Códigos de la milonga (milonga etiquette) - Have your say #6!

The material for these quizzes has come from our observation & experience both locally & elswhere, and from people talking to us about their own experiences. Sometimes the after-class pub-talk has turned to questions about the codes in the milongas of Buenos Aires, and at other times complaints about some behaviours in our local milongas.

It was out of one of these discussions that someone suggested some sort of quiz as a light-hearted way of educating dancers. We already had a ready reference in Gustavo Benzecry-Saba's book La pista del abrazo (English version: Embracing tango)which we got from him a couple of years ago.

And the result? Some people have been amused by some of the scenarios & responses, a few have engaged in the on-line debate, while others struggle with how the codes fit with our local cultural norms. We have certainly noticed a distinct change in the observance of the codes at local milongas - due also, no doubt, to the emphasis local teachers are placing on them.

So here are a few more real situations. As always, feel free to add your opinions:

Scenario #18:

Two people are in earnest conversation, and a man approaches, wanting to dance with the woman. She should:

1. Ignore him until he goes away.
2. After a short time, acknowledge that he’s there, and continue the conversation.
3. Stop the conversation and get up immediately to dance.
4. In a break in the conversation, give him some attention, but refuse the invitation because she’s tied up at the moment.

Scenario #19
The leader stops dancing, twists his follower backwards, waits, then says, Gancho, gancho! She should:

1. Ignore him and wait for him to continue dancing.
2. Ask him to lead it properly next time.
3. Tell him that a gancho is inappropriate for a woman like herself in her middle years.
4. Execute a gancho as best she can under the circumstances, regardless of how she looks.

Scenario #20:

A beginner male leader is unsure whether to limit his dancing to beginner females or to invite experienced followers to dance. He should:

1. Stick to the beginners until he’s put in the hard work to improve his dancing to merit dancing with experienced women.
2. Ask experienced women anyway – it’ll be good to challenge his dancing, and he might pick up a few tips.
3. Any women can be available partners at a practica, but at a milonga, he should leave the experienced women to the leaders who can dance well.
4. Use the cabeceo – if the experienced women want to make themselves available to him, they’ll make it obvious.

Well, what do you think?

Dancing to the music - Poema: a case in point

A Youtube search for Poema will reveal countless dance interpretations of this much-loved, romantic tango by Francisco Canaro & Roberto Maida. A nice story I once heard, was that other orchestras didn't try to record Poema after Canaro nailed it, simply because of its perfection. But I'm sure the following more mundane explanation for the absence of other versions is closer to the truth. Carlos Puente of the Buenos Aires Tango Club set me straight one day when he explained it was all to do with commercial imperatives. Put simply, the recording companies determined what was to be put on disc and what wasn't. However, I reckon perfection still figures in there somewhere, because tangueros of all ages love to dance to it!

Watching the popular couple Coca & Osvaldo Cartery dance to it a few years ago in the milonga La Nacional genuinely brought tears to my eyes. For me it's a tango begging to be danced with love, even if it is for an audience. Alongside the typical strong Canaro rhythms, at various points Maida's voice and the violin demand a "gentle" approach - advance & suspension, light & shade.

Performances for an audience, although a form of entertainment, need to do justice to the music and its moods, too. This principle shouldn't just apply to social dancing. For my tastes, some performers stretch the idea of entertainment a little too far, where their skillful moves begin to look somewhat gratuitous and incongruous, some might even say gimmicky. But instead of focussing on what I don't like, here are a few favourites of mine:








Just came across another blog comparing 11 "Poemas". What are your favourites?

Pat.

Dancing to the Music @ Tangofest

Too often I hear complaints from dancers who have taken classes with visiting teachers, that soon after the classes, they have forgotten how to execute the impressive new figures which were taught.

Call me a tango fundamentalist, but a most refreshing aspect of the recent Aus International Tangofest in Sydney was the focus on the music and practical strategies for interpreting it. Workshops with Cristina Sosa & Daniel Nacucchio, and bandoneonista Joaquin Amenabar were scheduled to promote an indepth understanding of their material. Joaquin's sequence of classes built upon each other (Tango rhythm, Melodic rhythm, Syncopation and offbeat in tango music, etc.) and participants left feeling not only enlightened, but visibly excited by the insights and the possibilities opened to them in the dance. Sadly, I was only able to buy his book and DVD, because many of his classes ran concurrently with those of Cristina & Daniel.

