[Tango-L] How tango evolves

[larrynla@juno.com]

Lois Donnay wrote -----> I am currently in Buenos Aires, and am seeing 
more and more "tango" performances in the milonga that have less and 
less Argentine tango in them, and more "Dancing with the Stars". 
Completely choreoghraphed, lots of lifts, less musicality
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It sounds to me as if you are confusing performances with social 
dancing.  Of course performers are going to do fancy stuff you couldn't 
safely do in the middle of social dancing in the often quite crowded 
popular milongas.

Lots of people outside Argentina seem to believe that "true 
milongueros" only do social dancing.  Actually it's only recently that 
professional dancers trained in ballet, jazz dance, and so on came to 
dominate tango shows.  Look at videos of movies and shows filmed in the 
30s through 50s and you'll see people like El Cachafaz and Antonio 
Todaro performing.

For that matter you can still see "real authentic tango dancers" of 
advanced years perform.  Only not on the stage to a paying audience.  
Wait till the very last hour of almost any milonga, when over half of 
the attendees have gone home and the floor opens up.  You may well see 
some aged couple take the floor who you have not noticed earlier 
because they blended so smoothly into the flow of the dance.  And do 
the most amazing stuff - some of it which pro dancers in their twenties 
might struggle to do.  Or who take mental notes and incorporate the 
older couples' moves into their stage shows.

Also you will see these milongueros and milongueras breaking the rules 
that they themselves may teach in classes - because many of the rules 
are there to protect other people on tight floors, but unneeded in a 
performance.

Another misconception about milongueros is that they always dance 
socially in some solemn, super-serious way.  Some of them have a sense 
of humor and a playful approach to dancing that only people who have 
mastered the dance can match.  To stereotype them as saints or  clones 
or robotic copies of each other is to deny them of their humanity, and 
under the cover of respect commit the worst disrespect.

Just as disrespectful is to stereotype milongueros and milongueras as 
having minds closed to change.  Some are stick-in-the-muds, of course.  
But some of them have a lively interest in anything new.  Most they may 
(and probably rightly) dismiss for any of several reasons.  But they 
may also try out innovations and (rarely) even add some to their 
repertoire.
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Another confusion of performance with social dance comes from many of 
the people in this and other tango discussion forums.  This is to 
describe "tango nuevo" as being a certain way from observing (likely 
just a few) performances live or on videos.

This is really foolish.  I've had the chance to observe closely (among 
others) Fabian Salas and "Chicho" Frumboli when they are dancing 
socially.  On tight dance floors they commit none of the "nuevo crimes" 
ascribed to them.  And if they do show moves they modify them to suit 
the tightness of the floor, and the music being played.


Larry de Los Angeles
http://shapechangers.wordpress.com



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