The Tango-L mailing list archive
Digest from 30 Aug 2000
to 31 Aug 2000
Reply-To: Discussion of Any Aspect of the Argentine Tango <TANGO-L @MITVMA.MIT.EDU>
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Date: Thu, 31 Aug 2000 03:00:31 -0400
Sender: Discussion of Any Aspect of the Argentine Tango <TANGO-L @MITVMA.MIT.EDU>
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Subject: TANGO-L Digest - 30 Aug 2000 to 31 Aug 2000 (#2000-235)
There are 5 messages totalling 286 lines in this issue.
Topics of the day:
1. pictures
2. Tango Pedagogy
3. Couples as Tango Partners
4. bsAs comments / and dancing progress in New Zealand, oceania
5. boleos
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Date: Wed, 30 Aug 2000 06:58:14 -0500
From: Karen Whitesell <kglass @IPA.NET>
Subject: pictures
Dear Friends,
The web page has started more than I bargained. It all started just to
show my building renovation...but has to show tango because that's why I
bought it, right? And my stained glass, because that's my front for
having a business in a big building, right?
It was very hard to select just a sampling when I had so much to tell.
Here it is, find my new quote: "Argentine tango is dancing heart to
heart and feet miles apart"
http://www.thelearningdepot.com/murrays-1/
See you in Denver. I haven't danced for so long, I won't know a
connection if I find one.
Karen
Mount Vernon, Missouri USA
Date: Thu, 31 Aug 2000 02:44:23 +0900
From: astrid <astrid @RUBY.PLALA.OR.JP>
Subject: Re: Tango Pedagogy
. It is a serious error to take
> privates if one is a beginner. I always advise beginners to take them when
> they are more advanced so they have a knowledge of the material and can
> understand the necessary subtleties to refine and improve their dancing.
Even
> then it is time wasted if one does not practice and can not do them with
> other partners. I know people here who have studied over a year privately
but
> don't seem to improve except with their teacher. It's a little like the
> classic example of couples who take a class together and never change
> partners. They end up both dancing terribly and can only follow each other
> because they have become so accustomed to the other's mistakes that they
can
> compensate.
I do not quite agree with you, maybe because I do not want to believe I
wasted my money. I started with 6 months of private lessons, along with
joining an intermediate class, because none other fit into my schedule. The
class consisted of 10 women and 2 men or so plus a teacher who would not
dance with me much because I was taking privates with his colleague, not
him, I suppose.
The benefit of my privates was: I got to dance with an excellent leader all
of the time (not the blind trying to lead the blind), who would immediately
correct every wrong move of my body, something a teacher of a class usually
does not have time for. At times I got a little impatient because we spent
so much time polishing the basics instead of doing fancy, ego satisfying
stuff, but the outcome was: after those six months I learned to follow the
fancy stuff very very quickly, because he had taught me posture and to
follow sensitively, not just him, but anybody, who asks me to dance
whereever, and whatever, almost.
After that I encountered many dancers who knew lots of steps they had
memorized in classes, but had only rudimentary knowledge of posture,
balance, arm position etc. (just check out any milonga, you'll know what I
mean.)
I will always be grateful for those things my first teacher taught me.
Do you mean the steps by "the material" and posture, how to hold your
joints, your pelvis etc. by the "necessary subleties to refine..." ?
Because, you see, in order to satisfy the ambitions of beginners and keep
them coming back, those subtleties are usually not emphasized enough in
classes, because they are very time consuming. And I do prefer to dance
with the teacher in privates, rather than have him stand by and watch a
couple trying to manage (the blind... see above).
Of course this start is only feasible, if you have the necessary finances,
but if you do... one private lesson is worth a whole weekend workshop,
someone said, and it can put your shrink out of business, too, should you be
suffering from stress syndrome, depression or not know how to meditate.
Happy tangos
Astrid
Date: Wed, 30 Aug 2000 18:49:55 -0700
From: diane m tober <DTOBER @PRODIGY.NET>
Subject: Re: Couples as Tango Partners
Dear list;
I have recently heard a thread of "wisdom" (??) from a tango teacher in my
area, who believes that romantic couples can very rarely be good dance
partners. He states that the tango often tears couples apart, and that it
is better to be dance partners with someone with whom you have no romantic
interest. Of course, I have seen many tango couples/partners who disprove
this theory, and I personally feel that this theory makes little--if
any--sense. Does anyone else have ideas or experiences along this line?
D.
Date: Thu, 31 Aug 2000 14:26:39 +1200
From: Alex White <amwtango @PARADISE.NET.NZ>
Subject: Re: bsAs comments / and dancing progress in New Zealand, oceania
Hi Juan! & list,
I tend to agree with you on this one.
Although I haven't danced tango in Europe (yet!) I have danced with many
europeans in Argentina and vistors to New Zealand (particuarly from
Switzerland, Denmark & Germany) who have a much higher & more stylished
standard than many of the average Argentine women dancers.
