[Tango-L] Di Sarli "Don Juan"/Gustavo & Giselle - Part 2

[Brian Dunn]

(continued from Part 1)

Trini wrote further:
>>>"This goes back to music being a key part of the evolution of a dance.
When I watch people at a milonga, more nuevo steps come out during Bajofondo
or non-tango music.  It looks right and feels right.  The movements
developed during the modern era.  What would using those same movements in
older pieces serve, other than to say "because we can"?"<<<

Oh, I don't know, maybe it serves the need to use something "because I seem
to feel like it at the moment".  I think most of us leaders have had
feelings like that when improvising our social dances. ;)  But of course,
YOU should only lead/follow what looks right and feels right to YOU, because
that's your dance.  

And anyway, on the timescale we're talking about, the "nuevo" developments
in tango dance from the mid-'80's are almost as far removed from Bajofondo
and Narcotango as they are from the late Golden Age in the late '50s, when
the dancers known at the time as "petiteros" started playing with the ideas
that now appear as "milonguero style". As I understand it, all the "nuevo"
developments actually began in a tango musical environment which was
exclusively Golden Age music, common in the few milongas still existing in
the '80's and early '90's where those dancers got their social tango
experience.  There was no new tango music in dance venues, so that was what
they had. 

But certainly, from some perspectives there have been even newer
developments in the dance since the mid-'80's "nuevo" developments, which
perhaps ARE more in synchrony with the "21st-century Bajofondo/Narcotango
era" according to your theory of dance-music development linkage...uh oh, do
we have to start talking about "classic nuevo" versus "nuevo nuevo" now?  

Just to be clear, personally I'd really really like to just call it all
"tango", but that's another thread...;)


Trini wrote further:
>>>"  Yes, you can dance nuevo to older music, but I think nuevo looks best
when done to modern pieces, especially with the average dancer."<<<

Hmmm... In my discussion of the "Don Juan" video, the elements I referred to
as "Nuevo" are things I very rarely see anyone doing to ANY music, primarily
because they are very difficult to do well - it IS a performance, and
difficult elements have higher performance value. (I should perhaps retract
that description for colgadas, which I see more and more lately in milongas
to all kinds of music, perhaps because they can be such a useful solution to
a common navigational problem).  One reason that I tend to write "Nuevo" in
quotes is because 1) many of my primary Buenos Aires sources rarely or never
use the term with reference to tango dancing, and 2) outside Buenos Aires I
hear/read it a lot, but I never actually know what someone specifically
means when they use the term - although it seems to be used somewhat
disparagingly by many users without further clarification.  I'm assuming
that since you tend NOT to use quotes (e.g.," Yes, you can dance nuevo to
older music..."), that you have a definite idea in mind when you write of
things like steps that are "nuevo...for the average dancer".

As you've already shared with us, in your community you are taking on many
roles, and thus have many responsibilities.  I fully understand, and
empathize with, your situation.  In that context you've apparently been
inspired to draw some "style" distinctions for your own purposes, in both
music and dance. We can assume these distinctions are useful to you, and
perhaps to others.  So without calling into question the distinctions you're
drawing, I'm curious what steps are on your list of "nuevo steps for the
average dancer".

All the best,
Brian Dunn
Dance of the Heart
www.danceoftheheart.com
"Building a Better World, One Tango at a Time"