The Tango-L mailing list archive
Digest from 5 Mar 1999
to 6 Mar 1999
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: Sat, 6 Mar 1999 03:00:01 -0500
Sender: Discussion of Any Aspect of the Argentine Tango <TANGO-L @MITVMA.MIT.EDU>
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Subject: TANGO-L Digest - 5 Mar 1999 to 6 Mar 1999
There are 12 messages totalling 510 lines in this issue.
Topics of the day:
1. Tango in Tokyo (Contact Address)
2. Events in Clubs/bars. (2)
3. System of notation (4)
4. Re[2]: System of notation
5. Brigitte Winkler in Boston, March 20,21
6. On club/bar events, thanks.
7. Traffic Flow (2)
Date: Fri, 5 Mar 1999 18:40:53 +0900
From: Chang Sang Hyeon <schang @TUHEP.PHYS.TOHOKU.AC.JP>
Subject: Re: Tango in Tokyo (Contact Address)
After I posted about Tango in Tokyo, I got several messages about
way to contact in Tokyo. I first try to reply to individuals.
But I think it would be better to post here.
Frist, some general information, most of Japan tango page is written
only in Japanese.
Japanese tango party ends around 9pm.
The enterance fee is usually 1000-2000 Yen (it would be higher
if they have live tango band or special performance.)
Now 1 US dollor is about 120 Yen.
The Tango party I attended is organized by SUIYOKAI.
You can find their schedule in their English homepage
http://super.win.ne.jp/~yakushi/suiyokai.html
They have party almost every tuesday.
The person who are managing this homepage is not a member of this club
but he would help him.
The organizer's phone number is (Japanese National code is 81, and
when you call them from outside of Japan you should omit first 0 )
03-3360-2151 (e.g. 81-3-3360-2151)
(I don't know whether he can speak English)
One lady I met in the party can speak English and also organizing
tango party. Her name is Lilliana Nakata (03-3986-8149)
These are active tango clubs in Tokyo
ElTango @dns.yarne.funabashi.chiba.jp (El Tango, They have regular dance)
tarok @mmaj.go.jp (Monthly tango party in Tokyo called GARUFA)
cta @d1.dion.ne.jp (club Tango Argentino)
You might get some information from Kyoto, Nagoya, Osaka are from
Kyoto based tango band "orchestra Astrorico" homepage
http://opinion.nucba.ac.jp/~hiroyuki/tango/astrorico (Japanese)
and their e-mail contact
yasunobu @nucba.ac.jp
This is Web tango magzine in Japanese, You may get some information from
the creater of this homepage
http://www02.so-net.ne.jp/~humberto (Japanese)
E-mail: humberto @sa2.so-net.ne.jp
And this is latin music magazine in Japan
http://www.t3.rim.or.jp/~latina (Japanese)
E-mail: latina @t3.rim.or.jp
You can also contact Ms. Yukiko Konobu who are in some oher
tango club. Her e-mail address is
ykonobu @yahoo.com
p.s. Yukiko informed me that several months ago Japan postoffice
printed Japan-Argentine 100 yr friendship stamp.
And there is a tango picture on it!
When you visit Tokyo, drop by postoffic. It would be a good souvenir.
Sanghyeon
Date: Fri, 5 Mar 1999 04:54:05 -0500
From: Peter Tyson <peter_tyson @SOFTHOME.NET>
Subject: Events in Clubs/bars.
Hi there.
Wanted some comments on an idea i had, to see if it had worked elsewhere.
Where i'm from, (Wellington, New Zealand), we don't have any bars that have
a bit of regular tango (from my limited experience). There are great,
regular Milonga and so on, but I like the idea of popping down to a bar or
cafe for a drink and a dance the odd evening.
I was thinking of approaching a venue or two down here with a Tango cd in
hand, and suggest they slot in, say, one hour of tango music a week. On a
thur, fri, or sat night. At the right sort of place, tango rhythyms would
fit well and not upset the regular patrons, and if it was known in the local
scene, dancers would turn up to have some fun as part of their night out.
As far as i could tell everyone would win. If the place was a jazz type
bar/club, tango (especially modern stuff i guess) fits in pretty well so the
regulars won't be annoyed. The bar also gets a little boost from having a
few more fans turn up just to dance for an hour, and it looks pretty damn
good for people who aren't dancing, (there's something about a smokey room,
couples tangoing, that is just damn cool).
Has anyone tried anything like this anywhere else? Ideas? comments?
