[Tango-L] Tango reflects society - introduction

[Jak Karako BailaTango.com]

Dear Sergio

While I think the point you are trying to make is different, I am not in agreement with your proposition referring to men and women:
"They show intense respect for each other's worlds."... "They 
walk hand in hand in admiration of each other's differences, accepting and celebrating them." Generalizations of this kind is just not the reality. 

While this is a desired situation, respect, admiration, acceptance and celebration of differences are just not the norm. They are not common attributes of the tango scene (Argentina or elsewhere)

My observation suggests otherwise. The disrespect for the other gender, looking down, rejection, intolerance are all over the place.

However I agree with the subject of your e-mail, tango does reflect society, with its good and bed elements.

Let us not be araid of passing judgements, if such judgements are based on objective observations and facts. 
The appropriate premise is "Judge and be ready to be judged".
Only the disrespectful and the intolerant has something to gain from refraining from judgement.

Jak
www.BailaTango.com/ny/



>What follows is how I see the origin of tango roles.  A representation of 
>Argentine society.
>
>Notice that I say "how I see" it. There are many Argentine Milongueros (or 
>anyone else) that read these notes and I welcome them to give their opinion 
>if they do not agree with my views on this subject. (If you write in Spanish 
>I will translate).
>
>This does not mean that you have to dance in any different way than that 
>that you prefer.
>This does not pass judgment on any society whatsoever, it merely describes 
>something as I see it.
>
>Argentine women, like many women all over the world, are happy they are 
>women.
>
>Argentine men are happy they are men.
>
>Women in Argentina have their own feminine world and men have their own 
>masculine world at the same time they have an intense relatinship with each 
>other.
>
>There is some mysterious thing about those worlds: men think that women have 
>their own mysterious world and women think the same way as to the man's 
>world.
>
>They show intense respect for each other's worlds.
>
>In a party, generally speaking, women and men mingle and talk freely but if 
>there are three or more women discussing something, men stay away and women 
>do the same when a group of men are talking among themselves.
>
>Those worlds intersect at times, men and women come together as masculine 
>and feminine, they know that they are different, they do not compete, they 
>do not compare, they help each other to fulfill their roles in life.  They 
>walk hand in hand in admiration of each other's differences, accepting and 
>celebrating them.
>
>When it comes to tango those facts are represented in the dance, there is a 
>feminine role and a masculine role.  They both men and women are highly 
>respectful of such roles.
>
>As an alternative women can perform the masculine role and men can do the 
>feminine  one, or each one can do both roles. As I explained before this is 
>not about machismo or homophobia at all. it is a mere explanation of the 
>origin of the roles in tango.
>
>There is a masculine and a feminine world at the milongas as well...but I 
>will discuss that later.
>
>Regards, Sergio
>
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-- 
Jak
917 575 1798
www.BailaTango.com/ny/