[Tango-L] Interview with Gustavo Naveira, Part 1

Wed Jun 27 05:20:48 EDT 2007

I have to agree that Gustavo & Giselle-Anne aren't one the best couples
working together right now, if not one of the all time best couples.

I have only indirect experiences with their teaching:

1. A couple of intermediate students I know took one of their workshops
in BA, and got worse, not better.  
2. Many that I've talked to (including Argentines that were in his
circle during the time he, Fabian Salas and Chicho were working
together), tell me that he often (or maybe even usually) teaches to the
most advanced people in the classes, which means the material can be far
outside the performance envelope of many attendees.  Certainly what the
couple above showed of the material they were working on in those
classes, looked like it was way over their heads.

It seems to me that item 1 above was a direct consequence of item 2. 
Modern educational theory stresses that learning at the edge of one's
capabilities produces the greatest growth.  If you can't do back ochos
without falling over, think about what adding boleos to the mix will do
to your dance.

That being said, dancers with a certain degree of talent, technical
ability and body control might have an excellent experience with
Gustavo, if only to to put their fundamentals on the forge.  In other
words, it will make you really confident in your dance, if it doesn't
break you.  I personally believe that's a valuable service.  

Also, if people want to put themselves in a meat grinder, it's not
Gustavo's job to tell them, "No".  After all, he's just a tango teacher,
not a surgeon.

In any case, it seems that Minneapolis may be graced with their presence
in the next year, and I'm just as enthused as the next lemming, even if
my eyes are a bit more open as I walk over the cliff.

Christopher

On Tue, 26 Jun 2007 19:55:12 -0400, "Jake Spatz (TangoDC.com)"
<spatz at tangoDC.com> said:
> List,
> 
> Looks like Dani and I still won't get to fight (yet again), as I second 
> his opinion of Chris's posts here. And I believe I can help unpack the 
> critical perspective from which Chris writes-- and he can certainly 
> correct me if I'm mistaken about anything.
> 
> What Chris (appears to have) criticized isn't Gustavo's dancing, but 
> rather his analytical approach-- or rather, others' ubiquitous reliance 
> on it. That's certainly open to criticism, and should be. I've 
> criticized the particular content of his analysis myself (insofar as I 
> know what that content is: perhaps the Diet version in circulation is 
> what I have a problem with). But others criticize it for the simple 
> reason that it isn't everything or even the key thing about the dance, 
> since it maps movement and therefore moves-- and doing moves, of course, 
> is not the same thing as dancing.
> 
> Now, one would hardly expect an analysis of movement to tell you 
> everything about good dancing. I think it's only the plethora of (bad) 
> move-centric performers, and those who emulate them, who are responsible 
> for promoting this stuff above its proper station in some people's eyes. 
> But nonetheless it does get elevated; and so criticism of it can be not 
> only deserved, but quite healthy, to keep things in perspective.
> 
> In any case, I don't believe Chris is guilty of judging Gustavo by his 
> fans, which is the only real crime possible by now, for a critic. He's 
> in fact criticizing the fans, if you bother to read with pre-Info Age 
> care. For my part, I value Chris's noncompliance-with-herd-opinion very 
> highly. And I also think Gustavo & Giselle are brilliant dancers-- and 
> that their "moves" are the least interesting part of it.
> 
> Jake
> DC
> 
> 
> 
> Club~Tango*La Dolce Vita~ wrote:
> > Club ~Tango*La Dolce Vita~
> > ~ Dani Iannarelli ~
> >  
> > Hi Manuel / Tangueros,
> >
> > No, I don't class you as one of the tango 'nerds' ('anoraks' in equivalent UK parlance). In fact, I see you as my southern hemisphere "El Zorro de Tango" counterpart...!   :-)))))
> >
> >   
> >> The deal is this, I don't believe in deifying anyone in tango or in any other facet of life
> >>     
> >
> > Although I entirely agree with you, I have to say the Gustavo is, *for me*, one of the few exceptions, and it takes a great 'icon' for me to make any sort of exception!
> >
> > Having thus deified him (tango-wise), I still think "The Tango Lesson" was an utterly crap 'film'...!  >:-)))))
> >
> > Very best wishes
> > Dani ~
> > `El Zorro de Tango' >:-)))))
> >  
> > ~Tango*La Dolce Vita~
> >  
> > Email: dani at tango-la-dolce-vita.eu
> > Website: http://www.tango-la-dolce-vita.eu
> > Yahoo Group: http://uk.groups.yahoo.com/group/clubtango-ladolcevita
> > Online photogalleries: http://www.flickr.com/photos/club_tango-la-dolce-vita/
> > http://www.flickr.com/people/club_tango-la-dolce-vita/
> >
> >
> >
> > ----- Original Message ----
> > From: WHITE 95 R <white95r at hotmail.com>
> > To: dani at tango-la-dolce-vita.eu; keith at tangohk.com; Tango-L at mit.edu
> > Sent: Tuesday, 26 June, 2007 9:56:42 PM
> > Subject: Re: [Tango-L] Interview with Gustavo Naveira, Part 1
> >
> >
> > Hi Danni,
> >
> > I understand your point of view. I hope you don't lump me in the tango-nerd 
> > category as I'm fairly iconoclastic myself ;-))) The deal is this, I don't 
> > belive in deifying anyone in tango or in any oither facet of life. Actually, 
> > I rather skeptical abput all the waxing lirycal about the innefabilty of the 
> > tango moment, etc. I actually consider many of the current icons of tango 
> > (in the US, Argentina and the world) to be fairly overrated and IMHO, some 
> > are outright frauds. However, I'm not disposed to attack, denean or 
> > otherwise defame any of these folks or their teachings and doctrines. 
> > Perhaps Chris is merely stirring up controversy or trying to inject humor in 
> > the discussion. The problem is that things  written in these forums can 
> > sometimes become de facto "truths". I just wanted to set the record 
> > straight.
> >
> > Cheers,
> >
> > Manuel
> >
> > visit our webpage
> > www.tango-rio.com
> > _______________________________________________
> > Tango-L mailing list
> > Tango-L at mit.edu
> > http://mailman.mit.edu/mailman/listinfo/tango-l
> >
> >
> >   
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