[Tango-L] Social Tango + Puppy Castello on "style"

[Joe Grohens]

Trini wrote:

> With male students, I can often tell early on whether he is more  
> suited to a milonguero style or salon and will teach accordingly.

So, are those the two main choices? (And if so, why?)

> For me tango is an emotional, artful expression and I don't want to  
> intellectualize when I dance.

But isn't that what you are doing if you categorize the guy you are  
about to dance with?

> As for my personal style, my base is milonguero.  Though I dance all  
> of the others pretty well, I recognize my limitations, physical and  
> otherwise.

OK - so you dance milonguero, plus "all of the others." And that would  
be called "dancing a style."

Next time someone asks me what style I dance, that will be my answer  
too: "all of the styles."

Now, thankfully, everyone can know in advance what it will be like to  
dance with me.

Yow -- all these years not knowing what my style was, but finally,  
I've got it.

..............

Speaking of "milonguero".....

The BBC "Confiteria Ideal" 2005 documentary is sampled on youtube.  
(It's nicely done, and includes interviews w. Javier & Geraldine,  
Puppy Castello, and Chicho.)

Check out Puppy Castello in this clip:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y5CmBLdEY9A

<transcription>

Puppy: The most difficult thing is the tango walk. Anyone can do the  
steps -- me, for instance! But very few people can walk.

[...]

Puppy: Most of the old milongueros, other than Portalea, are dead now.  
Times change. Maybe youngsters are dancing the tango of the future.  
But I like my own style.

Interviewer: What  style do you dance?

Puppy: It's the style of the 40s. It has rhythm and elegance. Young  
people move like elephants. For instance, look at Geraldine, who  
dances our style of tango. She's 20 but she dances like us.

</transcription>

What I want to know is - why didn't Puppy say "my style is milonguero  
style"?
When you think of the kind of people you could classify as  
"milongueros" - wouldn't Puppy Castello have fit the bill?

If Puppy Castello was a milonguero, why didn't he dance milonguero  
style?

Maybe he is not a milonguero. In that case, what do you call him? A  
dancer? A salonero?

Puppy himself called Portalea a milonguero. (But Portalea didn't dance  
milonguero style either.)

-joe