Tango-L mailing list archive: Digest 3 Jul 2000 to 4 Jul 2000

The Tango-L mailing list archive

Digest from 3 Jul 2000 to 4 Jul 2000

Reply-To: Discussion of Any Aspect of the Argentine Tango <TANGO-L @MITVMA.MIT.EDU> To: Recipients of TANGO-L digests <TANGO-L @MITVMA.MIT.EDU> Date: Tue, 4 Jul 2000 03:00:26 -0400 Sender: Discussion of Any Aspect of the Argentine Tango <TANGO-L @MITVMA.MIT.EDU> From: Automatic digest processor <LISTSERV @MITVMA.MIT.EDU> Subject: TANGO-L Digest - 3 Jul 2000 to 4 Jul 2000 (#2000-182)

There are 9 messages totalling 780 lines in this issue. Topics of the day: 1. The Anal-ytic School of Tango (3) 2. Personal Experiences 3. (no subject) 4. FloridaTango: Fourth of July - Remembering Independence Day 5. Tango as an Urban Folk Dance (was: The Anal-ytic School of Tango) (2) 6. Practice, practice

Date: Mon, 3 Jul 2000 14:02:10 +0200 From: =?iso-8859-1?Q?=22LIGER_Michel=2C_CETE_M=E9diterr=2E/DIT=22?= <michel.liger @EQUIPEMENT.GOUV.FR> Subject: Re: The Anal-ytic School of Tango In response to Felix and Andy, Manuel wrote: > The passion of tango is about *tango*. Tango is a dance, a specialized > activity with certain defined parameters. The enjoyment of tango is like the > enjoyment of anything else. Some people enjoy just doing their activities in > any way while others enjoy doing what they do as well as they can. Passion > can be felt about a huge number of activities or predilections. Perhaps an > infinite number of things. Passion between a man a woman can readily and > easily be felt without the need of tango or any other music or dance. > Actually, it does not even need a prone position ;) If you want tango, then > dance tango. If you want passion you need not dance tango to feel or express > it. Yes indeed. And we should'nt be confused about passion. If you are in love with your parner you can do any activity implying closeness :-).... But passion in tango is a passion created by the music in your soul/body and shared with a partner, whether this partner inspires you friendship, love, sexual or just social attraction. In general you share with your partner a passion inspired by the music and not the other way round. It is true that you can express strong feelings and passion by basic figures. But to me it is becoming boring after a while. Some degree of sophistication, refinement, complexity adds to the pleasure. It also reinforces the communication level between partners by making it more diverse: as a leader you can share tenderness, then create surprise, excitation then quietness... The use of more complex patterns provides for a better interpretation of the music because the possibilities are more diverse and can best suit the musical diversity. But this requires a better technique, hence the necessity of learning and training to be able to lead or follow successfully. I do however admit there is a risk that too complex figures can be performed to the prejudice of feeling expression. In short the technique is at the service of the feeling expression and they normally improve together. A last point: previously in this thread the benefits of practicing have been emphasized. I would add that listening much tango music, danceable or not, gets you impregnated with the spirits of tango. Michel Liger Aix en Provence, France

