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Monday, 26 July 2010

Decorations - a contradiction in terms

Recently it dawned on me that decorations, adornos, embellishments (call them what you will) could well be considered a contradiction in terms - unless executed for a tango performance.

Under most circumstances in life, a decoration is an external embellishment. Yet an adorno in social tango comes from within and remains within the embrace. It's not primarily for the viewing public. It is a spontaneous expression of the emotion of the music. It does not disturb our partner. It isn't calculated or premeditated. However, sound technique and control underpin any elegant adornment.

What is a decoration in social tango? To me it begins with the way in which dancers (male or female) use their feet when taking a step.

For anyone interested in this topic, I recommend very highly the articles by Olga Besio and Milena Plebs (in Spanish & English).

PP
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2 comments:

  1. Unknown9 August 2010 at 17:28

    What I think about women decorations dancing is: The most beautiful, the best, is the one the man does not notice it !! Two or tree years ago I danced with my friend Elina Roldan, in Cagliary - Sardinia where she was one of the teachers, a milonga. The dance was perfect to me, smooth as ever, a joy to dance with such a partner. I did not notice anything strange.
    Later when I saw a video of my dance with Elina I was surpriced to see how many decorations she performed !!!!. Amazing .....

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  2. Tango Salon Adelaide9 August 2010 at 18:02

    Thanks again for your thoughts, Constantino. While watching Elina dance (on Youtube), it is clear that her technique and body control are so good that she looks light as a feather. Her decorations appear soft and are beautiful expressions of the music. Your experience (you lucky man!) certainly confirms that.
    PP

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