Why BA?

As it is usually the case with e-mailing lists, topics occasionally reoccur for the benefit of the new members. And so it was recently with Tango-L, a list "for discussion of any aspect of the Argentine Tango." Discussion about what is and what is not tango, or tango nuevo, or alternative milongas and all that raised its head once more.

Then a related topic was touched briefly about the evolving art of tango and what is so special about the relationship between Buenos Aires and tango. One post caught my attention. It was by Dierdre N. Black I reproduce it here with Dierdre's permission.

Well, let's see....where to begin? First of all, as a professional ballet/contemporary dancer, for a large portion of my life, I appreciate that dance needs to be a "lively art" and therefore, continually evolving, changing and reflecting, to a large extent, cultural/era specificities(such as: "cargo pants" vs "tango suits", etc.).....I'm definitely down with that concept! Yet, today, we are still able to enjoy the great, classical ballets, frozen in time, as well as the most contemporary and avant garde ones and they are all called "ballet". Supposedly, the Finnish tango is "frozen" in the tango of the twenties and they have no interest in evolving their style. Is this a more "real tango" because it hasn't changed, for almost 100 years? Or is "it" more from contemporary pilgrims/portenos, living in BA, evolving the dance, daily; sometimes(depending), dancing tango in cargo pants, flip flops and to Elvis Presley, others, in the little black dress, high heels and to Troilo? Who's to say? Both of these views of tango(plus the entire continuum between)are valid, here and worth considering, in this discussion, I feel.

Perhaps, we are asking the wrong questions. Perhaps, tango afficionados are missing the point and think they only come to BA to dance "the real, classic Argentine tango", to find that, instead, there is a lively art, here, changing with the times/fashions/artists, like any other viable art will do and maybe, looking for the "real tango", in BA, is like trying to know the sound of one hand clapping. Instead, after living here for three, amazing years, I have found that the tango is sooo much more than just a dance(or specific "style", thereof)...the actual dance appears to be merely the "tip of the tango iceberg", if you will. Instead, you will find the "real tango" in the blood of the rioplatense(Uruguayos, tambien/Montevideo)people, being expressed daily, in their attitudes, customs, desires, food, wine, humor, rhythms of life(even tho they don't dance a lick), as well as in the glorious, hothouse world of musicians, dancers, singers, composers, of the tango classico. The dance does not exist in an artistic vacuum but rather, in the context of this culture and that is what, in the end, I believe people come here, for...to "feel the tango" context, rather than determine a "perfect style". In fact the more you are here, the more open that definition becomes. If there IS any one, consistent element that continues to run through all these discussions, though, it's the "connection" of tango that people seek, within themselves and each other and BA provides that constant feeling of connection, with your family, neighbors, dance buds and "the BA life", from whence this seductive dance comes. There's nothing like "swimming in the BA soup for awhile" just to make your tango more juicy, soulful and connected, no matter what style you prefer. Also, not just attending classes and milongas, while here but going to theatre, opera, poetry readings, tango music/singer performances(no dancing), art/photog shows, will make your tango dancing better..... not necessarily more classic, flashier, better technically or even more nuevo(2-3 weeks simply isn't enough to accomplish that, even with intensives)but more importantly, you can go away with "many more miles" and a more organic center/perspective that can't be replicated anywhere else. You can experience directly, the cultural position that the dance of tango inhabits, in this warm, sensual city/country(and Uruguay, btw). Then, your personal style merely becomes the "icing on your tango cake".

Besos y abrazos, Dierdre N. Black

tango and marching

When I was 8 and a half years old (back in 1958) my father taught me to play an althorn and for the next almost ten years I played in the marching-symphonic band in my hometown, Dubrovnik. I loved it. I loved playing marching music while marching along the old city cobblestone streets (really setts)-- especially the old "Stradun" (by the way, we used to play a march which if our marching speed was just right, we'd start at one end of Stradun and finish at the other exactly - it was fun doing it that way).

Well, anyway. A few years later I was "promoted" to play the baritone horn, which gave me the chance to be a soloist during our sit-down concerts. But, it was marching while playing that got deeply embedded into me.

My father told me the stories of Italian "bersaglieri" and their marching bands, which used to come visit to Dubrovnik in the 20s and the 30s, and how he and his friends marveled at the skill of those players to play so well while kind of jogging down the street with the resulting overall adrenalin-pumping, uplifting feeling.

