Keith E. from Montreal here ... It's easy to see comments come from people with fervently held views. As they will be.
I do think people learn over time, as they get a deeper understanding of everything, that the views they express in their enthusiasm and early critical stages are not necessarily views they will stand-by as time goes by. And when they are not, it's embarrassing. Well, I'll express a view now (which I know will not come back to haunt me). The eye is the most critical of faculties in terms of our biases. We believe what we "see." Most of our prejudices comes from the place sight holds in our sensorium. That person it too tall; that one too short. Wrong colour ... etc. We're so darn sure our eye see things "right." People with a keen eye are (tend to be) highly opinionated. When what we see doesn't match what we are looking for, we pooh-pooh easily. I'm going to tell you something; this is one thing I absolutely LOVE about Tomas Howlin's way of dancing. If you are looking for him to dazzle you with something, you're going to have to be really patient, I believe. He can - he can dance circles aorund most of us pip-sqeaks all day and all night. But he is a fine dancer. Capital F. He is showing the finer things of tango; the subtlety; the communication; the love for his partner and the music. His skill is evident to someone with a REALLY good eye. It just seems that he is so mature and so kind and generous that it is not in his nature to show-off. I admire his restraint. He knows tango. I can't imagine a lovely woman dancer not wanting to be in his embrace for either a social dance or a demonstration/performance. Just like one picture cannot show you the Universe, watching a couple of videos or even live shows will not show you a dancer. The ones who want you to see it all like that aren't worth watching. They haven't grown up yet. But, yes, maybe they can impress highly opinionated people who also haven't grown up yet. I grant you that watching a video can reveal people who aren't technically good dancers right away. But, on video or in person, how you see a really good dancer is largely determined by your own perception and expectations. The best tango dancers don't try to show you that they are. They are caring for their partner; loving the music; expressing how they feel in the moment; making it as smooth, effortless, kind and gentle as it can be. They care not for the eye which can't see that is looking for more than this. It is the Tomas's of the professional world I admire so much because they are showing all the sweet and subtely creative things about tango with commensurate skill, control and sensitivity. I know tango loves Tomas. I know tango wishes all the flash-for-show dancers would grow up. To the other Keith and other newish devotees to tango I respectfully say: keep dancing and searching and enjoying, because you obviously have the love and for that you are so lucky. But, try not to say things you are going to regret when you actually get it. All us mortals do it; but I'll bet people like Tomas didn't. _______________________________________________ Tango-L mailing list Tango-L@mit.edu http://mailman.mit.edu/mailman/listinfo/tango-l