[Tango-L] Better? Worse? Just different

[HBBOOGIE1@aol.com]

“If you are going to breed a new "critter", by  crossing an existing 
critter with different critters, then by all means you have  every right to do it, 
so go ahead and do it.
But please give this new critter  a new name, so that people know that it 
is different from the original critter  that you used as a base for breeding”.

I like how you talk about breeding  to get new critters and its true but 
there is another parallel you can draw to  tango.
You should only “breed” animals for one reason and that is to improve  the 
breed. The majority of breeders are in it only for the money so get a few  
dogs start breeding and presto you start a “puppy mill” If you look at the  
German Shepherd today they are plagued with hip and bone problems because 
of  back yard breeders and puppy mills.
Tango is becoming a community of “tango  mills” You can learn to tango in 
three easy lessons or from videos or self  appointed “teachers” and before 
you know it you can hang out a shingle and start  teaching too. So what’s 
the tango community breeding? More bad dancers but  that’s okay because soon 
all those bad dancers will be teaching so how sad it is  that?  
Evolution isn’t a ladder it’s a tree with many branches some  strong and 
some weak hopefully traditional tango will survive the new branches  that are 
starting to sprout. 
David


In a message dated 4/14/2011  3:04:36 P.M. Pacific Daylight Time, 
joanneprochaska at aol.com writes:

Bob  from SF wrote:"There is nothing wrong with honoring tango's past but 
not at the  
expense of destroying its future."


If you are going to breed a  new "critter", by crossing an existing critter 
with different critters, then by  all means you have every right to do it, 
so go ahead and do it.
But please  give this new critter a new name, so that people know that it 
is different from  the original critter that you used as a base for breeding.
In the scientific  realm:
When people developed the Thorobred horse, the breeders used three  
foundational Arabian studs crossed with mares from various breeds. The breeders  
did NOT continue to call the resulting critter an Arabian horse.  The  
breeders gave it the new name "Thorobred". (this is not a story that I made up  
just to make my point.  Check out the development of the Thorobred horse at  
your library). They were proud of the results of their breeding efforts. They  
were deliberate and focused.  They were not "backyard breeders" who bred  
their mares to any male that they could get for a free stud fee, just because 
 they wanted "another Sally" in their pasture.
In the horse world, especally  in Europe, people can tell you the lineage 
of their horses as easily and as  proudly as you can name your grandparents 
and where they came from. They don't  understand the profusion of "backyard 
breeders" of horses in the states who  don't know the lineage of their 
"Sally".
So...give your new dance a new name  and quit bugging the rest of us who 
are putting our money (and time) where our  mouths are to seriously "honor 
tango's past".
But hey, it's just my  opinion.

We just hosted Alberto Dassieu, who has danced tango for 60  years, since 
he was 14.He lived through the "dark years" when there were only 40  people 
left dancing the tango, and he can name them all.
Joanne  Pogros
Tango Cleveland
Cleveland,  Ohio


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