[Tango-L] x tango

[Trini y Sean (PATangoS)]

Hello Bettina,

Have you ever had anyone come up to you and say "Thank you for all that you do.  Tango has really changed my life"?  That's pretty much the exact words.  And it happens not once, not twice, but many times.  Meanwhile, you're just thinking that you're simply sharing something that you love - hosting parties, showing others how to dance, talking about tango.

Have you ever had someone say to you "I trust you.  You're my teacher."  Not once, not twice, but multiple times?  And they go to workshops or classes because they simply trust your judgement?  And you barely know them?  

At some point, it dawns on you that, gee, doing this tango thing isn't just about you.  It's about everyone else, too.  And the people who will come along next year or in 5 years or in 10 years.  It's a humbling moment.

And there is no accredited university to get a doctorate's degree from or a research magazine to read.  You're just flying by the seat of your pants trying to learn as much as you can to live up to the trust that others have so willingly placed in you.  All you can do is talk to a lot of people and piece things together yourself.  Thank goodness for Tango-L and people like Brian, Sergio, and a host of other people who are willing to discuss things in-depth.

If the above things happen to you, then you might appreciate more why people like Brian, Sergio, myself, and many others on Tango-L post the way we do.  We love our communities enough to want to do them right, not just for today, but for tomorrow and for the future leaders of our communities, too.  If you choose not to get so involved in shaping your community, then that's fine, too.  As a friend of mine says, "You can either follow, lead, or get out of the way."


Trini de Pittsburgh


P.S.  Had an interesting conversation on Facebook today.  Went something like this.

Friend #1:  Did you know that you can tango to the Blues?

Friend #2 (non-tango):  Really?

Me:  Yes, but it's not Argentine tango, which is okay.  Don't know what they call that hybrid.  The terms Alternative Tango or Xtango has been suggested for describing those variants.

Friend #1:  You can also do a type of free tango, depending on what you and your partner feel like.

... Some discussion about past milonga with the blues...

Friend #2:  This is an interesting conversation.


I think this exchange says a lot about what we can do to encourage creativity and personal expression without losing what we love about tango tango or raising animosity over different styles.