Re: [TANGO-L] Seeking the origins of "syncopation" usage differences (was : competition)

[Brian Dunn <brian @DANCEOFTHEHEART.COM>]

Philip wrote:
>...Syncopation is accenting a normally
>unaccented beat or failing to accent a normally accented beat.

Tom replied:
>>>
Tango has lots of rhythmic decorations. Are they sometimes syncopations by
Philip's clear definition?...If milonga is normally stepped 1-2, 1-2, and we
occasionally insert a tras-pie on the candombe beats in-between, does that
count as syncopation?
<<<

It can be interesting to consider how "syncopation" came to be used so
differently by dancers & musicians, in terms that don't just assume someone
is stupid/wrong, and that look for the underlying truth in each viewpoint.

Tom's comment perhaps reflects a deeper unity between dancers and musicians
on the subject of syncopation that may transcend and include their
terminology differences - namely, "The Expected" and "The Unexpected" are
the common experiences which both dancers and musicians are trying to
describe with the word "syncopation."

Every musician when learning their instrument practices reading/playing both
quarter-notes and eighth-notes. Thus musicians are not particularly
surprised by playing eighth-notes instead of quarter-notes, for example,
because the exercise is considered trivial - and thus "expected" - thus no
syncopation.

Partner dancers, in addition to hearing and feeling the music, also must
manage their instrument (legs/feet) AND their partner's instrument through
the lead/follow dynamic, and manage movement of bodies through space, and
respond in the moment to navigational concerns,  etc.   Perhaps as a result,
partner dancers do not find doubling the rate of stepping
(Slow-slow-quick-quick-slow, for example) to be nearly so trivial - thus
"unexpected" - thus syncopation.

May each remain "correct" within their sphere, (but stay vigilant at the
boundaries!)

Brian Dunn
Dance of the Heart
Boulder, Colorado  USA
1(303)938-0716
http://www.danceoftheheart.com