[Tango-L] SFTX - The Exchange

[m i l e s]

(from TangoBliss.com)

The Exchange Itself

Many have asked this same question, what is a “tango exchange” ? My  
response to that question is somewhat of a derivation of an idea of  
what Homer had in mind. I like to think of the answer to that  
question this way:

First let me tell you that the Exchange is NOT a bunch of classes  
that you sign up for and then stand around in a circle while a  
teacher leads you through a series of patterns. Truth be told I hate  
that format for learning tango. There has to be a better way. There  
just has to be.

The Exchange is also not a critique session of what you’re doing  
wrong or right. It never ventures there. The Exchange focuses on  
possibilities, variations on a theme, and errs on the side that  
everyone (and I do mean everyone) has something valuable to impart  
either in the form of a question, an idea, a thought, or a consequence….

The idea for the Exchange is something that so rarely happens in  
Tango, most definitely NEVER at a Milonga, and almost never at an  
actual practica with MULTIPLE partners, and damned never NEVER in a  
group class, and not ever in a private.

And what is that something ? Its the open sharing of knowledge. It  
just doesn’t happen. Stop and think about it for a moment. In what  
other context do you ’share’ your knowledge of tango, your  
experiences, your successes, your failures, your explorations...? Now  
add to that question, at what other time in your tango experience  
have you sat with like-minded souls and not just talked tango (which  
we all do till the wee hour of the morning at many a festival or all  
night milongas), but actually worked on movements and sensations,  
feelings, and patterns. Now add to that again with a large enough  
group, say anywhere from 20 - 30 ppl of leads and follows. Where  
leads work with leads as follows, and or follows, and followers work  
with leads as leads and followers. When does this ’sharing’ of  
knowledge happen ? Almost never. Its never concentrated in one place  
and its never more than on a one on one basis with your local  
practice partners. Never on a grand scale. Never.

In Argentine Tango, the keepers of the knowledge (teachers) have to  
make a living somehow and they hold that knowledge unless of course  
you pay for their time and their expertise.

In a group class you can ask questions of the teachers, but engaging  
the class in an active discussion and exploration of a given topic or  
even a wide array of topics, not bloody likely.

In a private you can ask questions of a teacher and their experience  
of the material and sometimes you’ll get what they’re yapping about  
and sometimes you won’t but still you’re paying for the experience  
regardless of your level of success (I don’t know that many  
professions where you get paid no matter whether you fail or succeed  
in your task.  If tango teachers were paid on level of performance of  
their students and not the time involved in teaching I think we might  
see a slight shift in priorities)...

In a private practice session its one on one. You, your partner, the  
music and a dance floor. And usually its, in my experience, limited  
as that may be, where one person is directing the traffic of what  
they want to work on. Its never bi-directional. And not more than  
once a week, unless you’re me (in which case its 4 to 5 times a week).

So the Exchange fills that gap...kinda.

Truth be told though from my perspective it can not fill that gap.

The reason is because it doesn’t happen enough, once a year just  
doesn’t cut it folks. How often do the Tango Brethren in the United  
States get together (and I don’t mean at a social tango festival) ?  
How often does that happen ? Damned near never. Sure at a festival  
you see the ‘teachers’ huddled together and dancing the entire time  
with each other and rarely do they deign to look in your general  
direction (and rightfully so when you stop and think about WHY that’s  
so). But an open exchange of tango knowledge ? Not happening. And  
certainly not in a class room environment.

Tango has traditionally from the various sources I’ve discussed this  
with been kept a secret art for some reason. Those who have the  
knowledge hoard it. Those that don’t must come to the keepers of the  
flame and pay homage, whilst sucking up, one may or may not gain that  
which one seeks, as far as tango knowledge goes because in the end  
you must integrate what you have learned. And ultimately its up to  
you to make it all work.

The exchange seeks to change that for 4 days out of the year and  
hopefully change the paradigm a bit, slowly.