Tango, tourism and the economy

Tango tourism in Buenos Aires is big and making a significant contribution to the Argentine economy, according to a recent travel item in the Sydney Morning Herald. Carnivores get a good run for their money, too!
Pat.

Two angles on the tanda

… a dancer’s perspective

Before I even consider dancing a tanda, the music needs to ‘grab’ me, because if I can’t connect with it emotionally, I certainly won’t connect with it on the dance-floor with my partner. The nature of the tanda will also govern how I dance – the figures I lead, how much I dance to the down-beat as opposed to other lyrical aspects of the music (usually the violin or the singer), how I employ pauses, etc.

For my partner, the first tango will be her time to discover how I dance to this style of music – how I lead & vary figures that she’s familiar with (anticipation is the ‘killer’ of improvisation), how much time I tend to give to pauses (hence if & how she’ll decorate), the level of energy going into my leads (hence the speed of her pivots, etc). It’s also my time to determine her responses to my leads, rhythms, & energy. It’s therefore not surprising if the first tango lacks some fluidity, but there’s every reason why the remaining tangos can reach a high level of connection such that we are moving together in response to the music we are hearing, and to each other.

The cortina signals that we should go our separate ways (after I have escorted her back to her table, of course) because the music in the next tanda will be different and the whole process can start again. After all, my responses to tangos from Di Sarli, D’Arienzo, Rodriguez, and Pugliese will all be different, and the same will apply to valses from Caló as opposed to Biagi, and milongas from Canaro as opposed to D’Agostino. But that’s part of what makes tango the seductive challenge that it is.

Bob.

… a DJ’s perspective

There is a range of views on the best way to compose a danceable and satisfying tanda. Well, one thing’s for sure: a haphazard collection of tangos, even from the same orquesta, does not a tanda make! At the other extreme, some DJs go to the extent of considering the beats per minute of each song when making their selections. For me, the selections are based on the feel of the music (eg. predominantly lyrical, rhythmic) and the emotional response that each piece of music evokes.

The first song of the tanda should, in my opinion, generally be a call to the dance. With the subsequent 2 - 3 songs somewhat consistent in their flavour, but not so similar that boredom sets in. On the other hand, a degree of coherence means that having liked the sound of the first piece and therefore got up to dance, dancers will not be disappointed with the rest of the tanda. I love concluding a tanda with something really memorable – a mini finale, of sorts.

Next tanda?
A different emotional response will be created. Does the energy of the dance-floor need to be raised or lowered? Are the dancers sufficiently primed for music of greater intensity and complexity? What does my DJ’s intuition tell me?

If you’re interested in the role which music plays in the brain, you will find Musicophilia, by Oliver Sacks, riveting. He was recently interviewed on ABC radio

Pat

Tanda — A set of dance music, usually three to five songs, of the same dance in similar style, if not by the same orquesta. The tandas are separated by a brief interlude of non-tango music called a "cortina" (or curtain) during which couples select each other. It is customary to dance the entire tanda with the same partner unless the man is rude or very disappointing as a dance partner, in which case the lady may say gracias (thank you) and leave.

What do women want? What do men want?

I've lost count of the number of times I have heard the following sentiment expressed by men learning to dance tango: "I feel I should dance lots of complex figures at the milonga so that my partner doesn't get bored".

But as a woman in tango, I wish to feel transported by the music and the intimate communication with my partner - whoever that might be at the time. Here's Milena Plebs' take on this topic in Tango íntimo. Just scroll down a little for the English translation.

Happy dancing,
Pat.

Chaperones and the milonga

I recently came across an interesting historical perspective (alas, only in Spanish) on the development of some strongly held milonga codes, and it all makes absolute sense. The fact that those codes still serve very useful, but somewhat different functions today has ensured their longevity in the world of tango.

Consider the era - maybe the 30s. A young (unmarried) woman wanted to go dancing. Nice girls could only do so in Buenos Aires when chaperoned by a trusted relative. This naturally implied that any interested, young man would certainly not be permitted to join her at her table. That would have compromised her reputation. So the invitation to dance was made by the clever game of eye contact, or the cabeceo. Today, of course, it remains an unbeatable strategy for selecting dance partners, while avoiding the embarrassment of public rejection.

Ever wondered why couples don't just start dancing as soon as the music begins, and instead spend chunks of valuable dance time chatting before taking up the embrace? I guess if a young man wanted to chat up a tasty, but chaperoned chica, those brief opportunities were all he had to make a lasting impression on her. Nowadays, the social function is still served, but the chat-time also provides the opportunity to feel the music, not to mention waiting for a space to clear in the line of dance.

Why on earth have a cortina, that snippet of non-dance music separating the tandas, when the dance-floor should be cleared? Well, just imagine the gossip resulting from dancing more than one tanda consecutively with the same partner, or a single woman not returning to her own table during the cortina. That señorita's reputation would have been somewhat tarnished, to say the least. In today's traditional milongas in BsAs, this would still signify an existing or budding relationship, but dancing with a range of people is a more social activity anyway, don't you think?

See you on the dance floor,
Pat.

What is tango?

This is a question guaranteed to generate animated debate. In his blog Miguel Angel Pla quotes the great tango poet Discépolo when he says “it’s a feeling that you can dance”..... there is more thought-provoking stuff in Miguel’s musings.

The subtlety and musicality in the dancing of the older milongueros is being appreciated by many more people, helping them to define their meaning of ‘tango’. Take a look at the links to Pocho & Nellie, & the late Ricardo Vidort y Liz Haight, to see examples of how “less is more”. However, it’s not just the old guard, as Ney Melo & Jennifer Bratt’s Poema illustrates.

Some of the words that come to mind when people talk about tango include, “connection”, “the embrace”, “elegance”, “musicality”, “passion”. Marcela Durán personifies the latter in a stage performance of A Evaristo Carriego with Carlos Gavito.

Feel free to give your opinions by writing a comment to this posting, but just one more thing … consider what Carmencita Calderón might mean to the culture of tango. Firstly, watch her in a 1933 movie with "El Cachafaz", then sit back and absorb the significance of her dancing at her 100 years birthday celebration!

Bob.