Peter
*(0)*--------------------
http://members.xoom.com/drdynamo/
peter.tyson @pobox.com my generic forwarding address, please use :)
Date: Fri, 5 Mar 1999 10:16:33 -0500
From: Chan Park <Chan.K.Park.1 @GSFC.NASA.GOV>
Subject: Re: System of notation
>Just repeat the movement as many times as you can, and let your body absorb
>as much as possible while you are in the workshop. You will use some of the
>material right away. Much of it will come to the surface much later, as
>your tango develops.
A very good advice that I agree. Yet I'd to inject one more thought for cla=
rification.
When you absorb movements by repeating them you are using not only your body=
but your mind. As Tango is not just physical activities (at least to me)=
I'd like to put emphasis on mind. In other words, you have to make=
conscious effort to connect your movements with your mind until the=
movements become so natural that you can repeat them with your eyes closed.=
It is because our mind is a central point where all the necessary=
information is collected and processed and command is issued to our body to=
generate certain movements.=20
Enjoy your tango.
Chan Park
Date: Fri, 5 Mar 1999 09:42:26 -0600
From: Stephen P Brown <Stephen.P.Brown @DAL.FRB.ORG>
Subject: Re[2]: System of notation
In response to Guy Barbe, Walter recommended:
>Don't concentrate on committing any of the movements to memory (whether
>you think of them as patterns, figures or the details of a technique)...
>Just repeat the movement as many times as you can, and let your body
>absorb as much as possible while you are in the workshop. You will use
>some of the material right away. Much of it will come to the surface much
>later, as your tango develops.
>When you do learn a "pattern" in tango, think of it as an exercise, not a
>pattern to remember.
As some who used to try to remember the patterns and took copious notes
during my first few months of learning tango, I agree completely with
Walter's assessment. It was only when I realized that tango is an
improvisational dance that I threw down my paper and pencil. Then I really
began to learn to dance tango.
The improvisational aspect of the dance was underscored for me in a class
taught by Lampazo a number of years ago. He was teaching a turn. Every
time he demonstrated the turn, the entrance and exit were different. Those
trying to take notes and replicate his pattern perfectly were even more
confused than the rest of us.
--Steve de Tejas
Date: Sat, 6 Mar 1999 02:20:11 +0800
From: Vikki Bondoc-Cabrera <vikkycab @CSI.COM.PH>
Subject: Re: System of notation
Hi Guy,
In the early 60s, Skippy Blair developed a dance education and notation
system which is by far (IMO) still the most comprehensive yet easy-to-use
dance annotation system. She uses rectangles containing two beats of music
to indicate where and when to make steps or other movements. Musical count
is determined by the beat counts above the rectangles. Steps, or weight
changes, are indicated by dots. Other foot actions are indicated by
slashes. Foot used, direction to be made, should pulls, arm action, hip
movement, even verbal calls are indicated befow the dots and slashes. It's
so simplified that even my beginner kiddie students can understand music
and read dance using the system.
She has a introductory book to her system which several universities have
been using for decades. Titled "From Disco to Tango and Back", the book is
an excellent reference material not only for annotation but for dance
teaching as well. I highly recommend it to all teachers and enthusiastic
dance students. The book is available from Amazon.com
I use the Universal Unit System's Dance Notation in my teaching and in my
book. You can find explanations on how the system works and how to use it,
in my online book -- Victoria's Dance Secrets:
http://www.geocities.com/SoHo/Museum/6962/index.html
(if your browser can read frames) or go straight to
http://www.geocities.com/SoHo/Museum/6962/vs.html
(for the entry to the online book)
http://www.geocities.com/SoHo/Museum/6962/vs_read.html
(most specific to reading and writing dance)
Once I started using the Universal Unit System, I realized that the popular
way of verbalizing dance steps -- "slow-slow quick quick slow" was very
inconsistent and unclear.
Regards
Vikky
At 10:48 AM 3/4/99 -0600, you wrote:
>Hi List,
>
>Does anyone know or has developed a notation system or short hand on
>dance patterns. It is frustrating to go to workshops and have
>forgotten 50% of what you learned the previous day and lucky if you
>have retained 20% the following week.