I must admit I too would go to Switzerland (via BsAs of course) tomorrow =
if
I could....my ex-partner & wonderful tango Violinist Christine went there
recently & was highly impressed by the standard of dancing there, also th=
e
great & friendly swiss people we met during CITA-2000.
The main reason why I feel that this is the case in Argentina (apart from
the dozens of excellent teachers)
is that people there see it, as you said a pastime so it doesn't seem to
interest them as much.
A kiwi (NZ) example of this would be the All Blacks' Haka - (a native mao=
ri
dance performed before playing rugby). Many foreigners see this as an "
dance art form" and want to learn it, whereas for us NZer's it's just
another pastime / tradition we take for granted.
I still feel that I can learn a lot from going to BsAs, but feel that the=
re
are many other good places for me to look into now.
I'm strongly encouraging all of my students, particularly my assistant te=
am,
to go to Buenos Aires & feel the tango vibes there for themselves. As I f=
eel
this is a vital part of understanding the background of passion & sentime=
nt
behind the steps & figuras. or the "simple" milonguero paces.
By the way, It's great to have met all those great people out there who
attended Cita 99 & 2000 - I can put faces to the names now....
DEVELOPMENTS OF TANGO IN WELLINGTON, NZ
The dance scene here in Wellintgon has a good standard of dancers as well=
as
teachers (me being one of them) - several of which have been to & trained=
in
BsAs.
we have several studios teaching "Argentine Tango" & two main "milongas" =
for
Tango, salsa etc .
The exciting recent developments are having semi-regular Balls & function=
s
in the foyer of a well-knwon teatre complex on the mainstream nightclub
street.
The other which I'm more directly involved in is Club Fiesta, which was
situated on a main street corner, is now moving to a large mexican
restaurant venue - which will make dancing (tango & Latino dances) more
mainstream in Wellington.
this is the proposed seclude:
apart from classes (dance as well as spanish/ portugese language classes)=
&
being a restaurant
Wednesdays - Tango night with a live band
Thursday, friday & Saturday tango earlier on, then salsa etc til 3am. wi=
th
live latin dance bands.
the venue is over 3000 sq feet - so as well as being a bar, restaurant &
dance studio it will promote Latin / spanish culture & Arts in General.
For those who don't know me (yet)
I became interested in dancing while living in Argentina on a (YFU) stude=
nt
exchange programme, when I was 18 in 1996. Where I started dancing 3-4
nights a week at Nightclub / discos there, plus taking Tango, & other dan=
ce
classes several times a week including all the Argentine Folklore dances.
I originally started my tango & folklore dancing in San Salvador de Jujuy=
,
north-western Argentina
(of all places!)
and mainly l learnt tango while in BsAs & Ushuaia, Tierra del Fuego
(Southern Argentina)
I'm soon to have my 23rd Birthday (8 September) & am running my own dance
Company here with an enthusiastic team of assistants / instructors.
If you guys know of or are planning on travelling to New Zealand please g=
et
in contact & I'll pass on to you any info about dance events happening et=
c
etc.
also for those interested in more details I send out two newsletters (on
e-mail)
a Wellington local latin News (weekly)
& NZ latin dance scene news (fortnightly, or so)
to receive the wellington local update send an e-mail to:
vivalatinadance @yahoo.co.nz with "add me" as the subject.
to receive the national events & scene guide:
Subscribe: NZlatindancescene-subscribe @egroups.com
URL to this page: http://www.egroups.com/group/NZlatindancescene
A good site of dancing in Wellington is:
www.kennett.co.nz/vella (this is the other main dance one)
my website is:
http://come.to/tango_firulete
Looking forward to many happy tangos....
con cari=F1o
Alex White
Director, Performer, DJ & Teacher
VIVA LATINA DANCE COMPANY
E-mail: vivalatinadance @yahoo.co.nz
Website: http://come.to/tango_firulete
Ph: +(64 4) 970 - 8532
Mobile: 021 254 3891
(+64 21 254 3891)
Date: Thu, 31 Aug 2000 13:16:14 +1000
From: Sandy Smith <sg.smith @QUT.EDU.AU>
Subject: boleos
Dear List,
I am interested in your experience and views about boleos, in particular,
the actual role that the woman plays in their execution.
From different teachers I have experienced a couple of different perspectives:
1. At CITA, in Mauricio's class on boleos he stressed three things. 1. That
boleos require momentum, 2. that they are interrupted movements, & 3. that
because of 1 & 2, the woman is not in her own balance and so the man should
provide this. Basically the man leads, controls, and supports the woman,
and her role is to be relaxed & responsive.
2. Other teachers in Australia have told me that the woman does need to be
in her own balance and insist that women do many unsupported exercises to
perfect boleos.
And that while the man leads/initiates the boleo, the women
completes/perfects the movement.
Also, when I was in Bs As, the tangueros there repeatedly told me NOT to do
anything, that I should let them do everything. And so I did nothing& they
did everything & it felt just fine to me, although I don't know what it
looked like.
So what are your views?
sandy
End of TANGO-L Digest - 30 Aug 2000 to 31 Aug 2000 (#2000-235)
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