[Tango-L] Tourists & Janis - another perspective

[Igor Polk]

It hit me that when people talk about respect to old traditions at Buenos
Aires milongas, and everything else, they are talking about Preservation.

There are so many beautiful National Parks in America, so many places where
plants and animals and panoramas are preserved so that people can observe,
learn, and enjoy what was there on the planet no so long time ago. Without
preservation all that would be gone !

It is great that there are many tango tourists in Buenos Aires, and they
even "help the economy", and they dance tango and carry it away to the
world, but intuition tells me the more tourists the less original the place
is. It is a common sense that we should try to preserve what was there
before - it is the root which feeds all of us!
Preserve - means use only "established trails". "do not live garbige, do not
feed bears". Do not pick up flowers.
Do not shout, do not use photography flash ( flashlight is prohibited in
many natural sanctuaries ), "keep dogs on leash". Everyone knows, it is not
about YOU, it is about THEM. It is about OTHERS who would like to visit a
virgin place, or as it nearly as it can be.

Of course, there are always revolutionaries which would love to through the
"old order" in the garbage can to get their chance to rule as soon as
possible, but that is not whom I care about. I see them and I am sure I will
see them even more everywhere from Alaska to Vladivostok - they are no
different anywhere. They do not need preservation - they are strong
themselves.

But Buenos Aires is a unique place. It is a sanctuary. And any invasion
dilutes purity. To safe the atmosphere and customs at the Buenos Aires
Milongas should be the goal of all consciousness tango people. It is like a
museum for me. What should civilized people do with museums?

I wish to think that most tango people understand. And I've understood it
better myself thanks to Janis's list and the whole crazy reaction to it. And
especially Nina's letter.

Igor Polk
PS, please, I understand that milongas are not "museums". It is just a
figure of speech.