Technique
Recently heard someone comment (yet again) that too much emphasis on the perfecting techniques in Tango can actually be detrimental to the overall enjoyment of the dance. Have to say that I am grudgingly agreeing with the statement. However, perhaps due to my nature as a engineer/scientist, the temptation of reaching greater heights in technical sufficiency is always too alluring!? So, in the final analysis, in reference to the recent Technique vs Passion debate on Tango-L list, personally I am tipping the scale towards Technique, no matter what the general consensus is.
Incremental improvement
A Swedish Tango instructor couple Jan and Marta is currently visiting Singapore. Since their website expressly highlighted that they teach a social style in the “milonguero close-embrace” – in their words, “a mixture of tango milonguero and traditional tango de salon” – I was naturally quite keen and decided to attend their classes. Personally I feel that in order to become a well-rounded dancer, it is necessary for me to be aware and familiar with the social form as well as the more athletic forms of Tango.
Simplification
I have observed the following pattern in the development of leaders (especially those who have managed to stay with Tango for at least one year) in our Tango community in Singapore.
Where am I?
Whenever we undertake to learn a new subject, sooner or later, for all the efforts we put in (or not, as the case may be), inevitably each and every one of us is interested to know: how do we stack up? I mean, do we have far to go before we achieve some form of mastery??
Well, it seems that such a check-list may exist for Argentine Tango!? Perhaps we can all tick ourselves off against the criteria listed in these rather humorous definitions of different levels of Tango? 😉