[Tango-L] Social Tango, pre 1994

[Tom Stermitz]

It is nice to get Barbara's older "recent history" from 1993, as  
things have changed so much. I don't doubt your observations. I think  
you were on the cusp of the change.

By my first trip in 1996 ocho cortados and straight milonguero (as it  
now is called) was the norm in many clubs. Probably not at Sunderland  
(as you say, out in the neighborhoods). Certainly the milonguero  
style dominated at Almagro, which was full of many very good dancers.  
It couldn't have sprung fully fletched from the nest, so the style  
however it is called, must have gone back further.


I was at Sunderland in 1996 also, but don't remember the style. All I  
know is that I was unprepared for the close dancing (salon or  
milonguero) and had a lot of difficulty navigation the crowds. I  
undertook to learn how to dance close and rhythmic, and by my second  
trip (1997 or 1998) I was able to fit in on the dance floor.

Of course, in 1995 nuevo was still just a gleam in the eyes of Fabian  
& Gustavo. Chicho was learning milonguero.

My sense is that a lot of the old guys always knew milonguero (by  
whatever name) but didn't talk about it much, emphasizing the more  
elegant, socially-acceptable and family-oriented salon. I think on  
their spare time some of them were cruising for ladies downtown, so  
maybe there were other things they didn't talk about. I say this  
because I've heard some of the older, classic dancers (whom we know  
for their teaching of "salon/fantasy") criticize milonguero as just a  
way to pick up chicks ("levantar una mina'), and yet I've seen some  
of the same dancing straight milonguero.


You will be somewhat shocked at the level of dance these days  
compared with the mid 1990s. There are only a few places to go where  
the floor-craft is pretty good and the dancers are on the average  
excellent. There are a more places where the dancing is fairly okay  
with a sprinkling of great dancers, but the navigation is marred by  
whirlygigs and zig-zaggers without awareness of people around them,  
or perhaps intentionally trying to clear the floor.

Canning, Consagrados, Arrangue and a few others may be a good model  
for the future. These milongas have a lot of "normal" people in  
attendance: 50 year old guys and 40 year old secretaries. The dancing  
is basic, pretty-good social tango, not nuevo or fantasy-dominated  
salon. The few foreigners there fit right in.

These days, due to the growth of tango most people on the dance  
floors in Buenos Aires have 2-10 years of dance, whereas your  
observations in 1993 included milongas where a lot of dancers (the  
majority?) had 40-50 years.



On Jul 13, 2006, at 12:08 PM, Barbara Garvey wrote:

> Hi Tom, et al,
> Hope you are doing well -- we've mentioned you to several visitors  
> from
> Colorado who turned up in our classes or practicas.
>
> I guess we have to repeat this discussion every time a few newbies  
> join
> the List.
> The term milonguero *as a style of dancing* did not exist in Buenos
> Aires before 1993 or 1994, according to our experience.  If anyone who
> was dancing there before 1993 has evidence otherwise, please speak up.
> We visited BsAs for about a month at a time in 1987, 90, 91, 92, 94  
> and
> 98; in 1994 (93?-- we weren't there in 93) Susana Miller began  
> teaching
> and * heavily* promoting the term for close embrace style of dancing,
> mostly Tete's version, as the *only authentic social tango*.   
> Dancing in
> a close embrace definitely existed before our first trip,  but without
> any bells and whistles;we had heard the term "confiteria"  
> occasionally.
> At places like Regin (now El Beso) and Salon Argentina  and other  
> venues
> in the center that was definitely the preferred style. We noticed only
> salidas, walking, cadencias and weight changes, and back 8's. Not even
> front 8s or 8s cortados. Plus no teachers even acknowledged that  
> style,
> much less taught it.
>
> Meanwhile in the neighborhoods, like Mataderos and Villa Urquiza, a  
> more
> open, or actually very slightly in&out style (in for walking moves, a
> couple of inches out for turning steps) was, and I hope, still is,
> happening. See old videos of Fino and Teresa. This included sacadas,
> turns, floor boleos, turns, etc, only "on the floor" techniques, but
> never high boleos, jumps, or anything disruptive. This was the style
> used by virtually everyone whose dancing was admired, and by all
> teachers pre 1993 or 4. A large number of these dancers were (are?)  
> very
> very good -- see the film TangoBar with Raul Julia. Al and I knew and
> studied with 4 of the couples in the "Como Dios manda"  scene. More
> dramatic (fantasia) moves were only used for exhibitions (by non-stage
> dancers as well as professionals) and were strictly warned against for
> use in the milongas by all teachers, including stage dancers.
>
>  Eduardo Arquimbau began teaching his club-style sometime in the early
> 90s, but originally he did not stress close embrace. Previously to his
> classes we had found a similar very rythmic style of dancing was a
> natural response to us to certain  music, D'arienzo, Biaggi, of  
> course.
>
> In the pre-94 years, "milonguero" or "milonguera" *seemed* (I may have
> misunderstood the context) to refer to anyone who went dancing
> frequently; I didn't notice a pejorative meaning although it was
> understood that in the past it had that interpretation. In any case, I
> wonder what term we can use for those of us who dance socially in
> whatever style but actually live a pretty responsible lifestyle (by
> choice, age or accident)????
>
> And those who dance only "milonguero" style, but who are not layabouts
> and womanizers, what do you call yourselves?
>
> And those who insist this is the *only* social style, have you ever  
> been
> to Sunderland, Sin Rumbo, and other milongas outside the center of  
> town?
> Al and I are planning a trip to BsAs in November and are eager
> (anxious?) to see for ourselves the extent of change since we were  
> last
> there in 1998.
>
> NEW TOPIC: Recent History
> I am curious about the introduction of such moves as colgadas,  
> volcadas,
> and other new close embrace and/or nuevo techniques. Does anyone know
> who  invented what???
> Abrazos to all from the Global Warming capital of the world.
> Barbara
> www.tangobar-productions.com
>
>
>
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