In addressing the level of workshops at the recent Chicago Tango Week (http://chicagotangoweek.org/schedule.pdf): “Intermediate: You have been taking classes regularly at least once a week and going to milongas regularly at least once a week for at least a year. You have also attended one or more intensive workshop weekends and festivals. You have achieved some proficiency in the foundations such as posture, embrace, balance, flexibility, lead, follow and the walk and have some experience with basic elements i.e. turns, gancho, volcada, colgada, sacada etc. You are comfortable on the floor and have put in at least a few miles on crowded dance floors. You are also able to comfortably lead or follow.” The assertion is that “ganchos, volcadas, colgadas, and sacadas” are basic elements of tango. Assuming this refers to social tango (“a few miles on the crowded dance floors”), there is a problem of misrepresentation of tango here. By these standards the milongueros in Buenos Aires have not yet reached the intermediate level, despite some having danced 40-50 years. This is ever so clearly indicated in this recent blog post that provides links to a dozen videos of milongueros dancing in the milongas of Buenos Aires: http://tangovoice.wordpress.com/2010/07/06/milongueros-dancing-tango-in-the-milongas-of-buenos-aires/
or simply: http://tangovoice.wordpress.com/ for this blog in general. The most relevant part here is the quote: “General Characteristics of the Dance of the Milongueros … Regarding movements that are often the topics (titles) of tango workshops marketed around the world, there were no volcadas, colgadas, or arrastres. The only sacadas seen were a few used by Alberto Dassieu. Forward ochos were seen in rare instances, but none were “overturned”. Where the milongueros show exceptional technique is in fitting tight turns in small spaces. Thus, the dance of the milongueros looks simple to the eye with respect to movement. The tango dance of the milongueros is not about exploring spatial relationships that could exist between partners and other couples on the pista. It is about exploring the temporal variation in the music, sharing this with a woman in the embrace.” The obsessive attention paid to movement possibilities in tango workshops around the world is not improving tango dancing. Milonga dance floors have become increasingly chaotic. Instead of wasting their money supporting instructors and festival organizers who are misrepresenting tango, tangueros should travel to Buenos Aires regularly and observe how the masters of tango social dancing, the milongueros, dance tango in the cultural environment where tango social dancing has evolved and still thrives today. Ron _______________________________________________ Tango-L mailing list Tango-L@mit.edu http://mailman.mit.edu/mailman/listinfo/tango-l