Re: [TANGO-L] Community Growth - The Next Generation

[Dan Boccia <redfox @ALASKA.NET>]

Korey, I love you, this is a fascinating discussion.  It reminds me of
the historical time when Julio De Caro introduced new concepts to tango,
and hence began the split between the traditionalists and the
innovators.  From my point of view, this was a win-win for both camps,
because in the end we had more music to dance to - the traditionalist
and evolutionary camps both grew tremendously.  Today, we love it all,
from both camps.  We love the traditionalists like D'Arienzo and the
evolutionists like Pugliese, and those who didn't really follow either
camp, but were influenced by both, like Di Sarli.  So history can
provide a great deal of perspective when we contemplate the discussion
Korey started.  We can take sides in one camp or the other, or enjoy
both.  Nothing wrong with either of these choices, but the chances are,
that the evolution will have a net positive effect for everyone,
although it likely to be a bumpy ride at times while things shift
around.  If we are sensitive and thoughtful, I think we can smooth a lot
of the bumps out.

With the revival of tango that is occurring now, I see this same kind of
a thing going on.  People are pushing the boundaries of tango, asking
hard questions about the dance and the music, while other people are
thoroughly enjoying the traditional music and dance.  For me, it's
win-win because I enjoy it all.  I love dancing to the traditional tango
music all night long, and I also love to dance to music played by DJs
who are tastefully, sensitively pushing the boundaries, or by live
musicians/bands/orchestras who are injecting their energy into the
scene.  As a DJ, I find myself totally inspired by the dance energy in
the room.  Given an event that is filled with people who enjoy
traditional tango music, I'll happily play classic music all night.
Given a room full of dancers who enjoy experimenting with the music and
dance, and I'll get creative with the music as well.

However, I think there tends to be a bit of confusion.  I think it was
Rick who stated that the younger, creative dancers would rather hear the
modern music.  Well, that's not necessarily what I'm seeing when I
attend one of the awesome parties with a younger crowd, many right there
in Portland, or at the all-night milonga in Berkeley, etc.  The younger,
talented, creative dancers go absolutely crazy for Biagi and Troilo in
particular - the really rhythmic stuff from the late 30's and early
40's.  They tear these rhythms to pieces and the energy goes through the
ceiling.  The same crowd will melt down to a set of romantic valses from
the 40's, then ask for Piazzolla or some of the GOOD non-tango pieces,
and they create poetry in motion to this music.  One of the most
beautiful moments in all of tango for me was watching about 40 of them
dance to a Piazzolla set around 4am - it was just absolutely
spell-binding to watch them dance - the floorcraft and navigation was
impeccable, there was not a wild movement to be found, and they were
unbelievably connected.  It was just amazing dancing firmly rooted in
the traditions of tango.

My point is, the talented younger dancers that I see tend to like it
all, as long as it is played at the right time.  Most of them dance well
on crowded floors as well as empty floors - they understand how to
navigate, their floorcraft is generally very good, and I love having
them on the floor.  They understand the traditions of tango, and their
entire dance reflects that.  They are amazed at the virtuosity of the
golden age musicians, but at the same time they go out of their way to
support musicians who are learning to play tango music or DJs who are
trying to push the boundaries of tango a bit.  They have a very
all-inclusive attitude, and they are an absolute pleasure to DJ for.

I really like the voice that Korey is adding to this conversation, and I
agree with Korey completely when he states that musicality is an
individual phenomenon.  I find equal potential for creativity,
improvisation, and expression in the traditional tangos as I do with the
modern orchestras, including Piazzolla's later works, Hugo Diaz, and the
good non-tangos.  I'm sorry if Piazzolla didn't want us to dance to his
later music, I think some of it is fantastic to dance to *in the right
context*.  I love the people who are learning to play music for tango
dancers and support them when I get the chance.  I think we need to
support these musicians, encourage them, include them in the tango
community and try to create something positive with their enthusiasm.
There's nothing to lose and everything to gain.  Korey's efforts to
teach his musician-friends to dance gain my utmost applause, because
this is the kind of supportive, open-minded scene I want to be a part
of.

In the end, I'm fully in support of any effort to push the boundaries of
tango as an art form, either in the music, the dance, or hopefully in
both, because as far as dancing is concerned, I see the music as an
integral, internal, and wholly necessary part of the experience, rather
than an outside influence.  However, I feel that the evolution needs to
unfold organically, not in a forced or rushed fashion.  We owe it to
ourselves to become familiar with the roots of our art before we take
steps forward, because it is a rich art form already.  We have a perfect
example in De Caro - he understood tango fully when he began to change
it, and the result was spectacular, with long-standing significance.  We
have the same opportunity today.  For those who are interested, let's
take that opportunity, with respect and awareness of what we have to
work with from the past.  For those who aren't interested, that's
perfectly fine and I'm going to enjoy your parties as much as anyone
else's, because it's all good to me.

Dan