[Tango-L] Choreography vs improvisation

[Michael]

I've read a number of messages dealing with choreography, vocabulary, and improvisation and their definitions.

Vocabulary is like words in a dictionary. You have to know the definition of each word and have them fit correctly in a sentence, e.g. singular vs. plural, adjective vs. noun. Tango vocabulary is the step (forward, back, side.)

Choreography is memorized vocabulary that dancers know IN ADVANCE of the lead.

Improvisation is spontaneously selecting "words" from the tango dictionary based on the music. Only the leader knows what is going to happen next. Of course, women can figure out what happens next is the man leads the same steps in the same sequence regardless of music. That's not choreography. That's poor improvisation.

Hope this helps.

Michael Ditkoff
Washington, DC
NY Tango festival next week.  www.celebratetango.com

I'd rather be dancing Argentine Tango