[Tango-L] Milonguero style, style vs. technique

[Nina Pesochinsky]

Hello, everyone.

I have not been writing on Tango-L for years, but in the last few 
weeks my curiosity has been sparked and so I decided to show 
up.  After all, these things to mean something.

A lot of focus of many discussions has been on the "style".  I would 
like to offer a different perspective than what has been discussed so far.

To me, there is a clear distinction between "technique" and "style".

Technique is universal.  It wraps around the natural movement of a 
human body.  In tango, it is not ideal because that bodies are not 
ideal and more unique in a sense that there is no strive for 
perfection, where everyone looks the same.  Even if a dancer has 
limited mobility, such as due to arthritis, injuries, etc., a proper 
technique can accommodate this and allow a great degree of freedom in 
movement and musical interpretation.  Technique connects the person 
to their body in an intimate way.  Technique is impersonal.  It has 
no purpose other than to help a dancer deliver the most expressive 
and dynamic movement he/she can, using the natural properties of the 
body (equilibrium, axis, flexibility strength, etc.) and the forces 
(gravity, centripetal, centrifugal, torque, etc.).  Technique is 
about learning the properties of the dancing body and how to use them.

An analogy is sculpting in clay.  If I know the properties of the 
clay I am working with, I can and prefer to sculpt blindfolded.  On 
the other hand, if I do not know the properties of the material I am 
using, then I need to see what it does under my fingers.  I am not 
attached to one way or another.  It is just a matter of 
functionality, of using the art supplies in the best possible way.

"Style" to me is something entirely different.  Technique can exists 
without style.   It can be a perfect dance, but pure technique is cold.

My analogy is the story of Pygmalion.  Style is a breath of life for 
a technically perfect, but otherwise cold dance.  Style is when 
Galatea comes to life.  So imagine if Pygmalion wished for a pile of 
clay to become alive BEFORE he finished the beautiful female 
form.  What horror!  There would be a pile of shapeless clay running 
around in the world of myths!

My point it that style must be superimposed on the technique and 
cannot exists without it.  If a dancer tries to adopt a style PRIOR 
to learning the unique technical properties of his or her body, the 
style that he/she chooses will force such dancer into a state of 
perpetual inconsequence, as far as his or her dance experience goes.

The term "Milonguero style" feels to me as offensive to all true 
milongueros.  As a generalization, it misses more than it 
captures.  Originally, it was a term that was meant to describe very 
specific limitations.  I learned this from a very well known person 
in tango, who has been invisible to the world outside of 
Argentina.  The story goes like this:

In the late 80s/early90s, Susanna Miller coined the term "milonguero 
style" to describe the focus of her classes, which at that time was a 
quick training that would allow people to go to the milongas and be 
able to dance in a very short amount of time.

As most people know, tango as a dance form is very demanding in 
training and time.  Many people do not want that.  They just want to 
learn enough to be acceptable in the milongas.  This was what Susanna 
Miller was offering.  It was not about dancing well or developing 
yourself through movement.  The purpose was to know a few elements 
that would allow the social experience of tango in a fairly crowded setting.

I think that this was useful.  People want different things from 
their tango experience.  What I question is the eagerness of some 
very serious dancers to embrace a term that implies so many limitations.

Many of you have seen Eduardo Capuzzi (I hope I spelled his name 
correctly) and Marianna Flores dance  (especially their vampire piece 
to La Cumparcitay).  They are very entertaining.  Their dancing is 
superbly stylized.  But if you look very closely, they have 
phenomenal technique.  But it is never at the forefront of what we 
see as an audience.  It serves as a solid foundation to their chosen style.

Technique and style are not one and the same.  Technique can be a 
dance, but who with a beating heart would want it?!  Style without 
technique is a pile of shapeless clay running around in the milongas 
without ever becoming a tango Galatea.

Warmest regards to everyone of you,

Nina


At 05:39 PM 11/2/2006, you wrote:
>Hi Igor,
>
>What I was hearing was people getting hung up on the label
>"milonguero-style".  This appears to be a language issue,
>not an actual dance issue.   When Timmy wrote his email,
>enough people knew what he was talking about.  Which means
>that term is quite valid.
>
>I was also hearing people unfairly placing characteristics
>onto those who use the term, even though others who do not
>use the term can also have those very same characteristics.
>
>At the TangoFest recently, a friend of ours was amused to
>hear a well-known nuevo teacher complaining about how
>organizers keep bringing in teachers of different styles.
>The teacher thought that people should stick to one style.
>Gee, exactly what some on this list complain that another
>milonguero-style teacher says.
>
>I don't hear Republicans complaining that the Democrats
>labeling themselves as Democrats implies that the
>Republicans do not believe in democracy.
>
>Don't forget to vote on Tuesday.
>
>Trini de Pittsburgh
>
>
>--- Igor Polk <ipolk at virtuar.com> wrote:
>
> > Trini,
> > I do not think you are listening to other people.
> > You are a typical milonguero style dancer.
> >
> > And of course there are many other close embrace styles.
> > Example?
> > Canyengue.
> >
> > Igor
> >
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> >
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