[Tango-L] Practicas in Buenos Aires

[Meredith Klein]

Last night, Gustavo Naveira and Giselle Anne danced in Villa Malcolm.
This was quite unusual as they rarely, if ever, have performed at a
practica, and in any case, the practica on Monday nights at Villa
Malcolm does not generally host performances.  The place was
absolutely packed, and the crowd expressed its exuberant adoration for
Gustavo & Giselle by pretty much refusing to stop clapping.

After dancing four songs, Gustavo spoke a little bit about how
emotional an experience it was for him to perform at the practica in
Villa Malcolm.  He said that in his early years dancing tango--when
there were barely even milongas--no one could have imagined that a
practica like Malcolm could exist.  He encouraged us to remember how
lucky we are to have this venue (and others like it), and to recognize
it for what it is: a "treasure" and an important part of tango
history.

The dynamic that exists between Gustavo and the young dancers is quite
unique.  The young dancers, many of whom insist that they dance "their
own" style and don't give credence to teachers or influences,
nonetheless openly express their respect and admiration for Gustavo,
and their debt to him as a teacher.  Interestingly, dancers who prefer
a wide range of styles all credit Gustavo as one of their most
important influences.
Gustavo, on the other hand, who can easily make his living just
teaching foreigners, seems to feel a desire and responsibility to
continue investing in the local tango scene in Buenos Aires by
nurturing the younger dancers.  In a tango community that can seem
immense and disparate, the dynamic of mutual respect between Gustavo
and the practica crowd creates one kind of cohesiveness, linking
different generations of dancers and different styles of tango.

On 08/08/07, Janis Kenyon <Jantango at feedback.net.ar> wrote:
> http://www.eltangauta.com/nota.asp?id=733
> Feature article of the July 2007 issue on practicas (in English text).
>
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