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Because that’s the only suitable way.

From maestro Jorge Dispari. If you are interested in, watch the clip. My Spanish is very limited, so I could only quote the subtitle.

It is not very often for us to hear such an honest talk. A lot of teachers try to sell you the glamorous side of tango; try to make you someone who you are not, a star, a performance dancer, an “artist”. Otherwise, they are afraid that they would not be commercially successful. And a lot of student are drew to tango, because it is sexy, it is fashionable… they want to learn the form, without the trouble of understanding its culture, its essence. Like in martial arts, however, one doesn’t go too far learning just the form. Any art without soul isn’t good art. Anybody can teach how to move, very few can tell why.

Here is a performance by them, dance (or should I say walk) to D’Arienzo. No sacada, no boleo, no volgada, not even a giro. Simply walk…

PS. Have a wonderful holiday, fellow tanguero(a)s!!!

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Social dance at Club Sunderland

Performance:

I can see quite a few moves that contemporary dancers use.

Note: this is the space they use for Monday and Wednesday practica now, 2nd floor on top of the restaurant.

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They had danced five numbers at the milonguero night 2010. This is my most favorite one. Not that the rest of their performances weren’t brilliant, but this one was truly improvised.

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I met Lida Gudovskaya over two years ago at one of my privates with Andrea and Javier. She was studying with them from Russia. I danced with her at the milonga. At that time she was just an average tanguera. Now she has been performing in BsAs and Russia, with Juan Manuel Riera who often can be found dancing at El Beso and Cachirulo.

Thanks to Simbatango , I got to know the name of my tango crush. (see my post: Sunderland practica). She also performs at Plaza Dorrego, which I’ve not been to. They are studying with Carlos and Rosa at Sunderland.

And un amigo Gus:

It is good to be young and fabulous. Enjoy every moment of it!

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The second time within a week,  I went to Buenos Aires Tango Club to get more cds with a DJ friend of mine who spoke fluent Spanish. My friend told Carlos that I was looking for more collection of Danceable music. Carlos,  probably an  encyclopedia of tango music, laughed: ” well, what is danceable to you, probably not danceable to me.” (via the translation of my friend).

The next hour or so, we sat with him and listened to different cds he brought out. The experience was so good that we went back the next day and did the same with him for another two hours. I’d bought over 80 cds ranging from 20s to 60s during my three visits in two weeks.

Lately, I have been reading some posts or comments about what is danceable tango music; or more, what is not danceable. The first time I heard of Valera played in the milonga, I thought what the heck that was. That was not danceable. Now every time, I hear Fueron Tres Anos by Valera con Ledesma, I want to dance. (And I am not moved  the same way when the same song is sung by Falcon).  When I started going to milongas, I always struggled dancing to D’Agostino con Vargas. I didn’t know how to dance to his voice.  Now I love Angel Vargas, with D’Agostino or Del Piano and Lacava.

What is with the change? My dance-ability has improved. I am now able to stretch my movement in the span of a few notes. I don’t just dance to every beat in the rhythmic songs. I don’t chase after the music. I could select the phrases that I want to dance (walk) to,  suspend on a few or just embrace and breathe through some.  I used to dance only,  if you will, milongueros, then salon.  Now if the woman wants to dance open on separate axis ( not my preference), fine, I could manage one tanda as well.

The thing is, the more music I listen to, the better I dance, the more high-level of dancer I’ve danced with, the wider range the music I enjoy dancing to. Before, I always danced to golden age. Now  I love to  dance certain music from the late 20s (Canaro, Lomuto, Di Sarli y sus Sexteto Tipica…),  early to mid 50s various orchestras (Di Sarli, D’Arienzo, Angel Vargas, De Angelis, Valera, Sassone, De Caro, Salgan…) and modern orchestras (Fervor de Buenos Aires/ Misteriosa, El Arranque, Esteban Morgado…).

Here is my theory: if you are moved by the music, then it is danceable. After all, it is the music that moves us, not we move to the music. Now whether you have the ability to dance to it or not, that is entirely another matter.

The following are a couple of brilliant performances, in my opinion,  on music that some might think  that is not danceable.  Yeah, They are performances. If you are open minded and shrewd, however, you might learn a few things that you could use on a crowded milonga .

Fueron Tres Anos:

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