Date: Mon, 3 Jul 2000 15:10:52 +0200 From: Virginia Gift <vgift @ATTGLOBAL.NET> Subject: Personal Experiences Will you please post this on the List? Thanks very much. Dear List Members, I am writing a social history of tango that attempts to unravel and explain the fascination and power of the tango. (Any other 'easy' topics around?) Soon after becoming involved with tango, 2 1/2 years, ago I began to attend workshops in Europe, the US, Canada, and Buenos Aires, and it didn't take long to recognize the unusual sociological and psychological aspects of the worldwide tango phenomenon--the Tango World. Since there are not many books on tango available in English, I was unable to satisfy my curiosity, so I began to search for answers to why tango is the Rolls Royce of social dances. The result is my book, which will cover mid-19th century to contemporary times. Since so many on the Tango-List write so eloquently about tango I decided it would be a good idea to include an entire section of direct quotes from dancers about their experiences, and I am positive that both tango dancers and non-tango dancers would be interested in reading responses to the following questions. a ---How has your life changed since you began dancing tango?. b.---What has been your most interesting/memorable experience with tango? Since I intend to limit each individual to a single page, please don't send more than about 350 words. Regarding credit of sources, I would identify each quote in the manner of the writer's choice: a. Name and city or country b. Initials - location c. City/Country only d. Annonymous I recognize, and appreciate, that many members of the list may not be anxious to be associated with something turned out by someone who dances better than she writes, but I don't want to bore us all with a lengthy background survey and assurances of my seriousness. Briefly: I am an American, recently retired history/ceramics teacher/professor, living in Paris; I've written non-fiction books on Post-war Vietnam and the Vietnam War, (and am exceedingly proud of having a published endorsement from Noam Chomsky). I spent part of the two previous summers researching tango in the Library of Congress, and have done extensive interviewing with amateur tango dancers, writers, historians, performers, and musicians. Since I do not write easily (or happily), I wish I were just an ordinary tango junky who loves to dance, without feeling I have to write a book about it. But there it is. I'll be delighted with any help I can get. I'll appreciate it very much if some of you could make time to answer one, or both, of the above questions. If you have any questions for me, please get in touch. Best regards, Virginia Gift

Date: Mon, 3 Jul 2000 13:22:01 EDT From: Sherrie Pallotta <SherPal @AOL.COM> Subject: (no subject) Hello list members: i have two questions. 1. I s there another store for tango shoes in downtown BsAS besides Flabellas. I have several pairs of their shoes,b ut would like to try something different on my next trip. I am not interested in travelling to the suburbs however for the shoes. 2. Later this fall or next year i would like to come to Italy to study Italian and tango inthe Florence, Bologna, Sienna area. All my fellow Italians are there any lovelly rental properties in these areas that are resonalbly priced, could accomodate 4 to 6 people and are located near tango clubs. Any information on housing would be apprieciated. Thank you in advance, Sherrie Pallotta, Cleveland, Ohio, USA

Date: Mon, 3 Jul 2000 11:42:05 +0000 From: Larry Carroll <larrydla @JUNO.COM> Subject: The Anal-ytic School of Tango I like Andy Ungureanu's comment that tango is like writing poetry, & Susanna Meurer's that it is like playing music. Anyone who is even an average-good writer or musician or artist of any kind (or knows someone who is) knows how much hard work, practice, study of technique, and so on they do. Only when technique is mastered (& it never is perfectly mastered) can artists create fluidly and "naturally" and be so expressive that it makes you want to laugh or cry with joy. If anything, some tango classes need MORE analysis: the one's where the teacher gives you some long pattern with one or two dozen individual steps, & insists you get the whole damn thing exactly right & exactly the way they show you. I also think tango needs BETTER analysis. This is what I've tried to do in my online book: give a system that makes it much easier to analyze figures, to understand them, & master them quickly. My hope is that this will make it easier to spend time on other parts of tango, especially music, connection with your partner & expressing yourself. I've taken & taught classes in creative writing, & taken several classes in dance improvisation (& I see a lot more of those in the tango world nowadays). A class cannot teach creativity or heart. What it can do is teach the tools needed to be creative or expressive, & give students a tiny bit of practice in using those tools creatively. Then it's up to the student to use & master them outside of class. ___________________________________________________ This brings me to the "Practice, practice" topic recently discussed in TANGO-L. I agree totally with Ramiro Garcia when he says that "Milongas are for social dancing, not teaching, criticizing, lecturing, or practicing." Though in a sense milongas ARE for practicing. But the practice is in SYNTHESIS - in putting together everything we've ever learned into one seamless whole. Milongas are for practicing spontaneity, which can only be done by being spontaneous, in turning over the logical, analytical, & practical concerns to our subconscious, leaving our conscious to attend to more important matters like emotions & esthetics. They are for practicing connection, by being connected to our partner and to all those around in the flow around the dance floor. And they are for practicing the arts of enjoyment, by being joyful. This is not to say that criticism, practicing, & teaching should be totally avoided. It means it needs to be done rarely & right. Here is what I do. ___________________________________________________ No matter how skillful my partner I usually start off very simply. As we dance I'll get a feel for how she's doing. Is she tired, frisky, sad, happy, able to do tricky stuff, or not, or to what skill level? And I adjust to her, & (if I feel energetic) I'll begin to do fancier things. At some point I'll fail to lead her properly or she'll make a mistake. Even if it's my fault, usually she'll apologize. Even if it IS her fault, I'll say "No, I didn't lead it right." Because if she feels bad or is obsessing about her "error" she'll be back in the past with the mistake, not in the NOW where we're doing everything well & having a good time. Most of the time that is the end of it. But sometimes she insists it's her fault. I'll ask a question, which will focus her on me & the present. "Did you fall down?" "No," she'll say. "Did you make ME fall down?" "No." "Then you didn't make a mistake." Rarely she'll still be unhappy, or really likes to do things right. So I say "Let me see if I can lead it better." I'll assess the traffic flow to make sure what I do won't interfere with anyone. Then I'll do the problem technique again, this time exaggerating the lead & making sure we also do well the before & after parts of the technique. Almost never will I explain anything. Usually with the music & my soft voice she couldn't hear it anyway, but also because it's the feel of our bodies that's most important. Then, we go on dancing. Because mistakes on the dance floor should be forgotten, not focused on. And because I want to have a good time being a dancer, not being a teacher. Larry de Los Angeles http://home.att.net/~larrydla ________________________________________________________________ YOU'RE PAYING TOO MUCH FOR THE INTERNET! Juno now offers FREE Internet Access! Try it today - there's no risk! For your FREE software, visit: http://dl.www.juno.com/get/tagj.