>
>Thank you,
>Guy
>
>
The Dance Addict's Guide to Ballroom Dancing in the Philippines
http://www.geocities.com/Soho/Museum/6962/
It's not a crime to be a beginner, but it is a crime to look like one!
http://www.geocities.com/SoHo.Museum/6962/vs.html
Share your concerns and ideas with fellow dancers at the
Dance Addict's FORUM
http://forums.delphi.com/m/main.asp?sigdir=danceaddicts
Date: Fri, 5 Mar 1999 11:07:33 -0800
From: JC Dill <tango @VO.CNCHOST.COM>
Subject: Re: System of notation
On 11:10 PM 3/4/99 -0800, Phil Seyer wrote:
> Number one on the list was concerning
>Labanotation
>
>
>http://www.101percent.com/education/performingarts/dancing/ballroom/tango/re
>ference/labanotation.html
>
>...which led me to:
>
>http://www.access.ch/private-users/amaag/Laban.html
>
>which has some very specific examples of how to notate Argentine Tango
>steps.
After reviewing Labanotaion, I suspect that it's easier to memorize steps
than to learn the notation system!
My advice is that you first recognize that you will never come away from a
workshop or class "learning" all that was taught. Never. Even advanced
dancers who take private lessons from other advanced dancers will have to
hear something over and over during repeated lessons before it sinks in
sometimes.
So focus on learning that which "sticks" at the end of the lesson, by
practicing it again as soon as possible, and as frequently as possible. If
you can't do the move after the lesson is over, it didn't stick because it
was too much information for you to absorb all at once. Don't despair!
This happens to EVERYONE. Focus on getting ONE new pattern to stick, or
one new embellishment, or one new way to lead a familiar pattern. If you
take only one lesson a week, and learn only 1 new thing per lesson, after a
year you will have learned 52 new things! It adds up. Just because a lot
of material was presented in the lesson doesn't mean you need to beat up on
yourself to "learn" it all. Some of it will sink in later, you will take
another lesson that builds on what was taught (but didn't stick) in an
earlier lesson and the new lesson will then "stick" because you had the
previous experience even though you couldn't take the move home with you
and later dance it on the dance floor.
> Also
>I don't have to login in to the Internet or navigate to a search engine.
How does it search on the Internet without logging IN to the Internet? (I
think it logs in for you, but you are still "logging in"...)
jc
Date: Fri, 5 Mar 1999 14:03:24 -0500
From: Hsueh-tze Lee <hlee @HSPH.HARVARD.EDU>
Subject: Brigitte Winkler in Boston, March 20,21
Hello!
If you are near or visiting the New England area, consider workshops on
close embrace with Brigitte Winkler on March 20 and 21 in Boston.
There will be dances Friday and Saturday nights, and workshops Sat. and
Sunday.
Information and a pre-registration form (there is a discount if register
by March 15) can be found on:
Benson Wong's web site:
http://www.havetodance.com/brigitte.html
You can also contact me for additional information
(hlee @hsph.harvard.edu).
Hsueh-tze
Date: Fri, 5 Mar 1999 11:10:00 -0800
From: "M. Hamilton" <mh @U.WASHINGTON.EDU>
Subject: Re: Events in Clubs/bars.
On Fri, 5 Mar 1999, Peter Tyson wrote:
<snip>
> I was thinking of approaching a venue or two down here with a Tango cd in
> hand, and suggest they slot in, say, one hour of tango music a week. On a
<snip>
> Has anyone tried anything like this anywhere else? Ideas? comments?
Hi Peter,
Here in Seattle before the swing scene became a scene, many of us would go
down to a local jazz bar which had live music on Thursdays. At first we
just moved a couple of tables and danced in the small space. Pretty soon,
though, we'd show up and they'd have a place cleared out on the floor for
dancers. We were pretty well received, and the management seemed to think
we brought people in to see the dancing, too. So, it was pretty mutually
beneficial.
One problem with bars, though, is that dancers often don't drink. So, if
you fill a place up with dancers, the bar revenue can go down. Be sure to
tell your friends to patronize the bar as well if they start dancing
there. Then chances are, things will work out well.
Best of luck,
Mike
Seattle, WA
________________________________________________________
Michael Hamilton mh @u.washington.edu
Mr. Bingley...was lively and unreserved, danced every dance,
was angry that the ball closed so early, and talked of
giving one himself at Netherfield. Such amiable qualities
must speak for themselves.
From "Pride and Prejudice" by Jane Austen
________________________________________________________
Date: Fri, 5 Mar 1999 11:20:52 -0800
From: "M. Hamilton" <mh @U.WASHINGTON.EDU>
Subject: Re: System of notation
Guy,
As far as systems of notation, I've tried to write down a lot of stuff,
and it usually doesn't work - because I very seldom even bother to looks
back at my notes.
One thing I do find incredibly useful, however, is videotape. I often
will hand my camera to someone else at the end of the workshop and dance
through all the steps, making verbal notes to myself as I go. Then,
before going to a practica or even a milonga, I'll turn it on and watch
it. Some of it sticks, and I'll try it at the milonga. Often just the
reminder helps.
