether so-o-o-o common in many tango societies,  the snivelling, 
snide comments hidden behind hands. "Who does he/she think  he/she is!" "That's 
not tango!" "They don't feel what they're dancing!". I say  to these types "Get 
lost! Live and let live! Mind your own  business!".

Y'know, I'm sick of those (noisiest) who continue to put  down those of us 
who enjoy performing as being unworthy of tango... 'that's  not what tango is 
all about'... 'you have to dance for your partner'... 'dance  as though no-one 
is watching'... and all that crap. I must stress though, that  these belching 
platitudes, although indeed worthy of consideration and in some  way 
applicable, are not burnt into stone as being qualities of the 'true  tanguero'.  

Others like me have been pilloried, panned and made  to question our 
worthiness of tango for enjoying performance tango... I've  read these 'digs' for God 
knows how long! For what reason? Probably because  either they can't perform 
themselves or are crap dancers anyway... who knows?  I don't.

So, 'now is the time for all good men to come to the aid of  the party'... 
ie. those of you who agree with me, please speak up. There are  bound to be lots 
of flaming from the 'holier-than-thou' / 'we-know-best'  brigade. Come on, 
give your self-appointed advocate a helping hand.  ;-)

Cheers

Dani


----- Original Message ----
From:  Ron Weigel <tango.society at gmail.com>
To:  dani at tango-la-dolce-vita.eu
Cc: Tango-L at mit.edu
Sent: Wednesday, 12  July, 2006 6:22:59 PM
Subject: Re: [Tango-L] Women and  Classes


On 7/12/06, Club~Tango*La Dolce Vita~  <dani at tango-la-dolce-vita.eu> wrote:
>
> For you, Ron... for  you. Please don't speak on my behalf.
> Dani
>
> Ron Weigel  <tango.society at gmail.com> wrote:
>
> Dancing with your  partner is preferred over dancing for the audience.
>
>  Ron
_______________________________________________

OK, so dancing  for the audience is preferred over dancing with your partner?

So I  guess it only takes ONE to tango.

The stage is reserved for those who  dance for the audience. (By the
way, good stage dancers have good partner  connection technique. Good
stage dancers also dance a social style at the  milongas.)

Those who prefer to dance with our partners would like to  have the
social dance floor available to us. Sometimes we get in the way of  the
performers who have descended from the stage onto the social  dance
floor. Sorry about  that.

Ron
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