Tango-L mailing list archive: Digest 15 Jul 1999 to 16 Jul 1999

The Tango-L mailing list archive

Digest from 15 Jul 1999 to 16 Jul 1999

Return-Path: owner-TANGO-L @MITVMA.MIT.EDU 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: Fri, 16 Jul 1999 03:00:01 -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 - 15 Jul 1999 to 16 Jul 1999

There are 25 messages totalling 874 lines in this issue. Topics of the day: 1. Tango addiction 2. Stats 3. How do you answer people . . . (7) 4. AT in Finland (2) 5. a little help (2) 6. Addiction 7. DO YOU COMPETE? (2) 8. Addiction -- Please don't squeeze the follows! (4) 9. Two DiSarli Milongas? 10. Rules (or is it principles ?) 11. DO YOU COMPETE? and: Why people give up... 12. Compete or select? Man or leader? Woman or follower? 13. Yes !

Date: Thu, 15 Jul 1999 01:22:50 +0000 From: Larry Carroll <larrydla @JUNO.COM> Subject: Re: Tango addiction Walter Kane says exactly what I felt discovering tango after 20 years of many other kinds of social dance: > Tango is the only dance I've experienced that has it all.... Larry de Los Angeles http://home.att.net/~larrydla ___________________________________________________________________ Get the Internet just the way you want it. Free software, free e-mail, and free Internet access for a month! Try Juno Web: http://dl.www.juno.com/dynoget/tagj.

Date: Thu, 15 Jul 1999 09:03:44 EDT From: Norberto Alvarez <AlvarezN @AOL.COM> Subject: Re: Stats Dear List:;there is a long history of tango being danced in Finland. It goes back to the beginning of teh century. I was in Finland 3 years ago and unfortunately I did not have the chance tosee the dancing but I got tickets for a competition of singing which was very good. There is one city Seinajoki inthe middlel of Finland, 400 miles north of Helsinki, where they have a full week of tango dancing and singing. People dance on teh street. As I said I could not see the dancing,when I was there it was a rainy day then the outside activities were not possible. I have a friend in Finland, I just received an email from him yesterday, There were 30,000 people in Seinajoki for the tango week which is in the first or second week of July. Susana Rinaldi, a well known argitinian singer was the guest of honor. Then there is something there that is worth to explore for those that like tango. Most probaly the dancing is not the tango we dance but since they have been doing since 1900 I gave then credit. I hope this help . Sincerely Norberto

Date: Thu, 15 Jul 1999 15:25:15 +0200 From: Helaine Treitman <treitman @GIOTTO.ORG> Subject: How do you answer people . . . Lately I've found myself getting frustrated and annoyed by the number of non-dancing people I meet who ask me if the reason I'm going to a tango workshop, or a milonga, or Nijmegen, or Buenos Aires is TO COMPETE. Their only exposure to tango is probably ballroom competitions on television. I feel impatient with their ignorance, and I don't want to be. Any suggestions about how to gently and briefly respond (and maybe even raise their consciousness a little)? Thanks for your thoughts. Helaine --The International School of Art in Umbria, Italy 06057 Montecastello di Vibio (PG), Italy Tel / Fax +39-075-8780223 US Voicemail 212-386-2705 http://www.giotto.org/ email: treitman @giotto.org

