Re: [TANGO-L] Walking the tango; joys of simple tango

[Barbara Garvey <barbara @TANGOBAR-PRODUCTIONS.COM>]

>>astrid wrote:
>>Lucia is the same person who told us a while ago that proper dancers
should go thru an audition before they are allowed to learn tango, that
they have to spend "months" (haha) learning how to walk the tango, that
Americans cannot learn a dance like that etc. <<

If not precision, what do people learn by walking the tango for months?
Are they learning passion, warmth, etc. or are they learning tango? One
can practice passion and warmth without walking, even without dancing at
all, without standing up! If one isn't capable of passion or warmth, I
don't think that dancing tango badly will make up the deficit.

If not to learn the correct (by whoever's standards) way of walking,
what did the student of olden times practice in those months? What, if
not the precise way of walking the tango? The emotions that tango
releases cannot be realized until one's body relaxes into the movements,
implying an  internalized precise knowledge.

I said in a previous post that Al and I  try (without outstanding
success)  to  convince our students that beautifully executed
utlra-simple dancing is much more rewarding  AND impressive to
knowledgeable others, than the latest and/or flashiest moves. However I
must admit that this is an extremely difficult concept to communicate
(to convince). Even harder than teaching musicality. We urge our
students to take the beginning class over and over even as they go on to
more advanced material. We prefer  to teach beginners, because we
believe that the essence of tango is in walking and the first techniques
of movement, leading and following. Although our own style is close/open
salon Villa Urquiza (whatever you want to call it, but not strict close
embrace/milonguero), this philosophy applies to most styles, maybe not
Nuevo Tango, where flash rather than connection seems to rule.

I believe that dancing simple tango well is a lofty goal for anyone,
and that achieving mastery in only that will take as long as it takes,
probably years, requires precision, practice and devotion, and is
infinitely more satisfying than keeping up with every latest
fad/technique. That said, it's ever so much easier to do barridas,
ganchos, leans and back sacadas to impress the populace.
Abrazos from Puerto Vallarta,
Barbara
www.tangobar-productions.com