[Tango-L] Why dancers should judge musicians in Tango not otherwise

[Igor Polk]

:) I am glad to answer you Jeff, my pleasure !

Jeff wrote:
>Igor:This is just my thought that dancers should be the ones to tell what
music
>is good for tango dancing and what is not.

?! (cleaning off monitor) I've really got to stop reading these posts
when I drink coffee.

Igor:
- Obviously you think otherwise :) Sorry, that I have got you in a wrong
moment.

Jeff:
>Igor:We feel the music with the whole of our body.
>
Are you sure you feel it the same way I do?

No, our way is more elaborate. That is what I think and that is exactly what
I wanted to convey in my message why I think so.


Jeff:
Some pieces I really have to lie down for (Prokofiev Piano Concert #2 comes
to mind.)

Igor: Yes, I experience the same. My latest favorite is Giovanni Platti,
Concerto in G minor.
Also I have found a classical guitarist Gerald Garcia: "Brazilian Portrait"
from Naxos.
Not to speak that I want to dance to them.


Jeff:
Being able to perceive music as a
musician does is not a skill acquired lightly and MRI scans show a vast
difference in brain activity between musicians and non-musicians.
*Maybe* you get this too. Maybe.

Igor:
Have they measured Tango Dancers?
When I said "We feel the music with the whole of our body" I did not mean a
metaphor. I mean we do in reality - we dance. We move. With the whole of our
body and all parts of it. We materialize the music ! I hope you will take a
minute of time to read the rest of my message where I tried to describe very
shortly what happens in us. And what we want in music.

Jeff:
Dance music has to be written with a strong and obvious beat or dancers
won't be able to find it.

Igor: No Jeff, it is absolutely not true. I wonder why you think about Tango
Dancers this way? Hm... very negative.. We like the beat, but what you have
said is wrong. Bad dancers can not find the beat no matter how strong it is.
But we are good dancers.


Jeff:
That is why I decided to write some because it [Dance music]
imposes very strict technical demands on the author. No phrases of odd
length, no weird meters, no strange chord progressions.

Igor: Jeff, you sound like it is you who looses the beat in all your
"phrases of odd length, weird meters and strange chord progressions". All of
those are perfectly valid as soon as you do not loose the essence of dancing
music. Weird meters... One of the best dancing music ever existed, Brazilian
Samba and the real Cuban Rumba have very weird meters and polyrhythm, and
that what makes it great!

"Strict technical demands"... Yes ! You must find a way to express
complexity, novelty, and impress within the frame of this "strict demands".
And that is good ! No cheap tricks, please !

The strict demands are put on us by our way of physical existence and
abilities ( maximum of them ). Musicians who do not take it in account are
easily carried away from what dancers need. But it does not mean we, dancers
want simple music, we want complex music, very complex music. But with
"strict demands" put upon it.


Jeff:
Properly, I think that if one is writing dance music one needs feedback
from dancers -- this probably what you wanted to say, right?

Igor: Right. But also I am not telling you how to write music. I can not.
Let old records to tell you that.


Enjoyed your post,
Igor
PS
I have said "We materialize the music"
I think musicians pretty much do the same like we: They dance with their
fingers and bodies and breath - it is dance of theirs. A good musician is a
dancer ! This way we are very similar.