Date: Thu, 15 Jul 1999 17:38:58 +0300 From: Heini-Elina Soutamo <heini.soutamo @HES.PP.FI> Subject: AT in Finland Referring to those mailings about the tango dancing in Finland Just some comments from the Finnish viewpoint: 1) the most popular dance in Finland is probably the Finnish tango. = Played in open dance floors in summer eves - everyone will be dancing. = This tango has lately also returned a little bit back towards the = original Argenitian one - at least some singers present the translated = tangos in more Argentinian way. There are also some retranslations of = the lyrics - no more adjustment for the Finnish public but the original = feeling, desire and passion. 2) TAngo Argentino has for the past couple of years gather more and = more enthusiastic tango dancers throughout the country. The most largest = tango communities are located in capital Helsinki and in middle-Finland = Tampere. There are several orchestras playing AT, the oldest one for = over 10 years. La Milonga has been asked to performe in BsAs as well on = other international tangofestivals e.g. in Spain last year.=20 Some international tango groups (Tango Passion, Tango Kinesis) and = teachers (Alejandro Aquino, Pocho Pizarro, MOnica Romero & Omar Ocampo, = etc) has performed and given lessons in Finland. 3) The festival in Seinajoki hit all records this year. But as said = it's foremost Finnish tango. Maybe in couple of years the AT will be = danced there too. But for those visiting Finland or having Finnish tango friends - please = be carefull about your comments on Finnish tango - or you might have no = friends after the discussion;-) Tango is here a very serious matter. Heini

Alkuper=E4inen viesti----- L=E4hett=E4j=E4: Brian Salisbury [SMTP:bsalisb @PUBSAFETY.UTAH.EDU] L=E4hetetty: Thursday, July 15, 1999 1:37 AM Vastaanottaja: TANGO-L @MITVMA.MIT.EDU Aihe: (Fwd) Re: Stats Argentine tango danced in Finland. A friend from Finland gave me some tango CDs. Believe me, it ain't Argentine! Brian Salisbury Wasatch Tango SLC UT

Date: Thu, 15 Jul 1999 09:54:50 -0500 From: Steven Lee <tango-1 @JUNO.COM> Subject: a little help Hello L, Looking to contact Maritza Bodine of San Francisco. Anyone have her e-mail address? Thanks, Steve ___________________________________________________________________ Get the Internet just the way you want it. Free software, free e-mail, and free Internet access for a month! Try Juno Web: http://dl.www.juno.com/dynoget/tagj.

Date: Thu, 15 Jul 1999 09:10:36 -0600 From: Brian Salisbury <bsalisb @PUBSAFETY.UTAH.EDU> Subject: Re: AT in Finland Hi, Thanks for your posting. I apologise immediately if "ain't Argentine" sounded judgemental or disparaging. I meant to point out that I heard a marked distinction of character in the music. It is possible that the CDs I have are not a fair representation. I had thought that the idea of Finnish tango was not to emulate Argentine but to have its own distinctive flavor of mood and flow. Perhaps you could recommend CDs that are commonly used by the Finnish tango community to help me gain proper perspctive. I am also involved with Hungarian and Russian music, both of which have passion and color that distinguish them as special and unique. Not in anyway inferior to Argentine tango and certianly no less loved. It is possible now for me to order CDs of Hungarian village music directly from a culture center in Budapest. I am curious now to see if I can connect in the sme way with Helsinki. I should have been more sensitive to the fact that people are protective (rightly so) of culture and tradition and quick glib sounding comments can create unintended barriers. Brian Salisbury Wasatch Tango SLC UT

Date: Thu, 15 Jul 1999 12:05:40 EDT From: Mitchell Levitan <WEDRIVEN @AOL.COM> Subject: Addiction I love tango. I love the dance and the music and the scene here in New York. I am hooked on the structure of it all. Since tango has "found me" there's never, "What do I want to do tonight?" Milongas seven nights a week, and a couple of afternoons, workshops, classes and practicas. So much tango so little time, but when I do have the time there is tango. Now when I travel its,"Where is the milonga tonight?", "Shall I vacation in BA?...San Francisco? ...Barcelona?...Istambul?...Helsinki?" I'm a relative newcomer and I have a partner who is my main squeeze and although its just not the same dancing with other women when she can't accompany me there are still plenty of follows to (try to)lead and friendly ones too. I especially like to dance to live music but unfortunately even here in the Big Apple there are only limited opportunities. When I listen to the music I enjoy the vocals even with my scant Spanish? When I practice at home I dance to tango with vocals and I find I can take the beat from the vocalists, it seems, better than from the instrumentals. Are there ever any combos with singers here or anywhere in the USA? Mitchell

