[Tango-L] Social tango definition and the importance of the embrace

Tue May 2 00:18:53 EDT 2006

Dear Kace:

Welcome to the list....

I have danced Argentine tango chest to chest with zero
embrace (both hands down) and to me it is still
definitely tango.  I have danced the same way
completely open and not touching my partner at all,
and that is also definitely tango.

In Argentine tango, we move together and follow each
others bodies. We move into and out of each others
space, right?  To me, that is how the dance is lead
and followed. If one is not "connected" with ones
partner and feeling her presence in your space,
nothing much interesting happens.  The embrace,
although a very cool, really has very little to do
with anything. It can be whatever one wants it to be,
and it can change instantly according to ones mood at
the time.  My opinion.

Derik
d.rawson at rawsonweb.com

--- Kace <kace at pacific.net.sg> wrote:

> As a tango instructor (not self-appointed) we are
> frequently asked to
> explain to our classes the difference between social
> and show tango.
> This is my definition:
> 
> - Social tango is like fishes swimming in a stream
> -- you need to have
> a clear sense of direction and not lose your
> companion in a herd.
> Dancing close is not mandatory, but it is the most
> energy-efficient and
> relaxing way to dance in a crowded space. We teach
> them both open
> and close, but most end up preferring close-embrace.
> 
> - Show tango is like fishes swimming in a static
> pond. Nothing stops
> you from expending your energy in convoluted figures
> in all combination
> of possibilities, but the price is a weakened or
> broken connection with
> your partner. Frequently these extra movements serve
> no communication
> purpose except to look aesthetically exciting to an
> audience.
> 
> In my class we define the open embrace as providing
> an extra degrees
> of freedom of movement -- a completely loose arm is
> 2 degree while a
> firm arm open embrace is 1 degree. A liquid hold
> that moves between
> open and close adds and subtracts degree, whereas a
> static hold that
> stays in one position remains in the same degree of
> freedom.
> 
> It is academically interesting to study the
> possibilities of extra degrees
> of freedom, and I recommend choreographers,
> instructors and
> academics to explore this to push the envelope of
> tango. The style
> of embrace have meanings in choreography terms, to
> represent
> love, confrontation, power, and control.
> 
> But if the freedom to open the embrace is taken too
> far, you may
> even end up using only one hand or releasing the
> hold completely -- as
> Andres does in some of his figures -- and you have
> to question if it is
> still "tango" without the embrace. In that case, why
> not have solo
> "shines" like salsa dancers?
> 
> For social dancers wishing to stay in a tango
> trance, close embrace
> is most enjoyable. But this is not a dogma.
> 
> The bottom line: a learner should understand the
> concepts of extra
> degrees of freedom using looser embrace --- but if
> he is a good enough
> social dancer, he probably do not need it on the
> dance floor.
> 
> Kace
> tangosingapore.com
> 
> 
> Derik Rawson wrote:
> > Dear Sergo:
> >
> > Your definition of social tango sounds perfectly
> > reasonable.  The convoluted definitions of Michael
> and
> > others are not.
> >
> > --- Sergio Vandekier
> <sergiovandekier990 at hotmail.com>
> > wrote:
> >
> >   
> >> People may do an exhibition in close embrace
> tango
> >> and this is Stage tango.
> >>     
> >
> > Derik
> > d.rawson at rawsonweb.com
> >
> > --- Sergio Vandekier
> <sergiovandekier990 at hotmail.com>
> > wrote:
> >
> >   
> >> I think that at this point it is important to
> define
> >> 'Social Tango'.
> >>
> >> As you know the first division of tango in
> Argentina
> >> is Salon (the one done 
> >> socially at the salons or clubs) and Stage (the
> one
> >> performed for 
> >> exhibitions or on stage).
> >>
> >> IMO when people gather to socialize and dance
> they
> >> are doing 'social 
> >> dancing' irrespective of the style they are
> doing.
> >>
> >> So people may gather to do Salon Open embrace or
> >> Nuevo tango and this is 
> >> Social dancing.
> >>
> >> People may do an exhibition in close embrace
> tango
> >> and this is Stage tango.
> >>
> >> What do you think?
> >>
> >> Sergio
> >>
> >>
> >>     
> >
>
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Derik Rawson
d.rawson at rawsonweb.com
http://www.rawsonweb.com
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d.rawson at cal.berkeley.edu
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Paris, France

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