[Tango-L] Can only Argentines teach (& learn) Argentine tango?

[Tango Society of Central Illinois]

As soon as one categorizes tango instructors and dancers based on national
ancestry, one falls into a logical fallacy that any construct exists as
'all-or-none'. A probabilistic approach provides a more realistic
explanation. There are Argentine tango instructors and dancers of varying
ability and their are non-Argentine instructors of varying ability.
Milongueros who have spent many years in the milongas of Buenos Aires not
only understand tango better than anyone, they define it. However, given
that, they may not be able to communicate their knowledge, perhaps because
they are not motivated to do so or, if motivated, they do not have good
teaching skills, perhaps because their knowledge of tango is so deeply
ingrained they do not remember how they learned it. There are also language
and cultural differences that make it difficult for anyone other than
porten~os to understand them.

There are non-Argentine instructors who have learned from milongueros,
either by taking instruction from them or observing them closely or even
studying with Argentine instructors who have done this and kept touch with
reality by frequenting the milongas. These non-Argentine instructors are
very important for the growth of tango worldwide. They may not have the
knowledge and experience of milongueros, but in gaining a significant amount
of knowledge from the source of tango, they represent tango accurately, or
at least they should if they are to be credible.

Contrast these non-Argentine instructors with Argentines who tour and teach
throughout the world and teach a version of tango that is disconnected from
the milongas. They know they are teaching tango for exhibition but because
they are Argentine, they are believed to be accurate communicators of the
tango of their country of origin. The Argentine instructors of exhibition
tango are more likely to have the effect of creating a non-Argentine version
of social Argentine tango outside Argentina than are non-Argentines.

There are some Argentine instructors who do teach the tango danced in the
milongas of Buenos Aires. Some of them are very good instructors. They are
to be treasured for the knowledge they have, obtained close to the source of
tango.

So, if you want to learn Argentine tango as a social dance as it is danced
in the milongas of Buenos Aires (isn't that what we all strive for in
embracing this dance of Argentine origin?), the best alternative for someone
who cannot spend a significant amount of time in Buenos Aires is to find an
instructor who has spent a significant amount of time in BA milongas and
understands and communicates the essence of the dance (e.g., partner
connection, musicality, navigation, improvisation). If that instructor is
Argentine, all other things being equal, there is an increased probability
of understanding the character of tango as a social dance. However, all
other things are not always equal, so a non-Argentine may provide a better
pathway to understanding tango.

As a final comment, if you are at all serious about tango, you need to go to
the source yourself to assess the validity of what you have learned. Go to
Buenos Aires, spend a significant amount of time at the milongas and be sure
to observe how the best dancers dance. Make the effort to talk to porten~os,
to the best dancers themselves if you have the opportunity. This is the
source of tango. To really understand tango, you need to connect to that
source.

Ron