Date: Thu, 15 Jul 1999 12:35:11 EDT From: Frank Sasson <FRSASSON @AOL.COM> Subject: Re: How do you answer people . . . Lately I've found myself getting frustrated and annoyed by the number of non-dancing people I meet who ask me if the reason I'm going to a tango workshop, or a milonga, or Nijmegen, or Buenos Aires is TO COMPETE. Hi Helaine: I finally figured out a way to answer that "DO YOU COMPETE?" which every tanguero is asked constantly. I answer YES, very definite and very strong in the YES. Two things happen, the first one is, since they don't know anything about tango, they don't ask any more questions because they don't want to feel stupid. or they start sking questions, and to every question they ask, I answer YES, until they realize that they are asking ridiculous questions. Good subject for discussion Abrazos Frank

Date: Thu, 15 Jul 1999 12:51:45 -0400 From: Matt Camp <mcamp @MED.UNC.EDU> Subject: Re: DO YOU COMPETE? >>Lately I've found myself getting frustrated and annoyed by the number of >>non-dancing people I meet who ask me if the reason I'm going to a tango >>workshop, or a milonga, or Nijmegen, or Buenos Aires is TO COMPETE. >>I answer YES, very definite and very strong in the YES. >> I answer YES, >>until they realize that they are asking ridiculous questions. I think the appropriate thing to tell people is the truth. You go to those places because you love the dance. People don't like to be made to feel stupid. If you really don't like to answer questions about Tango, don't mention it around people who are non-dancers. We were all non-dancers once! Regards Matt

Date: Thu, 15 Jul 1999 11:03:00 -0600 From: Brian Salisbury <bsalisb @PUBSAFETY.UTAH.EDU> Subject: Re: How do you answer people . . . Hi Frank, The answer "YES!" is possibly true in a literal sense. A friend of mine recently pointed out that in the dance room and in general social behavior; Men compete, women select! Any comments on the merits of that succinct statement as regards Milonga manners? > I finally figured out a way to answer that "DO YOU COMPETE?"

Date: Thu, 15 Jul 1999 13:17:17 -0400 From: Kay Mullins <kayconnect @SEMC-ONLINE.COM> Subject: Re: DO YOU COMPETE? >>>Lately I've found myself getting frustrated and annoyed by the number>of>>>non-dancing people I meet who ask me if the reason I'm going to a>tango>>>workshop, or a milonga, or Nijmegen, or Buenos Aires is TO COMPETE. > >I think the appropriate thing to tell people is the truth. You go to >those places because you love the dance. People don't like to be made to>feel stupid. If you really don't like to answer questions about Tango,>don't mention it around people who are non-dancers. >We were all non-dancers once! I agree with Matt. When I'm asked that question, I see it as an opportunity to educate someone about AT, vs. the only tango they've ever seen, which is inevitably American or International. I've usually gotten a positive result and interest in learning about it. Kay

Date: Thu, 15 Jul 1999 13:19:56 +0100 From: white95r <white95r @HOTMAIL.COM> Subject: Re: How do you answer people . . .

Original Message ----- From: Helaine Treitman <treitman @GIOTTO.ORG> Subject: How do you answer people . . . Hi Helaine, That is a fairly common question from people who know a little about international ballroom dance competitions (they see them on TV), but do not know a whole lot about dancing in general. Another remark I usually hear is: "yes, I saw them dancing tango on TV the other night, it was beautiful". These are people who are being polite and trying to find common ground with you (or me) by showing some interest and knowledge of our favorite subject. Generally, I say a few words that lets them know that I heard them and thank them for their interest. After that it gets very difficult because just about everything they say is wrong about AT and who wants to begin a conversation by contradicting and educating people? Telling somebody "that's wrong" or "tango is nothing like that" etc. etc. does not generally make them feel good. If they are really interested and not just being polite I will volunteer correct information. Otherwise I find it's better to change the subject (they rather you would anyway ;)) since they are not really interested. Regards, Manuel

