[Tango-L] Atlanta Tango Festival Video

[Stephen.P.Brown@dal.frb.org]

What is missing from many demonstrations of social tango is elegance of 
movement.  Whether called close-embrace or milonguero-style tango, the 
social-tango "movement" in the United States eschewed elegance of movement 
to emphasize rhythm, improvisation and navigation skills.  Elegance of 
movement may have been deemphaiszed as a element of show dancing or to 
concentrate on other skills.

Of course, inelegant movement need not be a characteristic of social 
dancing, as many Argentine teachers frequently demonstrate. 

The deemphasis of elegance may have led to a greater democratization of 
tango and participation in the United States than otherwise would have 
occurred.  Because the milonguero-style tango movement is now more than a 
decade old, it is natural to think that dancers will introduce 
changes--either through more complicated (nuevo) elements or more refined 
movement.  Both are happening.

With best regards,
Steve