The Tango-L mailing list archive
Digest from 8 Nov 1999
to 9 Nov 1999
Reply-To: Discussion of Any Aspect of the Argentine Tango <TANGO-L @MITVMA.MIT.EDU>
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Date: Tue, 9 Nov 1999 03:00:33 -0500
Sender: Discussion of Any Aspect of the Argentine Tango <TANGO-L @MITVMA.MIT.EDU>
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Subject: TANGO-L Digest - 8 Nov 1999 to 9 Nov 1999 (#1999-58)
There are 4 messages totalling 183 lines in this issue.
Topics of the day:
1. tango in Israel
2. People being afraid to post
3. Men teaching men/smoothness.
4. [People being afraid to post]
Date: Sun, 7 Nov 1999 22:42:27 -0500
From: Nina Bogdanovskaya <NINAB @MLN.LIB.MA.US>
Subject: tango in Israel
I am planning to be in Israel Nov 18 to 25th. Any places to tango during this ytime?
Date: Mon, 8 Nov 1999 16:27:32 -0500
From: SERGIO <SERGIO @NCINTER.NET>
Subject: People being afraid to post
Evelien wrote,
>Hello everybody,
>After lurking for two months now, I finally found the courage to post
>something.
>In case of any attacks I've got my harness and my wooden shoes nearby.
>I'm a 29 year old Dutch tango dancer living in Amsterdam.
>Dancing for almost 2 years now and enjoying it very much.
>Never thought it would be so easy to follow a man in comparison with day to
>day life.
>;-)
>At the end of November I'm going to London for the weekend. (November 26 -
>29)
>I've planned to go dancing on Saturday or Sunday evening.
>Can anybody advice me where is the place to be?
>If these kind of questions don't belong on this list, please let me know,
>I didn't mean any harm. ;-)
>Reactions may also be sent to me directly.
>Best regards,
>Eef
I think that it is very sad when people hesitate to ask a simple question to
the members of this list because they are afraid they might be attacked or
ridiculed in one way or another. Would not it be better if we just discussed
the subject with a minimum of civility and respect for each other? If this
kind of suggestions or comments do not belong on this list, please let me
know. I did not mean any harm either.
For tangos in a better
world, Sergio
CC. to Daniel Lapadula, who attacks me via private mail.
Date: Sun, 7 Nov 1999 21:55:10 -0700
From: Madhav Apte <mapte @CONCENTRIC.NET>
Subject: Re: Men teaching men/smoothness.
Some thoughts on smoothness/comfort
Natarajan Balasundara wrote:
> <stuff deleted>
> If the leading is gentle, the follower is comfortable and
> feels as if (s)he is being rocked in a cradle and is
> going to go to sleep in the leader's arms while
> dancing, perhaps it is the 'smooth style'. And,
> in a smooth style the moves that follow other
> moves are more predictable and each step is more
> or less of the same size as the previous.
The purpose of making the follower comfortable (like
a baby being cradled) is not so much to make her fall
asleep (may be this comes from the reference to baby)
but really to make her _comfortable_. IMO the consequence
is that the woman would then feel that she has the space
and context in which to come into her own, to respond with
energy and thus to increase the vibrancy of the dance.
If she is not comfortable, the dance suffers. I don't agree
that smoothness implies predictability. (see below)
> If the leading is such that the follower has to be
> on the edge and be prepared for change in direction
> and speed all the time, and the adrenaline is rushing,
> and much attention has to be paid for intricate steps,
> I would suppose perhaps it is rather an agressive/passionate
> kind of style.
The word agressive has unfortunate connotations in English.
Maybe we should say "bold", or some such?
> pronounced in Piazzola. This would suggest that for
> tango, the movement is not continuuous but some what
> abrupt and crisp-- more coniform than curvey. By abrupt
> I dont mean random but rather that the speed with which
> the foot travels *within* a step, in a beat, is not
> uniform but it either starts out fast and ends gently
> or starts slowly and stops suddenly and steps themselves
> are not always of the same size.
A wonderful observation. This, among other things, would lead
to very personal interpretation of music. With a well matched
partner, this would make for some exciting dancign.
> I feel smoothness is more suited to valse(since
> in waltz one wants to float?) I have also noticed that
> some followers who are very good at valse sometimes
> complain there is not enough notice for a step
> when dancing tango. I wonder if this is because
> they are used to dancing valse style and dont like having
> to be alert and be on the edge all the time or if it is
> me or both. May be there is a whole different set
> of reasons and my assumptions about valse are
> wrong to begin with.
It may be you, or them, or both ;-).
More seriously, the smoothness has two or three aspects to it that I
have
observed - one is perceptive smoothness from an observer's point
of view. The other is smoothness that the dancer feels himself, and
the third is what his partner feels. (One hopes the second and third
are the same ;-)). What's charming about smoothness for me is the
apparent
contradiction within it - that you can have abrupt changes of speed
and direction and still be smooth. That's what I am striving toward.
BTW, about Piazzola: interestingly, there
are plenty of Piazzola fans in Denver (myself included) and we often
dance to his music. Clearly not all of it is danceable but some of
it surely is.
- Madhav
Date: Mon, 8 Nov 1999 15:28:54 PST
From: sharon gates <sharon7301 @NETSCAPE.NET>
Subject: Re: [People being afraid to post]
SERGIO,
You wrote:
CC. to Daniel Lapadula, who attacks me via private mail.
Not to defend Mr. Lapadula (whom I don't know), but maybe his messages ha=
ve
been censored by the "no personal flames" moderator, and Daniel has no ch=
oice
but to post them privately.
Other people have been burned enough times that they are now more eager t=
o
issue apologies and "I stand corrected" statements rather than be attacke=
d by
vicious "professional" hacks, such as the Alberto Paz or any other of his=
cronies on "his" Tango list.
Just go ahead and express your opinions about the Tango and the Argentine=
culture, so that we can enjoy it even more.
Regards,
Sharon.
CC:TANGO-L @MITVMA.MIT.EDU
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End of TANGO-L Digest - 8 Nov 1999 to 9 Nov 1999 (#1999-58)
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