Date: Thu, 15 Jul 1999 13:39:13 -0400 From: "Walter M. Kane" <oldzeid @FRONTIERNET.NET> Subject: Re: Addiction -- Please don't squeeze the follows! Mitchell Levitan wrote on Thursday, July 15, 1999 12:05 PM > I love tango. So far, so good. > I love the dance and the music and the scene here in New York. > I am hooked on the structure of it all. Even better. > I'm a relative newcomer As are many of us. > ... I have a partner who is my main squeeze ... > ... there are still plenty of follows to (try to)lead ... Mitchell's newly found enjoyment of and dedication to tango reflect familiar feelings that most of us can identify with, and I delight in hearing about it.... But....please......PLEASE !! Can we expunge these imbecilic euphemisms for gender terms out of our discussions? I'm not picking on Mitchell; I'm sure he picked up that terminology from Tango-L veterans who may appear as role models. Based on the rest of his comments, I believe I'm safe in assuming that his "main squeeze" is a woman, and that he is a man. Folks, it is *not* (yet?) politically incorrect to use gender-specific designations; even in the tango context. I understand that sometimes women lead and men follow; most often in a practice or teaching environment, and sometimes in dance situations. Nevertheless, it is the rare exception at milongas, when it occurs at all. Also, I realize that there are "Tango Mujeres" out there, but that is also the exception rather than the rule, and represents a tiny splinter in the tango family tree. It is simple enough for those exceptions to translate the language of man and woman, male and female, into whatever terminology suits their specific needs: lead and follow, A and B, do-ee and do-er, or whatever. We don't have to redefine (un-define?) the rest of us to accommodate them. Tangueros y tangueras, how about if we quit defining ourselves in terms of meaningless wimp words, and not lose track of who we are. Tangringo

Date: Thu, 15 Jul 1999 13:24:00 -0400 From: Michael Ditkoff <Michael.B.Ditkoff @USDOJ.GOV> Subject: Re: a little help Message authorized by: : tango-1 @JUNO.COM_at_inetgw2 at wtgate Steve: Maritza is the editor of the popular tango magazine "Voz Del Tango." Her email is TangoVenus @aol.com. ______________________________ Reply Separator _________________________________ Subject: a little help Author: TANGO-L @MITVMA.MIT.EDU_at_inetgw2 at wtgate

Date: 7/15/99 10:59 AM Hello L, Looking to contact Maritza Bodine of San Francisco. Anyone have her e-mail address? Thanks, Steve ___

Date: Thu, 15 Jul 1999 10:37:56 -0700 From: David Orly-Thompson <david.orly-thompson @US.PWCGLOBAL.COM> Subject: Two DiSarli Milongas? Does any one know which (if any) CDs have DiSarli doing <La Mulateada> and <Cuando un viejo se enamora>? I think these feature Roberto Rufino on vocals. Any suggestions would be hugely appreciated.

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Date: Thu, 15 Jul 1999 15:33:52 -0400 From: "Walter M. Kane" <oldzeid @FRONTIERNET.NET> Subject: Re: Addiction -- Please don't squeeze the follows! As indicated to me in some private messages I received after my last post on the subject, it seems I was not crystal clear as to what terminology I was complaining about. Also I want to emphasize (as I tried to point out the first time) that I was not criticising Mitchell. I was looking to correct what I consider a bad habit foisted on us by several veterans of the Tango-L: the use of bad terminology which, unless shown to be inappropriate, tends to be accepted as terms of art by newcomers. In case I was not clear enough about which terms I object to, it's not the use of the word "squeeze." That's between Mitchell and his squeeze. What I am trying to overcome is the growing propensity of Listeros to use the terms, "lead" and "follow" as if they were legitimate nouns. They are not. We are men and women. I am not a "lead," and think it's dopey for us men to refer to ourselves that way. My partner is a woman, not a "follow," and I wouldn't insult her by referring to her by that neutered term. Walter ____________________ Walter M. (Tangringo) Kane Harriman, NY oldzeid @frontiernet.net Visit us at Hudson Valley Tango http://nycdc.com/hvtango =================== Tango Lyrics in Spanish and English at http://www.hooked.net/~tangoman/letras.htm Por el fomento y progreso del Tango ===================

