An oversimplified explanation of the current doldrums - with an exalted niche
of the few still left - would be that the wave of popular interest started with
Copes' production brought to New York City before 1990 built up and then
started abating to where we are now. Where are we now? My last trip to BsAs
started in mid December 2012 when I found out that the popular Practica X just
closed and also found Torquato Tasso closed on their scheduled night. Staying
always in Palermo, within a walking distance of my preferred venues such as
Villa Malcolm, Salon Caning and La Viruta, I had little interest in Nino Bien -
my last time there was in 2006. For a personal business, I got to Nino Bien at
3AM in January 2012. To my dismay, the place was almost empty! The attendees
looked like "tango turistas". In the year 2000, by comparison, I remember that
at 3AM there, it was still "standing room only" and the old milonguero skill
and propriety was
required to enter the packed dance floor! When back at home, about end of
February 2013, I saw the news that Nino Bien closed its doors and, more
surprisingly, also the milonga quite popular with the younger crowd, Tango Cool
at Villa Malcom stopped as well.
The situation in the US does not appear much better. At the same time (I dance
salsa) salsa has been booming! What happened? Here is how I understand it:
(1) From running my weekly event for about 15 years, most people come to the
dance class to find a date and only few continue even if successful. Since
tango requires more effort to learn to be acceptable it is not a good deal from
the cost/benefit point of view when just looking for a date.
(2) From mid eighties, our tango was propelled by enthusiasts median age of
whom, I would hazard was at least around 50. Tango was a significant refinement
to our informal dance culture (never mind ballroom ) such as lindy hop, swing,
disco, and so on. It had its sophistication, let alone captivating music, and
presented something new to learn and enjoy.Tango quickly got middle age
following - how the old milongueros treated the ladies..., their embrace, "..,
ooh, he always held a folded white handkerchief in his left hand when dancing
with me....", the cabeceo worship and more. Soo new, while less sanitized than
the ballroom dancing yet so gentlemanly!
Another element from the history - the dress code: While the upper classes in
BsAs had the formal ballroom, the tango community strove for the comparable
respect - so suit and tie. After all, even less than 100 years ago you were
nobody unless well dressed. (And, the more dignified the dance, the more
moneyed clients showed up for lessons.) Many on the list surely remember
milonga invitations in the US where jacket and tie was a mandatory attire. I
recall announcements on tango-A of milongas, sometimes being a participant(!),
carefully designed to imitate the crowded "estilo del centro": "...we have the
dance floor adjusted to the attendance size so that the couples will be going
around floor in three rings focusing on the important rule that once in a given
ring the couple will stay there proceeding around the floor and not switching
to the ring on the right or on the left or pass a couple in front of them...at
the end of the tanda
the couple in front of you should be the same couple that was there at the
start of the tanda and same would apply to the couple behind you...". Do I
need to continue? While this devoted imitation of history has been loved by the
enthusiasts, the 20 somethings have had enough rules and history from the
school they finished not long ago. How many of them were recruited into (this
historical) tango in the last 10 years?
BTW, to those soo impressed with cabeceo: it has existed everywhere as part of
natural human communication, independent of tango. A person in the room that
would like to approach me or be approached generally starts with the eye
contact. In a noisy and crowded salsa bar I see it practiced by people who
never heard of tango. (What makes it still more "tango-like" is a salsera who
gets busy with her handbag just to avoid eye contact and having to refuse the
invitation). Salsa, in my opinion, has been winning not only because of its
informality (NO dress code) but also because of the energy natural to young
crowd as well as use of advanced moves requiring physical skills.
In my opinion - had the (by now elderly) argentine tango community embraced
also "tango de escena" or what conservatives have derisively called "athletic
tango", I mean "Nuevo", as developed by Naveira, Salas, Chicho, Sebastian Arce
and few more (Homer Ladas in US, e.g.) the chances are it would have attracted
more of young people. Most important for the young generation, the dance should
be fun rather than pedantic insistence on the rules. ("Oh, old milongueros
would never...") Of course, dancing proper argentine tango makes one special.
Unfortunately, not special enough to justify the learning effort - unless it's
the athletic tango, maybe. But I just repeat myself.
Jan
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