[Tango-L] Tango as it is danced in the milongas of Buenos Aires...

[Brick Robbins]

> it otherwise looks like tango milonguero, the tango danced in the milongas of Buenos Aires.<

After a couple of months now of dancing in Buenos Aires, I'm now
finding comments like this to be almost absurd.

There is simply so much tango here that almost any variation of style,
music, embrace, codigos, etc can be found "in the milongas of Buenos
Aires."

Even narrowing it down to specifying the "downtown" milongas doesn't
limit things that much.

I've sometimes noticed that however "it" is done in the speakers
"home" milonga, is often how he thinks tango is done, or at least
should be done, everywhere. If it is done differently at the milonga
down the street, he might say "that is not tango." Yet the better
dancers down here don't seem to fret about whether what they do is
tango: they just dance, and they dance creatively and musically and
well.

And if you been here on a 2 week tango tour, I'm sorry, you don't have
a clue. There is simply too much going on here to have anything but a
taste in such a short time. Two weeks is all many of us can get away
for, but at best you are seeing the "Disneyland" version. Two weeks is
better than nothing, but don't base your opinions of what BsAs tango
is on such a short glimpse of this very diverse culture.

After a couple of months, I'm just now beginning to get a feel for the
place, and I recognize that there is a lot more going on here than
I've had a chance to experience, and I know I don't have a very
complete picture either. I'm sad I'm leaving this week.

I also recognize that some people have a lot invested in their own
personal version of "The Tango Myth." Go ahead and believe what you
want to believe, but please don't preach to us about how things are in
Buenos Aires, unless of course you live here, even then it might be
better to tell us how they do it in "your" milonga, not "how it is
done in Buenos Aires."

Once again I'd like to thank the list members who live in Buenos Aires
who were so kind to introduce me to 3 very different aspects of tango
here: Deby Novitz for the introduction at Grisel, Cheri Magnus (and
Rubin)  for the wonderful hosptility at Los Consagrados, and Dierdre
Black for the numerous places we've been. They are are all wonderful
people. If you visit here you would do well to contact them. They all
offer help to visitors, from lodging and lessons, to simple advice or
a seat at a table.

Have a great evening everyone, as I am going to, before I have to say
"Adios Buenos Aires."