[Tango-L] Serpentine youth in Zagreb..look out!

[Joe Grohens]

Trini texted:

 > It's a shame when young people sacrifice elegance for the sake of  
steps, which is what this couple is doing.

Sorin scribet:

 > Of course, elegance, like beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

Yes, I guess elegance is in the eye of the beholder. Like when a man  
wears a polyester leisure suit with the shirt color open over his  
jacket collar - that might be "sport elegante" for some.

But even allowing for taste, I think that there are probably some  
common principles of elegance in tango dancing. Otherwise, why would  
people use the word?

I would suggest that elegance in tango dancing implies

. Upright posture - not stooping or looking at the floor
. Graceful movement, flowing - not jerky or rough
. Composure, dignity - not falling or stumbling or losing control

Fred Astair is elegant. Fred Flintstone is not.

Elegance seems to be one of the traditional values of Argentine tango  
dancers. I tend to agree with Trini's comment, and feel that elegance  
is not a privileged value among many of younger dancers. Has anyone  
ever heard Chicho, or Fabian Salas, or Pablo Inza, or Sebastian Arce  
talk about the importance of "elegance"? Or heard them say anything  
like "no matter what, don't ever sacrifice your elegance to achieve a  
move"?

...

As for Pablo Rodriguez's left arm - if that's the one we are talking  
about - clearly this is a fad, and not a personal idiosyncracy. It's  
one of those abrazo viruses spreading everywhere. I suspect that it's  
more than imitation and people are actually teaching it. Cherie Magnus  
called it "hand on a plate" in her blog (http://tinyurl.com/564rs5).

It produces a hand position that is, in my opinion, aesthetically  
disagreeable. I think it is a weak line for the man. For the woman it  
looks fine. It may score points in mechanics but not in beauty (IMO).

....

BTW - I agree that Pablo & Noelia are wonderful dancers.