Date: Thu, 15 Jul 1999 15:15:53 -0600 From: "Frank G. Williams" <frank @INDY.BSBE.UMN.EDU> Subject: Re: How do you answer people . . . Greetings Helaine and list! > Any > suggestions about how to gently and briefly respond (and maybe even raise > their consciousness a little)? One of my "stock" analogies is: "For me, an Argentine Tango competition would be like a meditation competition." This is, of course, a gross oversimplification and I only say it when there is no desire to elaborate. Best regards, Frank in Minneapolis _______________________________________________________________ Frank G. Williams, Ph.D. University of Minnesota frank @indy.bsbe.umn.edu Dept. of Neuroscience frank @biosci.cbs.umn.edu 4-103 Owre Hall (612) 625-6441 (office) 321 Church Street SE (612) 624-4436 (lab) Minneapolis, MN 55455

Date: Thu, 15 Jul 1999 16:59:47 EDT From: Dario Mendiguren <C21DARI @AOL.COM> Subject: Re: Addiction -- Please don't squeeze the follows! Dear Tangringo and list; I agree 100% with you, I'm seek and tired to look for "follow" every time I'm going to a Milonga, so...... I decide to dance with the beautiful ladies that are going to the New York City Milongas, they are really good dancers !!!!!

Date: Thu, 15 Jul 1999 17:16:18 EDT From: "Laurie Moseley (at home)" <LGMoseley @AOL.COM> Subject: Re: Rules (or is it principles ?) I don't like rules. Principles, now that's another thing. There are at least two basic principles: 1. Cherish your partner 2. Be polite to other dancers How you apply those principles depends on who your partner is, who the other dancers are (and what they are doing), and how crowded the floor is. Sometimes it may involve not doing back steps and avoiding all "non-progressive figures"; however, it does not always involve that. Incidentally, is a Giro a "non-progressive figure" ? If so, a rule about such figures would leave most people in the middle of the floor. To turn to the rules: 1. The Back Step. a. I've got about a dozen tango videos, mainly Argentinian. In most of them, people say "Never do a back step", and then proceed to sprinkle their own dancing with back steps. b. The direction in which you do the back step matters. If you have positioned yourself correctly on the previous step or move, you can take a back step along the normal line of dance. I commonly do a Resolucion (Closing Finish, Close...) with a 180 degree turn to face the "wrong" way. >From there one obvious continuation is a Back Step, but the movement is then along the normal line of dance. If you turn on or after that back step, you can continue with a normal Salida start, and you are dancing in the usual direction. c. From the same position, you can make the Back Step (in the "correct" direction) the beginning of a walking turn (not a Giro or Molinete), or many other continuations. Of course, if you are going to do this, you need to ensure that you have left a space ahead of yourself so that you are not in danger of infringing principle 2. That, though, is basic navigation. 2. Non-progressive figures in the middle of the room. a. Again, it is a matter of politeness and navigation. If there is insufficient space for ANY non-progressive figures, don't do them. However, if there is space, use it wisely. If you're navigating soundly, you can often make the space. You can let a gap develop ahead and use that for a genuinely non-progressive figure. At one place at which I occasionally dance and where it is very crowded, I sometimes nip into a space between tables at the side of the room if the music tells me to stop progressing. That doesn't interfere with anyone else. b. I don't know how you would define a non-progressive figure sufficiently precisely to make it part of an unambiguous rule. I suspect that some people would see a Sandwich as a non-progressive figure. Yet you can use it to turn corners and to avoid other people. Having back-ochoed your lady into a right-foot block and sandwiched, you lead her into the normal front ocho over your left foot. This is quite a neat way of turning a corner when there is someone temporarily in the way. It uses up the time which they need to move away. Similarly, if the way ahead is blocked and there is no-one breathing down your neck, you can throw in a sandwich and foot drag (is that a barrida or a llevada ?) to turn you and your partner through 90 degrees. This means that her ocho over your left leg is now straight down the normal line. Similar considerations apply to a Giro, at least if you dance it one step at a time and not as a set figure. You can come out of it after step 1, step 2, step 3, or step 4. Depending on floor conditions, you can use it as a static figure or as a navigational device. I suspect that I am coming to the conclusion that there are no inherently non-progressive figures, as long as you are dancing one step at a time. It's how you use them which makes them progressive or not. However, I hadn't thought about before this evening, so I stand open to correction. In all, then, I suspect that we would do better to think about principles rather than rules. There may be more than the two principles which I mentioned above, and I would be happy to be informed about them. Safe Ganchos Laurie (Laurence)

