[Tango-L] tango movies (formerly I wanna buy a tango book)

[Victor Bennetts]

Krasimir, I don't find your response rude because it is not a personal attack. So far as I am concerned, criticism is fine and helpful, just so long as it is directed to the post and not the person.

I agree with everything you say, but don't think this means the book is worthless. I just said the book had some good stuff in it IMHO, nothing about the author's videos or if he can dance. If you look on the amazon listing it is recommended by at least one well known US dancer who can dance really well and it was on the strength of that recommendation that I bought it. The book covers all the common figures like ochos, giros, boleos, ganchos so would be a good reference just to give you a catalogue of what is generally considered to be the tango repertoire. And I liked the guy's attitude, saying things like the 8 step basic wont teach you how to dance tango. I don't see why a bad dancer (if he is bad, I don't know) can't write a good book. You can be an armchair general and write a great biography of Napoleon without actually commanding an army in the field can't you?

Incidentally, I also wanted to ask what are people's favourite tango movies and documentaries. I recently purchased 'Tango Baile Nuestro' which is a really interesting documentary IMO. It was made in 88, I believe and filmed over something like the previous 10 years, so it predates the tango 'renaissance' and I find it really interesting for that reason. It was recommended to my wife and I by Aurora Lubiz in BsAs as it has scenes of ordinary dancers dancing tango at Milongas around that time. It is quite a humorous documentary for a tango dancer of today to watch because on the one hand you have films of social dancing at Milongas, which are very familiar and interesting, interspersed with very strange modern or ballet misinterpretations of tango and crazy poetry and acting. Very chaotic and therefore Argentinian actually, so I love it dearly, even the bit where the 'tango dancers' go barefoot into the graveyard to dig up their shoes :-).

Amongst the basura I was pleasantly surprised to find really interesting bits I liked, such as the interviews with the 'milongueros' where they are saying that tango is dying out and that people are not dancing as well as they used to. Funny how that is the same opinion regularly posted to this list. Certainly, the milongas don't look very crowded back then, but I am not sure if that was due to the filming. It is also very sweet where these same old dancers are sitting with their families in the park and looking on at a US film crew filming professional dancers doing a choreographed tango for a breakfast program. The milongueros look quite bemused to see these leotard clad guys and are saying that this is very nice but it is not their dance. It is truly beautiful to see their quiet pride and dignity. On the other hand you also have the commercial aspects and distortions of tango. You have Copes teaching tango via the eight step basic and explaining tango in terms of ballet and even a New Zealand ballroom dancer teaching 'tango' to Argentines where he is telling them to shimmy... All the time I was watching I was thinking that at this same time somewhere in BsAs great dancers like Osvaldo and Coco were living in obscurity just waiting to be rediscovered.

So I am wondering, youtube clips only give you so much. Are there other movies/documentaries that are recommended tango watching and what are people's thoughts about them.

Victor Bennetts

Krasimir >Sorry to have to say something that can be considered rude, but their
>walking (on the videos) is AWFUL.


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