Date: Mon, 3 Jul 2000 15:34:24 EDT From: Randy Pittman <MailAlive @AOL.COM> Subject: FloridaTango: Fourth of July - Remembering Independence Day The following is taken from a message sent to us by a friend, Steve Verwey. Even though is not related directly to Tango, I thought it was appropriate for the celebration of the day. Please enjoy the festivities and Happy Tangos to All. Lydia

REMEMBERING INDEPENDENCE DAY Have you ever wondered what happened to the 56 men who signed the Declaration of Independence? Five signers were captured by the British as traitors, and tortured before they died. Twelve had their homes ransacked and burned. Two lost their sons serving in the Revolutionary Army; another had two sons captured. Nine of the 56 fought and died from wounds or hardships of the Revolutionary War. They signed and they pledged their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honor. What kind of men were they? Twenty-four were lawyers and jurists. Eleven were merchants, nine were farmers and large plantation owners; men of means, well educated. But they signed the Declaration of Independence knowing full well that the penalty would be death if they were captured. Carter Braxton of Virginia, a wealthy planter and trader, saw his ships swept from the seas by the British Navy. He sold his home and properties to pay his debts, and died in rags. Thomas McKeam was so hounded by the British that he was forced to move his family almost constantly. He served in the Congress without pay, and his family was kept in hiding. His possessions were taken from him, and poverty was his reward. Vandals or soldiers looted the properties of Dillery, Hall, Clymer, Walton, Gwinnett, Heyward, Ruttledge, and Middleton. At the battle of Yorktown, Thomas Nelson Jr, noted that the British General Cornwallis had taken over the Nelson home for his headquarters. He quietly urged General George Washington to open fire. The home was destroyed, and Nelson died bankrupt. Francis Lewis had his home and properties destroyed. The enemy jailed his wife, and she died within a few months. John Hart was driven from his wife's bedside as she was dying. Their 13 children fled for their lives. His fields and his gristmill were laid to waste. For more than a year he lived in forests and caves, returning home to find his wife dead and his children vanished. A few weeks later he died from exhaustion and a broken heart. Norris and Livingston suffered similar fates. Such were the stories and sacrifices of the American Revolution. These were not wild-eyed, rabble-rousing ruffians. They were soft-spoken men of means and education. They had security, but they valued liberty more. Standing tall, straight, and unwavering, they pledged: "For the support of this declaration, with firm reliance on the protection of the divine providence, we mutually pledge to each other, our lives, our fortunes, and our sacred honor." They gave you and me a free and independent America. The history books never told you a lot about what happened in the Revolutionary War. We didn't fight just the British. We were British subjects at that time and we fought our own government! Some of us take these liberties so much for granted, but we shouldn't. So, take a few minutes while enjoying your 4th of July holiday and silently thank these patriots. It's not much to ask for the price they paid. Remember: freedom is never free! I hope you will show your support by please sending this to as many people as you can. It's time we get the word out that patriotism is NOT a sin, and the Fourth of July has more to it than beer, picnics, and baseball. END

