[Tango-L] Silly and pedantic Argentine Tango

[Tango Society of Central Illinois]

On Tue, Nov 25, 2008 at 11:29 AM, David Thorn <thorn-inside at hotmail.com> wrote:
>
> Nina wrote:
> "If other cultures insist on taking credit for transforming and
> evolving tango, they should stop calling it "Argentine" and call it
> something else instead, like "no longer Argentine tango", or
> something like that."
>
> If asked what language I speak, I generally say English.  I don't say 21st century American-
> English with both NYC and West Coast influences, and with a smidgen of south Louisiana creole
> influence for lagniappe.  That would sound silly and rather pedantic to my ears.
>
> So what do you say?
>
> David.


There is American English and there is British English, as well as
other versions of English. For example, within the US there is
Standard American English (presumably taught in the schools), there is
Black English, and there are regional dialects, the one used in the
southern US beging the most distinctive. The common denominator is
tracing the origin of these versions to a common ancestral language
whose origin was in England (thus "English"). A speaker of Standard
American English may have some difficulty communicating with someone
speaking British English,.Black English, or Southern English.

Likewise, there is Argentine tango that is danced in Argentina. It
resembles closely an ancestral form danced 60 years ago in Buenos
Aires. Argentines differentiate Tango de Salon, that which is danced
is danced socially in the milongas of Buenos Aires, and Tango
Fantasia, which is danced for exhibition, i.e., not as a social dance.
In the past 15 years Nuevo (Tango) has evolved from roots in Tango de
Salon and Tango Fantasia. It resembles in some respects Tango Fantasia
but is distinctly different from Tango de Salon in its emphasis on
expanding movement possibilities. There are also derivatives of
Argentine Tango developed outside of Argentina. There is Ballroom
Tango, with at least 2 versions - American Ballroom Tango and
International Tango. There is also Finnish Tango. These foreign
derivatives have largely distinct niches. In Buenos Aires, Tango de
Salon and Tango Fantasia / Nuevo have largely separate niches.

It is only outside Argentine that Tango de Salon and Fantasia / Nuevo
try to occupy the same niche. However, because the inherent
characteristics of the dance (connection / musicality vs.movement
expansion) are so different and the technique of these different
versions of tango is different at important points, there are
difficulties in communication when the different tangos are mixed.

Thus, in milongas outside Buenos Aires, there is often a veritable
Tango Tower of Babel on the dance floor.

Ron