[Tango-L] Politics and tango

[Lois Donnay]

Well, it looks like she still doesn't get it, and she's not going to
apologize, so I will take Keith's excellent advice and let it go. Time to
bring up a semi related topic, one I've been thinking about for awhile.

It appears to me that most of the local tango community are politically
liberal. I will go so far and say that the best dancers (in my opinion) are
politically liberal. We know that Argentines are more liberal than the US in
general. This progressive nature is different than in other dance circles.
In my experience, more ballroom dancers identify as Republicans than swing
dancers, and more swing dancers than tango dancers. Salsa dancers don't
identify themselves as easily, so I don't know.

So the questions is - why might this be? Of course, you have to be
open-minded to dance tango. You have to be able to accept people the way
they are. Nowadays, the more educated, well-read and traveled you are the
more likely you are a progressive, and this often describes people who are
drawn to tango. So the questions is: Can a right-wing conservative "get"
tango?

Lois


> I find it interesting that people like this little thing that goes,"if
it's a private post, then it's private."  I have never knowingly shared a
private post until now.  I found this one too off topic to justify honoring
the code of silence.   Alberto was the one who didn't respect the
differences between us.  I do not know him and he dosen't know me from Eve.
If it makes anyone feel better to think I'm a prude, good.  Perhaps that
will help balance my reputation.  ;-)
>
> I think what really rubs some people the wrong way about it, is that it
exposes too much.  It ruins the illusion that allows them to give themselves
into an embrace with a stranger, or even an acquantance.  We assume that we
have a lot in common, because we share a love of dance, when that may or may
not be true.  It is disconcerting and upsetting to have the awareness that
we're sharing something that can feel so intimate with someone, who if we
knew them better under everday circumstances, we would choose not to
associate.  The whole unvarnished truth can be icky indeed.  Best to keep it
behind closed doors, huh?  You know what they say about sex, politics and
religion.
>