Listen to the heart of the woman
After a while, I believe Tango needs to be much more than just a series of movements. Of course, the fundamentals such as walking, posture, and ability to listen to the music, etc., are all important qualities, but the less tangible aspects, such as being able to connect to your partner and the dance at an emotional level, are even more important. In the articles below, written by or about one of the most respected living milongueros in Buenos Aires, Cacho Dante, we can see glimpses of the mysteries of this addictive dance called Tango.
(Not in the articles listed above, but graciously related to me by Isaac)
When asked what is the “essence of Tango” – from the man’s perspective – Cacho’s answer was:
“The essence of tango is the women, the music and the dancefloor full of other dancers”.
There is no mention of chandeliers, big dance floors, candle-lit tables, fine dining, expensive sound systems, etc., but simply a gathering of passionate dancers respecting each other and the dance floor, driven by danceable music. In short, the people and the music will do…
The Tango connection
For those of us fortunate to have seen him dance in person in Taipei, Javier Rodriguez, with both his ex-partner Geraldine and current partner Andrea, is a real sight to behold on the dance floor. Well, if not, there is always YouTube! Below is an improvisation at El Beso in Buenos Aires. (YouTube link to the clip)
Isaac, a local tanguero currently residing in Buenos Aires, has provided us with some valuable insights into Javier. We can see that, behind the dazzling performances and dashing movements, there is also a Tango dancer with a deep understanding of the music and the true essence of Tango, as summed up by this quote.
“Its never about connecting to the music. You must first connect with your partner. Then together as one, connect to the music.”
La cumparsita
Here is something that may be of interest to Tango collectors or history buffs, or maybe something fit for a rainy Sunday afternoon? 😉
On http://www.esnips.com/web/LaCumparsita (no longer available as of 1/2011), you can find over 200 different versions of, arguably, the most famous and recognizable Tango song of all time – the La Cumparsita. La Cumparsita is traditionally played to signal the end of a Milonga in Buenos Aires.
Quantity vs quality
Recently there has been a discussion on Tango-L about different approaches for expansion of a Tango community. The author of the original post contended that, in general, organizers were over-emphasizing on the numbers and not paying enough attention to grooming “good” dancers. However, after following the threads of discussion, it seems that quite a few people (both for and against the argument) are from reasonably established communities where participation rate is no longer a critical issue.
On the other hand, the situation is rather different in Singapore. The Tango community in Singapore is still small and relatively young on the growth curve even after 6 years. There is no doubt in my mind that increasing the participation rate is still the most important task.
