[Tango-L] N.U.E.V.O.

[Laura V]

Not every tango community is large enough to support separate 
traditional and nuevo milongas. When I dj, I usually throw in a couple 
of alternative tandas, because I know some of the dancers love it. Not 
everyone dances to these, but surprisingly, more and more people try it, 
just to let loose a bit. If they don't want to, then they can use the 
time to get a drink, chat with friends, etc. We also have dancers using 
open embrace and larger figures during traditional tunes, not a problem 
if everyone respects the line of dance and space involved.

The dancing in the video clip from Portland is pretty wild - because the 
music called for it and there was space for it. I didn't see any bumping 
though...nuevo dancers don't walk backward in the line of dance, do 
they? I also noticed at least a few couples in close embrace. Possibly 
they were hoping for the song to finish and something a bit more musical 
to take its place, who knows. This was after all just one random song at 
an unspecified time of the evening; I would be surprised if the entire 
milonga was of exactly the same flavor, as  a good nuevo dj should vary 
the mood and intensity during the evening just as a traditional dj would.

Most milongas and festivals I've attended in Europe (Sweden, Holland, 
Germany, UK) seem to accommodate a mix of traditional and nuevo, but the 
traditions (the tandas, cortinas, cabeceo, dance direction, etc) are 
still very much in place, as they should be. These "rules" (more like 
guidelines) have developed over time for a reason...to keep the evening 
running smoothly.

Just my observations!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lS9sMTtozZI