[Tango-L] Tango is not a pose

[Marisa Holmes]

--- Ed Doyle <doyleed at gmail.com> wrote:

> Tango is a 'happening' where you, your partner, the
> music, the other dancers, come together for a brief
> moment in time and space. It will never ever be 
> exactly the same again.  It is not a race, a
contest,
> or a show. Make the most of each tango instance.

My point exactly: the moment is not the same as any
other moment, nor will it ever occur again.  So why on
earth would I try to homogenize my experience by
dancing as slowly as I can to every type of music, in
every ronda, while trying to figure out how to creep
only once around the floor - once a song or once a
tanda, depending on who is reciting the Great
Mythology - with my partner? 

If the moment is unique, shouldn't I want to respond
to it in a unique way?  If the floor is packed and
there is a tanda of peppy milongas, shouldn't I try to
dance tiny quick steps that do not impinge on my
neighbors as we all progress slowly around the ronda? 
And if there is a giant floor with eight couples and a
glorious lush vals of de Angelis is playing shouldn't
I try to dance in a way that lets my partner swoop and
soar, pausing half in the air, waiting for the
exquisite moment when the lead resolves into the next
step?

There is a difference between dancing quickly and
rushing.  There is a difference between sweeping along
through an available space because the music calls for
movement and "failing to savor the moment".  If you
can't figure out what those differences are, you
better start by trying to free yourself from the idea
that there is only one right way to dance.  There are
lots of ways to dance tango, and the best ways take
into account the music, the partner, the space, the
ronda, your current psychological state, who knows
what.  If you take all those into account and always
come to the same conclusion, there is something wrong.

There is music that calls for slow enjoyment of every
nuance and quiver and there is music that calls for
glorious abandon and movement.  I want to dance both
kinds - and a lot of kinds in between.  What about
you?

Marisa

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