Date: Thu, 15 Jul 1999 17:06:30 EDT From: Dario Mendiguren <C21DARI @AOL.COM> Subject: Re: Addiction -- Please don't squeeze the follows! Oops this is Dario again; In my former post; where says "Seek" please replace with "Sick" Thank you all and have great Tangos ! Dario

Date: Fri, 16 Jul 1999 01:35:09 +0200 From: "Christoph J.W. Schmees" <cjws @GMX.DE> Subject: Re: DO YOU COMPETE? and: Why people give up... Von: Brian Salisbury <bsalisb @PUBSAFETY.UTAH.EDU> An: TANGO-L @mitvma.mit.edu <TANGO-L @mitvma.mit.edu> Datum: Donnerstag, 15. Juli 1999 19:09 Betreff: Re: How do you answer people . . . -- snip > Men compete, women select! -- snip To me that sounds a pretty, well, classical point of view, Brian. I tell you a story which at the same time answeres part of what Virginia asked (de-programming / why people give up tango). When I started to learn tango I gave up two times for about half a year each time, before I had enough power to start over again. I gave up because learning tango was no longer fun for me. Particularly the second stop came from the bad luck I had being in a class dominated by some very competitive men. They would eagerly practise and do a lot of training to enhance their technique. Their focus lying on fancy steps and artistic or acrobatic combinations. Not on style, expression, interpretation of the music, dialogue whith the woman. None of that. I am a very lazy guy and I had no interest in too much dry training. But I felt that this would be necessary if I wanted to stay "in the pack", be one of them. Not knowing better at the time I thought that what they demonstrated was the core of tango. And I knew that this would be no good for me. However, a glimpse of what tango can mean beyond the competition apparently never had left me. So I started for a third time. Third time lucky. Soon I crossed what I call the "fun threshold". Suddenly I got more from dancing tango than I had to invest in learning it. Thas was more than two years after my first start. Still I thought I would not be good enough. Compared to the above mentioned species of men I had not many and no fancy steps. I thought I would bore the women dancing with me. My enlightenment came this way: I was dancing a vals. During the dance I *thought* my five steps put together in various combinations must be boring for the woman. At the same time I *felt* content and happy. There was sort of flow between the music and my movements (I love vals) and good contact with the woman I was dancing whith. And exactly after this dance where my doubts tortured me, this woman said that she had been delighted dancing with me. Can you imagine my surprise? and my relief? and my happiness? All of a sudden I knew what tango is for me and where my place is in tango. I could leave the competetive men alone and knew: I do dance tango for *my* pleasure (and not for the judgement of a anyone), and I share my pleasure whith the woman I am leading, and that's about it. And now back to Helaine's question: How do you answer people... I answer: Tango for me is a delight. Transforming music into movement in a very broad variety of styles and energy, is a pleasure. The contact, the nonverbal dialogue with the woman is a pleasure. Tango is sort of a condition training at times, because if the mood is right my legs just can't stop. Tango is a very delightful training for my blood circulation, the second best to making love. That's MHO - your turn now. -- Christoph