Another nice thing is to have videotapes of instructors that come through
town and give demonstrations. I find they often will dance many of the
steps they teach in class during their demos. I'll just pop the tape in
and watch it while I'm eating breakfast or something. It's great to
watch, and I'm constantly seeing new things, even though I've watched the
tape dozens of times.
One note on videotaping instructors and performances, however: ALWAYS make
sure you get permission from the dancer and the organizer of the event
before doing it. Often, it's not allowed.
A video camera is also a great self-diagnostic tool to watch your own
dancing. It's really hard to watch yourseld dance at first, but, save the
early tapes, and compare them to later ones, and it's nice to see the
progress. That's inspiring.
Of course, you want to burn the old tapes. ;-)
All in all, I think a videocamera is an excellent investment for dancing.
Best wishes,
Mike
________________________________________________________
Michael Hamilton mh @u.washington.edu
Mr. Bingley...was lively and unreserved, danced every dance,
was angry that the ball closed so early, and talked of
giving one himself at Netherfield. Such amiable qualities
must speak for themselves.
From "Pride and Prejudice" by Jane Austen
________________________________________________________
Date: Fri, 5 Mar 1999 20:29:02 -0500
From: Peter Tyson <peter_tyson @SOFTHOME.NET>
Subject: On club/bar events, thanks.
Thanks to you all for your comments and ideas and so on. To sumarise for
those who didn't get the 10 or so replies I had personally, it seems that
people have tried such ideas and they've worked well, with bars usually
quite happy to have the dancers along, as long as they keep their drinking up!
With so many clubs and bars here now selling energy drinks, with a little
encouragement, that shouldn't be a problem.
I think i should also clarify about the events here. We are very much not
short of Tango events in this little city in the Sth Pacific. For a city of
300,000 or so, there are nearly weekly Tango nights! Venues range from a
large bar on sunday to dance academies and so on.
I've been very surprised at the sheer number of Tango dancers in wellington,
both learners and experience. My -real- rough guess would be in excess of
60 people are learning at any one time, but Faera who posts here and is also
from Wellington would know better i feel.
Well, I think i'll go have a look at likely bars and venues and see if any
of them are interested in the odd hour of tango to spice up their nights.
Thanks for the encouragement folks.
Peter
*(0)*--------------------
http://members.xoom.com/drdynamo/
peter.tyson @pobox.com my generic forwarding address, please use :)
Date: Fri, 5 Mar 1999 17:48:55 -0800
From: Ted Crowley <ted @DANCER.NET>
Subject: Re: Traffic Flow
Vicki wrote about a "dream" traffic flow system:
> All swing dancers (Fox-trot and Quickstep, and even stationary(Argentine)
> Tango) must stay in the middle. All slow moving (slow because they step very
> short) dancers circle around the Swing/Stationary dancers. All fast moving
> (normal stride English Style dancers) dance outside of the inner circle. That
> should be the traffic pattern. Make sure everyone dancing (LOD) goes CCW.
> Foxtrot starts diagonal center - Tango, Waltz, Viennesse Waltz, and Quickstep
> start from diagonal Wall.
I've been to a number of country-western dance places were they actually have
a similar system. Around the outside is 2-step or waltz or cotton-eye-joe or
whichever "moves around the room" CW couples dance fits this particular song.
In the center are all the line dancers in a rectangle, doing the line dance
that goes to this song. And one end of the center (a quarter to a half depending
on the ratio of different dancers) is for the swing dancers (and for anyone doing
cha-cha or another in-place couples dance). Every half an hour or so the DJ yells
out "all you swing dancers, come on down to this end" to set the rules.
-- Ted
Date: Sat, 6 Mar 1999 00:07:47 -0500
From: "Walter M. Kane" <oldzeid @FRONTIERNET.NET>
Subject: Re: Traffic Flow
Vikki wrote on Thursday, March 04, 1999 10:43 PM:
> "Here is the recommended traffic:
>
> All swing dancers (Fox-trot and Quickstep, and even stationary(Argentine)
> Tango) must stay in the middle. All slow moving ... dancers circle
around the Swing/Stationary dancers. All fast moving ... dancers dance
outside of the inner circle. ......
> Foxtrot starts diagonal center - Tango, Waltz, Viennesse Waltz, and
Quickstep start from diagonal Wall.
>
snip------------
Heavens to Mergatriod! I wonder what the music sounds like while all this
is going on!
Tangringo
End of TANGO-L Digest - 5 Mar 1999 to 6 Mar 1999
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