[Tango-L] Social Tango

[Carol Shepherd]

I compare dance 'styles' to dialects of the same language.
Dance and language are similar in that they facilitate connection
between us.  Dialects develop organically by the expressions of
community members cross-influencing others within the same community.
Dialects reflect a group's preferences for certain 'phrases'
(expressions/idioms) over others based on shared experience within the
group.  Each community also develops its own 'pronunciations' of its own
subset of 'vocabulary' (where the entire set of vocabulary itself is
well-known and common to all the dialects of the language).  Some
innovative individuals contribute new vocabulary (slang/lingo) which is
admired and rapidly adopted by other members of the group.  Dialects
become a primary means of expressing identity with the other members in
the same community. Some speakers of a language do not have the ability
or the willingness to parse other dialects, to the point where they
consider a dialect other than their own to be a wholly different language.

Showing familiarity with other dialects in your own language
demonstrates fundamental respect and a promise of open-mindedness and
flexibility in embracing common humanity.  In the opposite direction,
parochialism plays up and ridicules language differences and uses
dialects as an easy us-vs-them shorthand to achieve divisive identity
politics and to express contempt.  I would rather celebrate the
diversity.

Acceptance of a diversity of dialect is a win-win approach and refusal
to engage/comprehend is a win-lose approach.  I see no reason for one
group to lose when both can win.


Joe Grohens wrote:
> Sergio enumerated many advantages to classifying tango into "types".  
> It helps people know what they are getting into, it avoids confusion  
> 
...
-- 
Carol Ruth Shepherd
Arborlaw PLC
Ann Arbor MI USA
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