[Tango-L] Germans teaching Argentine tango in the USA

Mon Sep 3 19:17:16 EDT 2007

If you want to learn to dance like the milongueros, probably the best thing
to do is to go to Buenos Aires, spend a lot of time (several months, maybe
more) going to the milongas and observing the best dancers (assuming you can
identify them). If you're really serious about this, you might considering
moving there.

If you are fortunate, some of the milongueros will share some of their
knowledge with you. A small number of them teach, rarely as a regular thing.

And, oh yes, it would be very helpful to become fluent in Spanish before
doing this.

The next best thing would be to bring the milongueros to the US to teach.
However, there are several obstacles to this:
- Some are too old or not healthy enough to travel.
- It is difficult to get a work visa. (This is something Dept. Homeland
Security decides, not tango consumers.)
- If somehow a work visa can be obtained, the milonguero as instructor has a
number of obstacles to overcome in teaching: language differences, teaching
effectiveness. Some may be able to overcome this, and some may not be
capable of communicating their knowledge to tango dancers. Yes, the
milongueros epitomize social tango, but are they likely to be the most
influential in communicating the essence of social tango to students? Maybe;
maybe not.

The reason there are Americans and Europeans teaching social tango is
because the demand is higher than the supply of instructors. We'd all love
to have more good Argentine tango instructors who teach social tango, but
they are few and far between. With few exceptions, American and European
instructors of social tango have been to Buenos Aires, spent a significant
amount of time at milongas, and studied with Argentine instructors teaching
social tango. While they don't have the tango knowledge of the milongueros,
they are effective in recruiting and training people to study tango as a
social dance. Many of these people can adapt to the milongas in Buenos
Aires, given the opportunity. For most of these instructors, it is a labor
of love, because it is unusual to be able to make a living teaching tango.

If one cannot travel to Buenos Aires and one wishes to study only with
instructors who are Argentine, be careful in purchasing your product. Most
Argentines teaching in the US and Europe do not teach social tango, at least
as it is danced in Buenos Aires. The overwhelming majority of Argentine
tango instructors in the US amd Europe teach a form of tango that was
developed for the stage in Argentina. You won't be out of place if you apply
what you learn at milongas in the US and Europe; however, recognize that
this is not the tango Argentines dance at the milongas. The traveling
American and European tango instructors are more likely to teach that.

Ron

On 9/3/07, Janis Kenyon <Jantango at feedback.net.ar> wrote:
>
> Date: Mon, 3 Sep 2007 11:08:57 +0200
> From: Melina Sedo & Detlef Engel <tango at tangodesalon.de>
> Subject: [Tango-A] Dtelef & Melina: US-Tour February/March 08
> <>We would like to inform you about our upcoming tour to the USA <>
> 14 - 17 February: Valentango Festival Portland
> 23/24 February:  Workshops in Pittsburgh (PATangoS )
> 29 February - 2 March: Milonguero Festival in Champain Urbana
> 3 - 14 March: Classes in New York (Empire Dance Studio)
> 15/16 March: Workshops in Philadelphia (Tango Hug)
> There are still some free slots in our schedule, especially during
> the weeks and after our stay in Philadelphia. <>
>
>
> Am I the only person who thinks this is crazy?
> There are dozens of Argentines teaching in the USA in addition to hundreds
> of Americans who teach.
> Why are they organizing classes for Germans?
> Is it because these Germans travel at their own expense on tourist visas?
> Or because there is so much money to be made from weekend workshop and
> festivals?
> What can you get from a German couple in two days that you haven't already
> learned from Argentines or Americans?
>
> Most Argentine professionals who teach regularly in the US are smart
> enough
> to know they need a work permit and P-3 visa to be working legally.  There
> are some there now, however, who are working on tourist visas.  But then,
> the organizers never ask to see their passports.  Instead, they look the
> other way and laugh all the way to the bank.
>
> I know that Ray Barbosa, a lawyer, went through the visa process this year
> when he invited Tete and Sylvia and others to teach at his festival in
> Chicago.  They wouldn't have been able to enter the country without the
> proper work visa after a nine-year absence.  Lydia Henson applies annually
> for visas for all those teaching at her Miami festival, otherwise El Flaco
> Dany would never have entered the USA.  The visa process takes about six
> months.  Any citizen in the US can petition for the work permit after
> gathering all the required documentation.
>
> Twelve years ago I learned that any foreigner working in the US is
> required
> to have the appropriate visa in their passport before entering the
> country.
> I had to obtain visas for those teaching at my festival in a short time
> frame.
> All visas were issued and everyone worked legally for one week.
>
> Tours have been cancelled because organizers thought that teachers would
> be
> able to obtain a tourist visa.  Then the US Consulate denied the request.
> Once a tourist visa is denied, it is in the records and never can be
> obtained.
>
>
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