[Tango-L] Better? Worse? Just different

[HBBOOGIE1@aol.com]

Last Sunday I had a conversation with  Blas Clemente Catrenau he grew up in 
Mataderos during the 1940’s and 1950’s. In  the early 1990’s Blas began to 
organize Milongas and from 2003 to 2009 he hosted  “La Milonguita” one of 
the most successful milongas of Buenos Aires. In 2002  Blas won the 
Metropolitan Championship of Tango Salon.
The first question  Blas asked me was “what is the number one most 
important thing about dancing  tango”
My brain was racing trying to think of the right answer…uh the woman  the 
embrace, deodorant, breath mints? Thankfully he answered his own question  
before I had a chance to make a fool of myself. “The Music” first you need to 
 learn the music second is “The Heart” you need to feel the music in your 
heart  only then can you dance Tango I think deodorant came in third.
Blas was  referring to traditional tango music. 

David


Sharon  wrote:

I used to like dancing to non-traditional
music because I could  hear the beat better, but I find that the more I
listen to tango music, the  less I like dancing tango steps to
non-traditional music because it lacks all  the things that makes tango
music beautiful (including surge and  suspension).

This is unfortunately one of the principal reasons that  contributes  to 
many dancers resorting to non-tango music for  dancing:  it ts easier to hear 
the beat in other music or modern  "electro-pop" tango.  It takes time to 
hear the beat and the many nuances  in tango music.  As teachers advise 
students to be patient about the  technical requirements of tango, it is also 
important to advise that the same  patience is often required to learn to 
appreciate the music.  The  subtleties of the dance and music are interconnected.  
Taking shortcuts in  one will affect the other  eventually.

Cheers,
Charles
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