[Tango-L] Tango-L Digest, Vol 24, Issue 16

[David Thorn]

Huck Kennedy wrote:
>
> The tanda structure is not an anachronism. Like other Argentine
> codigos, it evolved over time to what it is today because it serves a
> very useful purpose.

What is most interesting is that, world wide, all other social dances seem to get along wonderfully without benefit of the codigos, even if the dances are quite complex.  Without being disrespectful, one could easily imagine that the codigos evolved in a particular culture at a particular time in history to address particular cultural needs and social standards.  But that doesn't make them universals.  Recognizing that they are perhaps, for most modern cultures outside of Argentina, entirely arbitrary in no way demeans them.  Nor does it say that they can't be employed in a Milonga irrespective of the location and date as simply a part of the tradition of the Milonga.

But I do not understand the blind conservatism, in any life endeavor, that argues that "we do it the way we do it because that is how we do it" and then proceeds to defend "it" as being the only true way on this basis.  Sorry, but this is probably the scientist nerd in me rearing its head.

Regards,

D. David Thorn


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