[Tango-L] Nuevo Theory vs Practice: Creating a Social Nuevo

[Brian Dunn]

Thank you to Ron & Alexis for this very useful thread.

Alex wrote:
>>>
> Some tango milonguero dancers would argue that rapid movements and
frequent changes of 
> direction characteristic of many nuevo dancers puts tango milonguero
dancers into a 
> 'defensive driving' mode.
And here's where there's a fine line between objecting to style and
objecting to rudeness.
I know a few couples who're determined to feel "disrupted", and it's then
simply a
self-fulfilling prophecy fuelled by an overwhelming sense of entitlement.
<<<

"Self-fulfilling prophecy" has a ring of truth to me.  From the discussion,
I picture such a traditionalist getting "disrupted" at the first sight of a
colgada at a range of twenty yards, because of what's "probably going to
happen when I get near that nuevo guy" - then looking for someone ELSE to
blame when his lack of focus on his own tango doesn't fulfill his partner's
tango happiness.


Ron wrote:
> The 'enemy' creates a picture of itself by its self-identification and
behavior.

The observer has a bit of an effect on the outcome of the picture, don't you
think? Lots of research on perception shows that our preferences and beliefs
enter into our perception of "objective" reality at a level far below
conscious awareness, especially when we have a strong commitment to such
beliefs.


> In fact, at some point that particular nuevo loses its distinguishing
characteristic of exploration 
> of space and ceases to be nuevo...
Ron, you seem to say something to the effect that "if nuevo becomes
sufficiently 'social' so as not to be objectionable, it ceases to become
'nuevo'." This makes a great Q.E.D. only if the assertion to be proved is
that "'nuevo' is objectionable"!

But to your point - again I question your premises.  Some perspectives and
understandings concerning a given domain are available only to those who pay
their dues in that domain.  If one only experiences what one calls "nuevo"
from the outside, maybe one is not qualified to define its distinguishing
characteristics.  This lack of understanding is evident in the idea that
colgadas and volcadas (for example) can be taught as simple "tricks" without
reference to connection skills with your partner and awareness of the
dimensions of the available space.  The sharing of momentum inherent in the
volcada and colgada dynamic requires far MORE connection with your partner
than most traditionalist on-axis dancing.  And trust me, if you can't
execute volcadas without threatening to hit someone, it's time to go back to
class or practica to cultivate your spatial awareness - but that doesn't
make volcadas themselves objectionable.  And well-executed colgadas can take
up far LESS space on the floor than the typical ocho-cortado - but give far
more pleasure to the follower, in my experience.  Try 'em, you (and/or your
followers) might like 'em ;>


Ron wrote:
>>> Can you explain or, better yet, provide a video link to nuevo danced in
compressed space on a crowded floor? I would like to be able to recognize it
when it occurs. (:->) 
<<<

I think this is a truly interesting challenge, although such a video may
need to be created from scratch to clearly demonstrate the desired result.
Ron, I'll suggest what I consider some useful parameters to this project,
include some provisional values for those parameters to get discussion
going, and invite you and anyone else to specify other values to their
liking.  At least, even if no one makes any videos, the discussion of these
parameters will clarify a lot of ambiguities about terms like "compressed
space" and "crowded floors".

The Parameters:
Allowable volume (AV): 
- One square yard of floor space, extended vertically to the ceiling, within
which "nuevo" dancers can move without being considered disruptive by
reasonable fellow dancers.

Horizontal Velocity of AV:
- less than or equal to 1/2 yard per second (or "per musical accent", if you
like) in the direction of current line of dance (counterclockwise right
angle direction changes required at corners of available space, of course)

"Nuevo" Vocabulary: 
Let's make this unequivocal! The video must include volcadas, colgadas,
boleos, enganches, ganchos, and back sacadas. Here are my proposed
definitions of these elements (note that no dimensions are mentioned), and
again feel free to substitute your own "minimum specs" for a dance to be
identified as "nuevo":

Volcada - the follower is transferring some of her weight onto her partner
in the middle of a dynamic inward-falling move which tilts her axis toward
her partner's axis - at the end of which move, her partner eventually
returns her to her axis (NOT a "carpa" or static suspension a la Gavito)

Colgada - the follower is suspended by the leader through the frame, in an
outward hanging displacement of her axis away from her partner's axis,
possibly combined with a dynamic rotation around a shared axis, eventually
resulting in a return to her own solitary vertical axis.

Boleos - Complete and possibly sudden reversal of direction of motion,
either translational or rotational, of one or both partners, possibly with
feet elevated off the floor inside the AV.

Enganches - intertwining legs while moving in a way so as to bring one or
both partner's feet off the floor while staying within the AV.

Ganchos - a hooking motion of one partner's leg around the other partner's
leg or other body part through bending at the knee in the hooking leg which
results in the hooking leg's foot off the floor inside the AV.

Back sacadas - a displacement of the leg and axis of one partner by the
acting partner's axis by means of a back cross step of the acting partner
into the previous location of the acted-upon partner.

Any comments about the parameter values? Perhaps you can mention what the
typical values of AV are at the milongas you frequent during various times
of the night. To be clear, in a 15' x 36' space shared by fifteen couples,
for each couple equally sharing the space the AV has at its base a square
six feet on a side!

Gentlemen, start your cameras ;>

Alex, you wrote:
>>>
I've been dancing for long enough to know that the obsession with steps is
of all ages and predates "nuevo"
by a lot. And a lot of it is actually caused by demand rather than offer,
because a couple of decades
ago I watched a crowd make Antonio Todaro go nuts by demanding steps, steps,
steps and steps even though
none of us mastered even the basics of the connection and the walk (but none
of us knew better at that
time, and that includes me. Fortunately, we've collectively learned a lot
since)...
Some teachers simply teach too many steps and nothing else because going
back to basics is met with
a lot of resistance by the audience, which is unwilling to work on
basics...And yes, I think we both lament that just as much as the other.
<<<
Hear, Hear! And thanks for that great Todaro story - wish I'd been there.

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