[Tango-L] Community Expansion Brainstorming

[Nina Pesochinsky]

I will reply to several messages in one.  This is just for fun. I  
refuse to choose my words here and I spit my opinions without  
justifying any of them for this message.  So here it goes:

1.  The ranting gives away the cluelessness.
To say, like Robert had said, "I hate this "in Buenos Aires they do it  
like this and that is the only way", one better had mastered the way  
they do it in BA or just be quiet because these words become nonsense.  
  If you do not know the BA way, you have no clue what is the way, the  
only way, or some other way.  But if you do know the BA way, then you  
would be quiet about all this naturally because your knowledge would  
not permit you to dimiss the BA way.

2. I know of only one musician who is an amazing tango dancer.  The  
rest are fakes or struggling.  Better stick to music. Trying to be  
both often creates mediocrity in both.

3. Piazzolla did not like dancers.  He did not write for them.  Great  
for musicians, bad for dancers.  Piazzolla did not write tango.  He  
did not want to. He fused classical music, tango and jazz.  Musicians  
should know this.

4.  Swedish musicians trying to play Be-Bop will not learn it even if  
they go to NYC.  You have to live and breath the culture that produced  
the music and not just play the notes.  If you did not get it with  
your mother's milk, you might just forget about it (unless you had a  
very International mother)!  This applies to musicians only.  Dancers  
transcend this problem.

5. Tango is an art form to some and a social dance to others.  The  
context must be specified in the discussion.  Otherwise, there is a  
danger of a big fight.

6. Ron said, "The first generation of homegrown American
instructors were trained to teach a dumbed down version of tango
fantasia. (8-count basic, the sandwich, ganchos, high boleos - rarely
seen at Buenos Aires milongas)".

NOT TRUE.  The first generation of dancers in the US was taught by  
people like Pablo and Esther Pugliese and Daniel Trenner and the  
emphasis was on walking in various systems. Basic elements were  
intoduced so that people could practice movement and dance socially.  
Pablo and Esther intensely focused on the quality of the embrace.

Daniel emphasized the relational aspects of the dance between partners  
and focused on intense connection.  Dancers spent hours, HOURS, doing  
nothing but connection in movement work. He stressed and promoted the  
"authentic" way.  He encouraged people to go to BsAs and experience it  
for themselves.  This was the EXPERIENTIAL learning - something you  
cannot do outsied of Argentina.  Daniel told stories of famous old  
dancers in BsAs and taught people to respect what they had brought and  
created in tango.  The first generation of dancers knew what each one  
of those old dancers had brought to tango that was unique and was that  
person's mark on the dance.  Each one had something special, like his  
own salida.  This was just like the famous orchestras, where each one  
had their own unique ending.

The steps came later with the next generations of dancers and  
confusion and chaos descended like a dark cloud.

I will put something more substantial in another e-mail because the  
issue of quality has many aspects to it.

Kindest regards to all,

Nina


Quoting Robert Armus <rarmus at hotmail.com>:

> I quit going to Tango because many of the people are too self-righteous for
> my taste. I am a professional musician and even play Tango sometimes, I live
> in Paris now and have lived and danced in Buenos Aires, Cordoba, NYC,
> Amsterdam,Vancouver and Toronto. I started dancing Tango 15 years ago.
>
> I hate this "in Buenos Aires they do it like this and that is the only way"
> BS. Hear me out, it's like saying if a musician in Sweden is trying to play
> Be-Bop, there is no way they will learn it unless they go to NYC, it's not
> true. Tango is an art form.... that means be creative ! Learn the rules,
> then break them ! Bird said "learn it then forget it and just play".
>
> Tango communities outside of Argentina are still developing, let them
> develop in there own way, who knows maybe a new style will begin
> [sarcasm]God forbid[/sarcasm]. Tango has become an international art form,
> just like Jazz. Tango began as a mix of cultures... let it continue as such.
>
> Can someone here define the word "quality" ?
>
> Astor Piazzolla was one of the most profound musician/composers of the 20th
> century and he called his music Tango but many dancers still think his music
> is not for dancing or not even Tango !?!
>
> Just because someone thinks they dance well or "authentic" Tango doesn't
> make them a superior human being, so why the superior attitude?
>
> I have more to say but will spare you the rant.
>