[Tango-L] What nebula?

[Michael Figart II]

Hello Sergio,
Howdy Sergio,

After quite a long time of respecting your range of knowledge, and your
sense of decorum on this list, I find it amazing that you seem to accept
some of Derik's accusations as documented truth, and apparently discount
what I write as fiction, while also distorting and twisting some things
that have been written, and totally inventing others.

Houston probably has a community of 150+ fairly active tango dancers.
It's a very cool group in it that it is so culturally diverse with at
least half of them being foreign-born from all over the world. They are
(very nearly) all great people and I get along very well with 98% of
them.

There are 5 or 6 leaders of tango
liso/apilado/close-embrace-all-the-time, and that's being generous. 5 or
6, me being one of them. Hardly enough to "exert an unjust tyranny",
don't you think? Or even "control" anything?!

Several years ago I was elected to the board of a start-up organization,
TangoHouston, mostly because I was extremely active in the community,
and on great terms with everybody here. I later served about 3 years as
president. I was the only board member who danced
"close-embrace-all-the-time" (CEATT).

I naturally exerted a bit of influence to make sure that CEATT was
included in the activities of the organization. We did many
demonstrations at art and cultural fairs, etc, with 3 couples dancing.
Generally I danced with a partner, and the other two couples (all great
friends to this day), danced an open/nuevo style.

The events we sponsored drew a great cross-section of the entire
community, and the organization was active, visible, well-received and
appreciated. We were completely non-aligned, and as a group showed no
preferences or bias to local teachers (4-5 sets of local teachers). I
was extremely careful when asked about classes or teachers, showing no
prejudice, and referring all to our flier or the website where all
teachers were listed. I usually told people it might be best to choose a
teacher based on convenience of class time and location.

TangoHouston was so neutral that we refused to bring in visiting
teachers, reserving that privilege for the local teaching organizations,
most of whom have not been near as active in doing so as other large
cities in the US. My fantastic teacher (the only CEATT teacher here),
was active, bringing in Cacho, Brigitta, Susana, Alicia... but NOT
promoting or publicizing the workshops at all, so that her loyal
students could enjoy small, intimate classes focused on apilado. Catch
that? NO PROMOTION OR PUBLICITY. NONE.

I've always acknowledged and accepted that there are many styles of
tango, and that all are valid and cool. I've taken lessons with Juan
Carlos Copes, Pablo Puliese, Luciana Valle, Fernanda and Guillermo,
Julio and Corinne, among many others who teach styles other than CEATT.

So you see, Sergio, no control wanted, no tyranny exerted, no pendulum
ever swung. Derik is not venting the frustrations of the community; as
far as I know they have no frustrations to vent, at least at the (very
small) CEATT group here.

And then you also cloud the issue by introducing the separate subject of
"social tango", and claim that <<<<<<< " the same characters now come
with the idea that "close embrace all the time" is the only possible
"social form of dancing tango">>>>>>>Huh??? Show me some examples of
this. What characters? How can you rightfully make this stuff up,
attribute it to other "characters", and use it as the basis to turn a
civilized discussion into a contentious argument, and furthermore, using
it as "ammunition" in a completely different subject? Here is what I
wrote<<<<<<<"social tango" makes a useful distinction between those
styles; apilado, close salon, open salon, whatever.....that can be
danced politely on a crowded floor, and those that cannot such as nuevo
or fantasia">>>>>>> 

I understand that you can go to La Rada, for example, for a social
evening dancing nuevo with friends, etc. That's fine, I love it and I
agree. But my assertion is that there are only certain styles (apilado,
close salon, open salon, whatever) that can be danced on a CROWDED
floor. Note that I included OPEN SALON, and the use of the term
"CROWDED". You cannot go to El Beso and dance nuevo without catching, at
the very least, some very angry looks (and probably a black eye). I
think every North American on this list understands, has heard, and
probably used the term "social tango" in this manner. Listeros, what do
you think? Am I wrong there? Please tell me if I am.

So Sergio, be careful, the only pendulum swinging is that of your
credibility.

Regards to all,

Michael 
Houston

-----Original Message-----
From: tango-l-bounces at mit.edu [mailto:tango-l-bounces at mit.edu] On Behalf
Of Sergio Vandekier
Sent: Tuesday, May 02, 2006 11:44 PM
To: tango-l at mit.edu
Subject: [Tango-L] I think that the nebula has lifted

When I read Derik's notes I knew he was upset about something but I was
not 
sure I quite understood the reason for his frustration; now after
reading 
Michael's last few notes I think I understand better.

When you exert an unjust tyranny, sooner or later there is going to be a

reaction that will oppose it, frequently  not with moderation but like a

pendulum will shift in the opposite direction; to the other extreme.

We have many examples in society: China and Russia failed to adjust with
the 
times and kept their population in the middle ages, under tyrannical 
exploitation well into the 20th century when many other countries had 
changed to a more liberal form of government. The result was the
terrible 
communist revolutions that affected both countries:  The pendulum
shifted in 
the opposite direction

Here we have a tango community that apparently had been controlled by
"close 
embrace all the time dancers" who if I remember well used to write in
the 
list asserting that their's was the "real tango" the only one that could

offer all the benefits of the dance.

After long discussions on this list they finally accepted that tango has

many faces, many styles and they are all good and deserve respect but...
the 
same characters now come with the idea that "close embrace all the time"
is 
the only possible "social form of dancing tango".

Well, it seems that Derik was venting the frustration of a lot of people
in 
that community.

And...guess what he shifted the pendulum the other way. He brought
Andres 
Amarilla and started a group of Nuevo Tango dancers.  If we were to
accept 
the  description of Michael we have to accept that they are beginners in

that style....no problem they will continue to learn and they will
become 
good at it like anybody else.

Trina, (whom I know personally and had the pleasure of dancing with in
close 
and open embrace,  is an excellent dancer and teacher), had the feeling
that 
Derik's was a "local" problem that had to be solved in his community but
I 
think that we all can learn something of this:

There are many tango styles as described many times before. When you
"dance 
socially" you do it following certain Etiquette rules: "the milonga
codes".  
It does not matter what style you dance; if you are able to follow those

rules, any social gathering to dance any style of tango is "Social
dancing".

The gatherings can take place in a salon, a club, or a private home
where 
there is a celebration with a tango dance.

Summary: We have to abandon stupid dogmatism and finally accept the fact

that there are many styles of tango that deserve due respect.

....my final advise: careful because the pendulum may shift the other
way 
again.