Date: Mon, 3 Jul 2000 21:05:46 EDT From: Leonardo Tanguero <TangoLeon @AOL.COM> Subject: Tango as an Urban Folk Dance (was: The Anal-ytic School of Tango) > > I'm not saying analysis, structure or technique are bad, but if you > > start people learning tango by emphasizing the Structure, isn't it > > much harder for them to discover the Heart? > > > > I know that our community was strongly introverted and analytical at > > the start. The good thing is that they (we) were working really hard > > at getting better, but if a real "party person" were to peek in, > > they > > would never come back. It took a while before our community finally > > consisted of a greater variety of personalities. But, the social > > scene never really became viable until we got past that heavy > > analytical emphasis. Felix Delgado responded to Tom Stermitz' previous post as follows: > I had wanted to respond in agreement to this post at that time, but after > several graduates of the Anal-ytic School of Tango objected to Tom's > desire to put heart into tango, I refrained. ... > I went through a phase where I tried hard to improve my > technique, and people even commented that I was dancing better. However, > I realized I was losing a good part of my enjoyment of the dance. ... > So what is the > goal of tango - perfection in technique or the enjoyment of the passion > of the music and the dance? I prefer the passion. Similar to Felix, I had wanted to respond to Tom's earlier post, but I didn't find the time. Now the same theme has appeared again. Both Tom's and Felix's posts elicited several responses with the opinion that to dance tango properly, one must learn the appropriate technique, and that the passionate interchange of tango cannot be experienced without a sufficient level of technique, or that the beauty of tango is expressed only after one has mastered a certain level of technique. One cannot deny these assertions. Through improved dance technique, tango evolves from hesitant struggles with steps, partner, and music to a confident connection of man and woman to the music, moving in harmony across the dance floor. It takes a lot of practice to improve and it requires expert guidance and analysis. Nevertheless, countless hours of practice and analysis will not produce an enjoyable tango experience if one is so absorbed in self-analysis (and the analysis of others' dancing) that one misses the emotional impact created by the music, dance, and connection with your partner. In fact, a lot more emphasis in teaching on 'basic tango' technique (posture, balance, physical connection with partner, walking, pausing, dancing with the music) instead of challenging patterns could substantially improve the tango experience for beginners. I think I understand the frustration Felix has had in being overwhelmed by over-analysis of tango. I've been there myself and experienced the obsession with technique and the simultaneous loss of emotional impact in dancing tango. My strategy for dealing with this was to be patient (can't learn it all at once) and realistic (may never learn some of it). However, the greatest single factor that has helped me (warning: individual results may vary) to regain the connection with the emotional impact of the music (and to reach a intensity that did not exist before) has been to learn to have the phrasing of dancing tango reflect the phrasing of the music. For example, at the basic level, a resolution or walk to the crusada at the end of a 'phrase' of music (excuse me for not knowing the technical musical terminology), followed by an extended pause before resuming movement, or tapping firmly while walking to a strong beat, can assist in achieving a greater emotional connection with the music (i.e., allowing the emotion of the music to speak through you as you dance). Of course, this requires some familiarity and thus ability to predict the flow of the music, which comes from countless hours of listening to tango, an activity recommended frequently by posters to this list. Learning technique and expressing emotion in dancing are both integral parts of an individual's development in dancing tango. Felix's post demonstrates some of the difficulties in obtaining this balance for the individual, but Tom's post focuses more on the difficulties experienced by the tango community in achieving a balance between analysis and emotional expression. Even though detailed analysis and subsequent practice, resulting in internalization of improved dance technique, followed by heightened emotional connection with the music, can produce the most beautiful artistic tango, there is a danger for the tango community in setting a standard for an individual's status in the community. At the international level, it is apparent that different expert instructors have different philosphies about technique or different styles of tango and I doubt there are many tangueros who would propose we set up standards for tango as exist for international ballroom dance. However, even at the level of the local tango community, there is a danger in alienating aspiring tangueros when there is too much emphasis on analysis of technique. I recognize the phrase 'Tango is not for everyone' (a clear exclusionary statement) is echoed even more widely than the seductive 'Tango is a love affair in 3 minutes' but I believe we should consider a much more limited use of the first statement. People become involved with tango for numerous reasons. Some enjoy the challenge of learning an intricate dance. Some are attracted to the music and the emotional expression. Some are single people looking for a social activity where there is the possibility of romantic involvement. (Of course, this last group doesn't belong in tango and should be directed immediately to the nearest swing or salsa club.) Newcomers to a tango community do not feel welcome if the guardians of tango purity overemphasize technique to the already overwhelmed mind in its initial exposure to a potentially complicated dance. I think we sometimes forget that 50 to 60 years ago in Buenos Aires tango was an 'urban folk dance' danced by numerous people of different skill levels and was an integral part of social life. I'd like to know who has the right to say some people should be discouraged from participating in a tango community because they don't subscribe to the 'analytic school of tango'. (The sum of responses from members posting to this list should be considered a biased non-random sample of those who dance tango, and thus may be non-representative.) This gets back to what Tom Stermitz addressed in his post - that a tango community needs to have an enjoyable atmosphere. Tango communities need to be inclusive rather than exclusive. If we really love tango, we should want to share it with as many others as possible and be patient with the challenges facing newcomers. There should be a friendly, welcoming atmosphere. Naturally, some selectivity of members of a community will occur when people self-select because of the numerous reasons tango is inherently more difficult than other dances (alternating male and female roles, non-constant rhythm and movement, small units of dance construction with multiple recombination possibilities, etc.). Also, some novices that acquire skills faster can be given more verbal encouragement. However, any communnity that is inherently exclusive because it has expectations that newcomers acquire certain skills or they will be considered unacceptable is only creating an environment leading to its own demise. Leonardo El Leon del Tango TangoLeon @aol.com

