[Tango-L] The demise of Tango

[Alexis Cousein]

Crrtango at aol.com wrote:
> Ron, 
> 
> Very well said.   I recently moved to the midwest from New York City and 
> nuevo seems to proliferate more here (it was also becoming common there too), 
> although many "seem" to profess an interest in classic tango, and I have 
> seen a number of people dancing tango de salon, but even then it is often mixed 
> with volcadas and colgadas and other moves that create bottlenecks

Volcadas and colgadas *need* not create bottlenecks.

Unless you let them, i.e. if you aren't mindful of the environment.

There's no need to emphatically pause for them (or to create *huge* tilts
in a volcada or colgada), and there's no need for the woman to let the
non-supporting leg wander where it should not during a volcada. You can
do these kinds of figures in a way that makes them a split second
surprise that makes everyone wonder whether they really happened
a secondf later, and not disturb the floor.

There's certainly no need to invade the space *behind*
you when you want to express yourself (know where to face for something you
want to do and you'll avoid lots of issues. If you aren't facing the right way,
then delay your plans and navigate until you are, or abandon that plan). And
yes, the right way may not be using the orientation you were taught in classes.
Tough luck.

The same general principle - mindfulness of the context - holds for boleos.

They can be followed with feet close to each other (yes, you don't *have*
to separate them; the important thing is the dissociation of the
upper body and the legs and the rotation. If you think "foot" and act "foot",
then you can be darn sure it's an ugly boleo), and they can be gentle.

You don't *always* have to act as if the leader were the Grim Reaper
with the follower as his Scythe (and the rest of the crowded floor
as the victims).

I think that's often not well taught. Some teachers like to teach
showy moves to please the audience, but forget to tell people that
actors on a stage shouldn't CONSTANTLY BE SHOUTING, and that some things
can also be whispered, and that some moves need not *always* be
showy.

*In general* I like to keep things like bolas, volcadas and
colgadas less dramatic even when there *is* room - at least most
of the time.

Dramatic embellishments are like salt: add too much
and you're left with an unpalatable mess.

And I even think that's true when I see dancers perform on stage:
I have lot more admiration for musicality and a dance that breathes
its own breath and weaves it into the music than for high BPS
(boleos per second) ratings.

Some stage performers make me wonder whether I'm supposed to hold up
a cardboard with "10" for technical merit (and "0" for artistic
merit) as an ice skating competition judge.