[Tango-L] Tango without music?

[HBBOOGIE1@aol.com]

Let’s try to sort this music / learning /  dancing question out.
Unless you’re from another planet every one of you have  had a tango lesson 
group or private
First the instructors will dance the  figure their going to teach 
Now the men and women get split up usually  facing each other from across 
the room
WITHOUT MUSIC the instructors will  walk through the figure for both the 
men and the women
This is repeated many  times until everyone feels comfortable doing at 
least the first few steps of the  figure
Now you find a partner and practice what you were just taught WITHOUT  MUSIC
OK split up face each other from across the room and learn the rest of  the 
figure WITHOUT MUSIC
Find a partner and practice the whole figure WITHOUT  MUSIC 
Does everyone think they’ve got it? 
Good, NOW lets try it to  MUSIC
I don’t think anyone ever suggested dancing tango without music but  first 
with repetition the muscle memory takes over you learn the figure and then  
add the music.
David


In a message dated 4/25/2011 11:31:01 A.M.  Pacific Daylight Time, 
lenl at tampabay.rr.com writes:
I totally agree, how can  anyone dance without music, it's the engine 
that drives the dance. I was  once told "the music leads the man, the man 
invites the follower and she  moves to the step. It's one thing to 
practice without music when there is  none available on rare occasions, 
but not to do it as a rule or a learning  device,

Len in Clearwater FL



On 04/25/2011 1:57 PM,  Nussbaum, Martin wrote:
> Totally disagree with all those who want to  isolate tango instruction
> from the music.  The only reason to dance  IS the music.  If not, just
> take up tai chi, or contact improv, or  partner yoga, why bother with
> tango.   The student should  learn the feel of the steps, the technique,
> and the movements, within  the context of a phrase of tango music.
> Using music as the base will get  the student ready for social dance
> quicker, because he/she will be more  comfortable and familiar with the
> music at the milonga, and the phrasing  necessary to make the experience
> worthwhile.  Technique without  music lacks soul and emotion. it is
> barren.   I have seen the  results of this approach personally.  There
> are some great  technical dancers I watch in milongas who move
> beautifully with perfect  posture and technique, but I often wonder if
> they are listening to  different music on an ipod, because they certainly
> aren't dancing to  what the DJ is playing. In fact, their movement in
> milonga is exactly  the same as their movement in vals, or tango.  An
> over-emphasis on  technique and complex combinations has led to what I
> call the  homogenization of bland-faux-Nuevo tango in north america. Lots
> of cool  moves seemingly randomly placed in the music.  Very few
> performers  seem connected to each other and the music, and very few
> couples seem  concerned about telling a story in the tango music,
> utilizing phrasing  and emotion. If someone is going to perform and they
> don't move the  audience, all the technique they spent years acquiring
> was a waste of  time, the performance will be sterile. Even more so for
> the non-pro  casual dancer, who will not last the 2000 hours of technical
> mastery if  he cant dance to the music. Development of personal style and
> expression  should start from the first step, not waiting for some
> distant time when  you master the technique.
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