[Tango-L] Tango's Cultural Heritage

[Romero Migdalia]

There is a reason why so many women go to Buenos Aires to dance  
tango.   The embrace is, for me, the quintessential draw, as is the  
connection with my partner and the silent communication that ensues  
when the connection is right.  I just finished writing a book  
entitled "Tango Lover's Guide to Buenos Aires" that covers all the  
tango resources in the city.  More importantly, however, is the  
book's focus on defining the culture associated with the dance, and  
describing the essential features of the dance in Buenos Aires that  
differentiate it from what is danced (as many of you have pointed  
out) in other parts of the world.  There is an attitude, a history,  
and a connection to the music that old milongueros bring to the dance  
that draws women into their aura.   I have seen that embrace and that  
connection to partner and music, even among the younger dancers in  
Buenos Aires.  Sure there are clubs that promote variation.  But the  
"Campeonato Mundial" of tango held in BsAs in August still has  
standards for tango salon that include the unbroken embrace, the  
connection to one's partner, and the attention to and interpretation  
of the music.  It could be that people all over the world need the  
human touch and need to be hugged and so they dance tango and even  
travel halfway around the world to look for both.   Even in cultures,  
where distance is the norm, "el abrazo" allows them that freedom to  
touch and be hugged in a public arena.