Date: Thu, 15 Jul 1999 19:43:27 -0700 From: JC Dill <tango @VO.CNCHOST.COM> Subject: Compete or select? Man or leader? Woman or follower? On 11:03 AM 7/15/99 -0600, Brian Salisbury wrote: >Hi Frank, > >The answer "YES!" is possibly true in a literal sense. A friend of >mine recently pointed out that in the dance room and in general >social behavior; > > Men compete, women select! > >Any comments on the merits of that succinct statement as regards >Milonga manners? When discussing the differences between men and women on the dance floor, I find that women in general (and this woman specifically), select men who don't compete. We certainly don't want to be "just a prop" for a man who is only interested in competing against other men to show off the latest fancy move. We want to be considered a partner for a dance we create TOGETHER, something that isn't possible if he's always busy trying to upstage the other men. And on another topic, many of us specifically prefer to "follow leaders" (as opposed to "dance with men") of any gender who lead in such a way that the dance is a shared enjoyment, rather than a competition to gain attention while on the floor. In this vein, following another woman or being a woman leader (leading another woman or leading a male follower) is often a very enjoyable dance because women are not as likely to be "competing" when dancing. So if you want to insist that only the man can lead, and only the woman can follow, feel free. But know that some of us find your exclusionary gender-based terms and your derision of our inclusive terms awfully narrow minded, as well as overlooking some wonderful dancers and dance experiences. jc

Date: Thu, 15 Jul 1999 23:54:20 -0400 From: "Don(ald M.) Kelley" <don.kelley @ATT.NET> Subject: Yes ! Yes, Virginia, these is a Santa Claus. His boots have suede soles; his heels are four centimeters and wide. As most "heavies," his grace is signular. Yes, Virginia, your Gift to me is an opening, a shift of my welt-paradigm. Thank you. DonK. P.S. Tim, the check's in the mail.

Date: Thu, 15 Jul 1999 10:40:28 -0500 From: Stephen P Brown <Stephen.P.Brown @DAL.FRB.ORG> Subject: Re: How do you answer people . . . Helaine wrote: >Lately I've found myself getting frustrated and annoyed by the number of >non-dancing people I meet who ask me if the reason I'm going to a tango >workshop, or a milonga, or Nijmegen, or Buenos Aires is TO COMPETE. Their >only exposure to tango is probably ballroom competitions on television. I >feel impatient with their ignorance, and I don't want to be. Any >suggestions about how to gently and briefly respond (and maybe even raise >their consciousness a little)? I occasionally have the experience Helaine describes, and strangely enough some people--known to me as stupid idiots--seem to ask the same question over and over. Maybe they once saw a dance competition on television, but have no other exposure to dance. I usually just tell them that Argentine tango is a social dance and does not have competitions. I also add that the tango danced in ballroom competitions bears no resemblance to authentic Argentine tango. The typical response is a dull, "Oh!" "Ugh!" or "Moo!" ;-) Unfortunately, I have found that expressing my annoyance, frustration, or impatience does not usually help raise the consciousness of these ignoramuses. --Steve (de Tejas)

Date: Thu, 15 Jul 1999 11:24:27 -0500 From: Stephen P Brown <Stephen.P.Brown @DAL.FRB.ORG> Subject: Re: How do you answer people . . . Helaine wrote: >Lately I've found myself getting frustrated and annoyed by the number of >non-dancing people I meet who ask me if the reason I'm going to a tango >workshop, or a milonga, or Nijmegen, or Buenos Aires is TO COMPETE. Their >only exposure to tango is probably ballroom competitions on television. I >feel impatient with their ignorance, and I don't want to be. Any >suggestions about how to gently and briefly respond (and maybe even raise >their consciousness a little)? I occasionally have the experience Helaine describes, and strangely enough some people--known to me as stupid idiots--seem to ask the same question over and over. Maybe they once saw a dance competition on television, but have no other exposure to dance. I usually just tell them that Argentine tango is a social dance and does not have competitions. I also add that the tango danced in ballroom competitions bears no resemblance to authentic Argentine tango. The typical response is a dull, "Oh!" "Ugh!" or "Moo!" ;-) Unfortunately, I have found that expressing my annoyance, frustration, or impatience does not usually help raise the consciousness of these ignoramuses. :-) --Steve (de Tejas)

End of TANGO-L Digest - 15 Jul 1999 to 16 Jul 1999 **************************************************