[Tango-L] Why are you dancing tango if they are not playing tango?

[Steve Littler]

I don't know much about Dixieland music and thus don't really get the 
context of the remark.

I just know that I like the really good Tango Classics. There are quite 
a good number of them, certainly enough to fill up a number of full 
evenings of excellent dancing.

I wouldn't characterize my approach as rigid in the context 
(traditionalist. Though a Nuevoist might consider me or any other 
Traditionalist rigid.)

El Stevito de Gainesville


On 5/7/2010 8:02 PM, AJ Azure wrote:
> So you could do everything you've mentioned here and then have other times
> where you surrender to unpredictability. Don't be conservative just let go.
> What happens then? You miss a beat? You can watch out for a collision and
> still improvise. How do you think real Dixieland musicians do it?
>
> There's room for both experiences. Rigidity leads to constipation for lack
> for lack of a better visual.
>
> A_
>
>
>
>> From: Steve Littler<sl at stevelittler.com>
>> Date: Fri, 07 May 2010 19:39:53 -0400
>> To:<tango-l at mit.edu>
>> Subject: Re: [Tango-L] Why are you dancing tango if they are not playing
>> tango?
>>
>> On 5/7/2010 5:44 PM, AJ Azure wrote:
>>
>>> Nothing wrong with having reasonable realistic standards.
>>> As for being able to predict the next footstep because you're used to a
>>> pre-recorded piece, you've just mentioned the most boring aspect of dancing.
>>> Predictability. That's a dance routine.
>>>
>> Ahh...the pre-recorded music may be the same, but my dance
>> interpretation never is. And thus never boring.
>>
>> I want to know how each phrase goes, when the next one starts, and plan
>> my choreography on the fly and be ready to change on ANY beat if need
>> be. And I want to know exactly when the song ends for my interpretation.
>> The dance floor dynamic constantly changes - spaces close or open
>> suddenly, new couples enter the floor, someone suddenly takes back steps
>> against the line of dance. I want at least one variable to remain
>> constant on a crowded dance floor.
>>
>> If I am unfamiliar with the music, I have to be much more conservative
>> and just dance on the beat (until I become familiar with the song) and
>> if even that isn't constant - well, its not enjoyable for me. Which of
>> course will transmit to my partner, which I never want to happen.
>>
>> My goal in dancing Tango is not mastery of every possible step
>> combination. But the intimate connection with this great music and with
>> my partner and sharing an amazing magical 3 minutes together.
>>
>> To me, the joy of the Golden Age classics is that they are sufficiently
>> grand to remain fresh and full sounding time after time. Similar to how
>> Michael Jackson or Elvis Presley classics still make me want to jump up
>> and dance. Classics are by nature, timeless and make me want to hit the
>> dance floor every time.
>>
>> El Stevito de Gainesville
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