[Tango-L] Dance what you like

[Deby Novitz]

Kat,

I think your vicious sarcasm has no place.  First and foremost, if you 
knew what you are talking about you would know that "rose in the teeth" 
and slicked back hair was Rudolph Valentino dancing what is referred to 
as American Tango, not Argentine Tango.  Argentine Tango never used a 
"Rose in the teeth."  American Tango uses completely different steps and 
music than Argentine Tango.  It is unfortunate that you have no sense of 
history or understanding of what Argentine Tango is.  While you might 
not like how people like Nina and Manuel talk about tango, it might 
serve you to pay attention and learn something, rather than showing your 
ignorance.

Here in Argentina, the Argentines dance what they call Rock and Roll.  
It looks cool, but it is not American Rock and Roll.  It is a variation 
of East Coast Swing danced to the guitar rather than the bass as danced 
in American Rock and Roll.  They dance it to music like Credence 
Clearwater Revival.  They dance it to Chubby Checker's Twist.  They even 
dance it to Cumbia music of all things. Even the version of salsa they 
dance to in the milonga is the same basic step.  They love it.  Yet they 
are very surprised when I tell them that what they dance is not American 
Rock and Roll.  They are surprised when I tell them we don't partner 
dance to either Credence Clearwater or Johnny Rivers like they do.  They 
call the dance they do Rock and Roll - Argentino.  Why?  Because no 
matter how cool it looks, it is not Rock and Roll as danced in the U.S.

You may want to dance tango movements to African Swahili music upside 
down while spinning on a platform.  If it makes you happy and you think 
you are creating a new art form, then go for it.  But what you are 
dancing IS NOT Argentine Tango.  It is something completely different.  
Why is it that people outside of Argentina, who somehow come to a tango 
community in their area insist that because they want to change it, make 
it different, and create something completely different that others 
around them are wrong?  For me the great embarrassment of this, is that 
the absolute majority of these people are from my country, the United 
States.  This topic has been debated here and in other ex-pat forums, 
why is it, that American people think that they always have to improve 
and make something better, when what people in that country are happy 
with what they have? 

It was mentioned dancing by Chicho and El Pulpo.  Years ago when I was 
at the Latina Cafe in Paris, Chicho was there dancing with Luisa.  He 
was wearing a suit and she a demure skirt.  They were dancing pure 
milonguero and salon tango.  Not the dancing the Chicho is famous for.  
Chicho does not dance his style in the traditional milongas because he 
respects the culture of his country.

Once when I lived in San Francisco and was president of the Argentine 
Tango Association, Pulpo was there.  He was highly agitated by what some 
people there were dancing.  There is a faction in the Bay Area that 
thinks they are changing the face of tango in the Universe with honking 
big steps, sloppy turns, poor posture, no axis, and banging into people 
without apologizing.  He was furious.  "Can't you do something about 
this?"  he asked me.  I asked him what he expected me to do. He said he 
thought it was terrible and it made him very angry to see people dancing 
that way.

Maybe you think this is odd coming from the Octopus himself.  However if 
you knew his background then you would understand his outrage.  He comes 
from a long line of musicians and dancers.  Read any interview with him 
and he proudly talks about it.  Read those interviews and you will see 
his deep respect of the music and what is danced by milongueros and 
people here in Argentina.  Do you know what the Argentines say about 
him?  "Buen pibe pero no sabe que para bailar."  (He is a good kid but 
he can't dance.)  Everyone loves him here, but they know his form of 
dance is not danceable by anyone but him, and it is for foreigners.

Why is it Kat in all your infinite wisdom that here in Buenos Aires we 
have 130 milongas and yet only 5 are practicas for your version of a new 
art form?  The revival so to speak of tango is drawing people of all 
ages.  Yesterday in the elevator of my building a 17 year old boy asked 
me if I was the tango teacher.  He told me he and his girlfriend want to 
learn to dance like their grandparents.  We are seeing many young people 
attending milongas in places like El Beso, Baldosa, Mi Club, Porteño y 
Bailarin.  Argentines are fiercely protective of the dance form, and to 
be honest do not want to see what the foreign influence is bringing. 
Have some respect for a culture and another country instead of your 
bullheaded insistence that you are making something better and you have 
the RIGHT to do so.  Dance whatever you like however you like, but do 
not call what you are dancing Argentine Tango, because it is not.