However, Cristina and Daniel did not disappoint. Wisely, they structured most of their classes in blocks, so that the musicality class entitled "Composition & improvisation" lasted 4.5 hours + hour break. This immersion allowed us to examine closely a few different tangos from orchestras such as D'Arienzo, Di Sarli and Troilo. Focus was on the influence of various instruments (bandoneon, piano, violin) at different points of the tango. So we worked on how those segments could be danced in a way that was in harmony with the music - thus allowing the body to join the orchestra.

Cristina Sosa and Daniel Nacucchio are a couple to watch - inspiring, knowledgable, methodical & approachable teachers and stunning performers. No wonder they have collected a number of significant awards: World Tango Championship (Tango Salon), Metropolitan Tango Championship (Tango Salon), Metropolitan Tango Championship (Milonga) and the Japan Open (Tango Salon). Here they are performing at Sin Rumbo one of our favourite traditional milongas. They are also a delight to watch dancing socially - understated and elegant.

What a treat it was to have five nights of milongas with a selection of great traditional music, as well as memorable performances by Joaquin Amenabar and Sydney's Fuego Lento. The photo below was taken on Saturday night at Marrickville.

Pat.

Comme il faut

Sunday 21 June
3 - 7pm

Entry $10

Music: mainly Golden Age, with a few surprises!

Drinks available at the bar

Mt Osmond Golf Club

Log fire included!

Códigos de la milonga (milonga etiquette) - Have your say #5!

The debate continues worldwide over milonga codes, particularly the use of the cabeceo. In some countries, and some cities in Australia, the cabeceo is almost non-existent, making it harder for out-of-towners to get dances. Some would argue that it is an anachronism - with no part to play in modern societies, while others talk about it protecting dancers from unwelcome partners or from music they don't want to dance to.

However, we don't hear much dispute about the importance of codes like keeping the line-of-dance, leading & executing figures which are safe in the circumstances, and treating partners with respect. These are all about ensuring that everyone at the milonga has a chance to enjoy the dance.

Scenario #15:
A woman approaches a man to ask him to dance. He should:

1. Accept, even if he doesn’t want to, and dance the tanda with little connection.
   
2. Politely decline, because, in truth, the music isn’t the type he can connect with.
3. Accept, make the best of the music & partner, and strike up a light discussion about the fun & value of the ‘cabeceo’ at the end of the tanda.
4. As soon as he spots her coming, dash into the toilet.

Scenario #16:
A man is leading large open figures which take up a lot of space, intruding into the line of dance, and encouraging his partner to execute moves which are dangerous to other couples. Another couple should:

1. Put up with it and keep well out of their way
2. Approach the couple in a break in the music and suggest they dance in the middle, not in the dance lanes
3. Speak to the milonga organiser and point out that their dancing is affecting other couples negatively
4. Try doing the same, since the other couple seems to be having fun dancing this way.

Scenario #17:
A woman is being taught on the dance floor during a milonga because she’s apparently not following what her partner wants her to do, and she doesn’t appreciate it. She should:

1. At the next break in the music, suggest to the leader that he find someone who already knows what he wants, thank him, and return to her seat.
2. Tell the leader that she’s simply following what he appears to be leading.
3. Put up with it for the tanda, but make a mental note not to dance with him again.
4. Tell him that she isn’t able to concentrate on following while he insists on talking.

What would you do?

What can we learn from performances?

Obviously it depends on who's performing, but it also depends on what we're looking for.

Geraldine Rojas and the late Carlos Gavito gave one of those unique and "I wish I'd been there" performances a few years ago. Carlos illustrated his mantra "less is more" - that passion, timing, and giving time for his partner to improvise was far more important than what he once referred to as 'dancing like a bunch of washing machines". Geraldine shows her clear joy at dancing with one of tango's greats, but it didn't get in the way of her demonstrating her exquisite skills that complemented her partner's intensity. What can I learn from this piece? Aim to evoke sensuality from the dance and focus on musicality - but that'll mean keeping it simple.

And two dancers who do keep it relatively simple are Sebastian Achaval & Roxanna Suarez while performing this great De Angelis piece; note the word relatively. Mind you, their turns are brilliant - no chance of emulating that - but they otherwise dance small figures that would be familiar to many intermediate dancers. So what puts them on quite a different plane? Their execution is precise, balanced, and grounded for a start. Now add a generous layer of timing while they expertly link their figures seamlessly. And finally, as with the other couple, their musicality - the dance reflecting the moods & changing rhythms of the music. Again, I learned more about timing & musicality, but there's no short cut to the hours of constant practice that needs to go into it.

Bob