Date: Mon, 3 Jul 2000 23:40:32 -0400 From: Manuel Patino <white95r @HOTMAIL.COM> Subject: Re: Tango as an Urban Folk Dance (was: The Anal-ytic School of Tango)

Original Message ----- From: Leonardo Tanguero <TangoLeon @AOL.COM> > Similar to Felix, I had wanted to respond to Tom's earlier post, but I didn't > find the time. Now the same theme has appeared again. snip > Nevertheless, countless hours of practice and analysis will not produce an > enjoyable tango experience if one is so absorbed in self-analysis (and the > analysis of others' dancing) that one misses the emotional impact created by > the music, dance, and connection with your partner. I think the word "analysis" has crept into this thread through a back door so to speak (pardon the awful pun) I don't know too many people at all who analyze tango dancing to any extent. Felix spelled the subject of his post "anal-ytic". To me it is clearly a slur directed to somebody (I guess at the teacher who so upset him during the dance). I'm pretty sure that too much analysis can be counter productive, but it is very true that countless hours of practice *will* allow the dancer to have a much more enjoyable tango experience. > In fact, a lot more > emphasis in teaching on 'basic tango' technique (posture, balance, physical > connection with partner, walking, pausing, dancing with the music) instead of > challenging patterns could substantially improve the tango experience for > beginners. Yes, this is exactly what all responsible instructors do. The problem is that this "'basic tango' technique (posture, balance, physical connection with partner, walking, pausing, dancing with the music)". Is exactly what many people will consider "endless hours of [unnecessary] analysis and practice". There just is no way to win this argument with some folks :( snip > However, the > greatest single factor that has helped me (warning: individual results may > vary) to regain the connection with the emotional impact of the music (and to > reach a intensity that did not exist before) has been to learn to have the > phrasing of dancing tango reflect the phrasing of the music. Leonardo, what you are talking about here is very high level of skill in tango dancing. How can anyone suggest that this is somehow a simpler way to *passionate* tango? snip > Of course, this requires some familiarity and thus > ability to predict the flow of the music, which comes from countless hours of > listening to tango, an activity recommended frequently by posters to this > list. Right, more of this endless practice and dedication to "learning" tango. snip > Tom's post focuses more on the difficulties experienced by the tango > community in achieving a balance between analysis and emotional expression. Again, I think the trouble is not between *analysis and emotional expression* but rather achieving balance between different levels of skill in a community without expecting the less experienced dancers to face the true difficulties of learning to dance tango well. > there is a danger for the tango community in setting a standard for an > individual's status in the community. At the international level, it is > apparent that different expert instructors have different philosphies about > technique or different styles of tango Amazingly enough, the mantra most oft repeated by (many) travelling instructors today is: "every teacher is correct even if they contradict what I tell you now. This is just *my* way and what works for *me*" > and I doubt there are many tangueros > who would propose we set up standards for tango as exist for international > ballroom dance. On the contrary, there is actually a number of tangueros who are so in love with their particular style(?) that they will denigrate and despise anybody who dances differently. Usually stereotyping the others as "Fantasia tango dancers" and not "real tango dancers" etc. > However, even at the level of the local tango community, > there is a danger in alienating aspiring tangueros when there is too much > emphasis on analysis of technique. I recognize the phrase 'Tango is not for > everyone' (a clear exclusionary statement) is echoed even more widely than > the seductive 'Tango is a love affair in 3 minutes' but I believe we should > consider a much more limited use of the first statement. Tango *is not for everybody*. That is the way it is. Rap and hip hop are not for everybody either. Actually nothing is for everybody. This is not an exclusionary statement but rather an explicatory statement ordinarily used to explain why somebody came to tango but did not like it. Tango has very limited appeal and is part of a very specialized subculture. It is even smaller than contra dancing or even ballet which is much more popular as witnessed by the large number of girls who take it regularly, and who would argue