Now, as a consummate tango dancer, I can not help but re-live that same exquisite marching-to-the-music feeling, especially when a Donato or Biagi happy sounding tangos are played. Take "Lonjazos," for example. Can't you just see the bersaglieri band marching/jogging down the street? I can and feel. And it makes me sigh with a happy feeling.

so, what is this thing we call tango?

Take a minute and read this brilliant blog entry with the provocative title "Mi Buenos Aires, querido ..." by La Nuit Blanche. It is all about tango in its full meaning.

What a blessing that all these cultures collided and colluded in that one place resulting in great things among which tango is its beacon light. It offers a direct line to a very fundamental humanity in you if you let yourself really touch all of its secrets. This life is indeed not a rehearsal. Feel, feel, feel, .... feel its pulsating rivers within yourself, let them take you to a journey with no end. Smile and love with no limits and no reservations!

Mimi

It's almost finished, Mimi's two week visit in our neighborhood. Somehow when she teaches me to dance a better tango, I do not want her to ever stop teaching. I don't know she does it, but it must be her enormous love for tango and mountains of knowledge and experience.

Mimi definitely has strong, very strong opinions about how it's done. And it may take you a while to "see" what she is doing and why. But then, things just start clicking and then it's up to you, well me, to take all that wealth and drill the techniques. Once you really feel what is going when using (at least some of) Mimi's techniques, you will want more of the same. Well, I do anyway.

Thank you, Mimi Santapa, "La Maestra de Los Maestros" for so generously spreading your riches. I feel lucky.

And, I must say that it is all Gordon's fault - thank you Gordon. My friend Gordon encountered Mimi's teaching in France some years ago. She was then his guest in Tallytown last year - things did not quite click for me then - and than again now. She is promising to return next year.

... and he smelled good!

The other day a friend and I were returning from a short trip to a milonga somewhere in North Florida and, of course, we talked about our dance experience among other things. So, my friend started talking about this one dancer whom we both thought of as a good dancer and a good looking man. But then, my friend added "and he smelled good" with a smile on her face.

So, all you dancers out there, do not think that your personal hygiene is not a factor, for it is indeed a factor that makes an enjoyable dance possible. I see many men dancing with their shirts thoroughly soaked with perspiration. At least make sure you bring one or more shirt changes.

Atlantis

Last night I went to Atlantis, a Tallahassee bar and grill sort of restaurant with fine food and atmosphere. One half of the dig is the restaurant, the other a dance lounge sort of place with nice cabaret-style booths along one side, a raised DJ stand on the other with a large mirror in front of it, and a fairly good floor. There is dancing on most evenings.

Wednesday is advertised as the "Argentine Tango" night. I do remember several years ago coming to Atlantis on Tuesdays to dance (they switched to Wednesdays some time ago)-- I DJ-ed some of those events. Those were the days when we actually danced tandas of argentine tangos, milongas, and valses. The floor was crowded most of the time. Then things changed.

The music was really nice last night, but it was not tango at all, most of the pieces did not even resemble tango. Again, very nice, but not tango. I watched as one or two couple danced and was amused. While at least one couple danced very creatively, they did not seem to need the music to dance at all. So, clearly the fact that they moved about with some form of tango-like steps and figures to non-tango music did not matter to them.

I enjoyed the music and left after about an hour with no dancing to speak of. I miss Buenos Aires.

Clearly, for the people in Rio de la Plata region, tango is part of the culture, for the rest of the world it is only a dance.

After Milongueando 2009

It's been a month since Milongueando 2009 ended. It was a great gathering of tango lovers from around the world with those who personally witnessed its progress in the last .. oh, 40, 50, or 60 years. And it took me a year (since Milongueando 2008) to finally figure out the essential value of the gathering. I speculated about it, given the schedule of events, but only after having spoken with the two convenors, Maria Plazaola and Susana Miller, it became clear and confirmed. (My friend Shoko and I conducted video interviews with the two and will soon publish ot for all to see.)

This year, among other maestros we had Tete (and Silvia), Abel Peralta, Juan Manuel Suarez, Roberto Segarra, and Pedro Sanchez - all long time tango dancers and milongueros. Most of them with their own specific "style." And, while they were not necessarily teachers, they danced, their style evolved by dancing for decades and were in classes accompanied with teachers who could and did decompose some important aspect of the milonguero dancing in order to share it, make it accessible to us.

This was a genius concept. I hope Susana and Maria continue with it.