with the statement "ballet is not for everyone"? > People become > involved with tango for numerous reasons. Some enjoy the challenge of > learning an intricate dance. These are not the ones complainig about *endless analysis and practice" ;-) > Some are attracted to the music and the > emotional expression. These are representative of the "Gardelianos" and others who understand the poetry of the lyrics of tango and the way the music fits with the lyrics to express the emotions (passion?) of tango. These include large numbers of Spanish speking folks from all parts of South, Central and North America who love to listen to tango music and attend all types of tango events even though they do not dance tango themselves. > Some are single people looking for a social activity > where there is the possibility of romantic involvement. (Of course, this last > group doesn't belong in tango and should be directed immediately to the > nearest swing or salsa club.) Why make such statement? it is a hasty and incorrect assumption that swing or salsa are somehow only danced by people looking for romantic involvement. Swing and Salsa dancers are as serious about their dancing as tango dancers. There are many in their ranks who strive for excellence and there are also those who *just want to experience the emotions and passion of the music" and the closeness to their partner. > Newcomers to a tango community do not feel > welcome if the guardians of tango purity overemphasize technique to the > already overwhelmed mind in its initial exposure to a potentially complicated > dance. Is not the "guardians of tango" who make newcomers feel unwelcome. It is simply that the newcomers see all the more experienced dancers gliding and gyrating on the floor with apparent ease. This make them feel inadequate and intimidated. The only way to make everyone feel at ease would be to "dumb down" everyones dancing and bring it down to the level of the *average* beginner (whatever that might be). > I think we sometimes forget that 50 to 60 years ago in Buenos Aires > tango was an 'urban folk dance' danced by numerous people of different skill > levels and was an integral part of social life. Tango in BsAs is now and has always been a very hierachical dance. Do not think for one minute that all tango dancers are equal in Bs As. They are not, and the beginners have to "pay their dues" which are even more expensive there than almost anywhere else in th world!. > I'd like to know who has the > right to say some people should be discouraged from participating in a tango > community because they don't subscribe to the 'analytic school of tango'. No one has suggested yet that people should be discouraged from participating in tango for any reason. > (The sum of responses from members posting to this list should be considered > a biased non-random sample of those who dance tango, and thus may be > non-representative.) This is true, the members posting to this list are by and large *very* invested in, and enthusiastic about tango. These are the folks who take tango seriously enough to be *passionate* about it. Even when they are frustrated by the difficulties of dancing tango well, they are ready to do what it takes to learn. > This gets back to what Tom Stermitz addressed in his post - that a tango > community needs to have an enjoyable atmosphere. Tango communities need to be > inclusive rather than exclusive. If we really love tango, we should want to > share it with as many others as possible and be patient with the challenges > facing newcomers. There should be a friendly, welcoming atmosphere. I agree completely with this statement. I for one try to adhere to these principles and do what I can to promote tango at all levels. > Naturally, some selectivity of members of a community will occur when people > self-select because of the numerous reasons tango is inherently more > difficult than other dances Right again. It is important to know and accept this as a fact of (tango) life. This is what separates tango from just anybody. The frustrations and difficulties encountered by beginners are not the work of some retententive "anal-ysts", but rather the result of this natural self-selection. snip > However, any communnity that > is inherently exclusive because it has expectations that newcomers acquire > certain skills or they will be considered unacceptable is only creating an > environment leading to its own demise. I guess then, that almost every tango community is doomed. I'm sure that every tango dancer out there is really looking for more and better partners to enjoy the dance with. As far as I'm concerned, the better they get, the more fun they are to dance with. I certainly expect them to progress and acquire the skills that will make them better (acceptable?) dancers. Excellent tangos to all, Manuel

Date: Fri, 30 Jun 2000 14:10:28 -0600 From: "Bauer, Russell" <russell_bauer @NREL.GOV> Subject: Re: Practice, practice ramiro garcia wrote: >What if what they (women) Really Want changes from moment to moment? >What if what they want is to have a warm, intimate, friendly, >enjoyable dance experience that thrills their hearts, and what >they Don't Want is to have to analyze, focus, pay attention, >struggle, practice endless boring balance and frame and >lead-and-follow drills with imperfect, hesitant, >groping-in-the-dark, critical leaders? >What if what they want is to have enjoyable dances with great >leaders, and what they don't want is to have to go through >endless hours of not-so-enjoyable dancing with stumble-footed >types to get there? Nobody asked me, but I'm going to say what I want. I want to be able to dance like I've been dancing everyday for the last ten years, today. I don't want to have to ever work at it. And I want to dance with gorgeous women who dance like they have been dancing everyday for the last ten years. Also, I want a million dollars. But, I don't want to have to work for it. I just want to crawl out of bed tomorrow morning, stumble to my living room and find $100 bills stacked to the ceiling. Russell Bauer

Date: Sun, 2 Jul 2000 21:29:21 -0400 From: vvhm <hnv @AKRON.INFI.NET> Subject: Re: The Anal-ytic School of Tango susanna meurer wrote: > > Andy wrote: > Imagine dancing in the music and with the heart is like writing a > poem. > Is it possible to write a poem in a language you dont really know, > neither words nor grammar?? > > I fully agree with Andy. > I always thought of learning tango in the same way as about learning > an instrument. > The most gifted musicians, the ones that make your heart overflow with > emotion and catch your breath with the beauty of their art, would be > nothing without their technique. Only the way they are able to master > every detail, every facette of their instrument and of the sound > enables them to really forget about the technique and give up to the > music with their heart and soul. > Heart and soul are, in my opinion, things so beautiful and delicate to > express that you need the technique - otherwise you just have a rough > hint of all the beauty that there could be! > (Another metaphore that comes into my mind is the one of a real good > sandwich (can be very yummy, I agree), compared to a real meal > prepared with lots of love and attention...) > > Beautiful tangos to all, > Susanna There is a quote from one of my favorite books-John Barth's Chimera- that applies here. I don't have the book in front of me so I will paraphrase. "...But, What we want, dear Dunyazade, is passionate virtuosity"

End of TANGO-L Digest - 3 Jul 2000 to 4 Jul 2000 (#2000-182) ************************************************************