Defining the term "Nuevo tango" is essentially a meaningless exercise. The only important thing to ask is, are they dancing tango well or not. By dancing tango, I mean tango music. Of course, dancing in tango elements as a base of movement and style to non-tango music, is fun, and i do it, but it is not 'tango", in my opinion. Tango, primero, is the music. Then, tango, the dance, has certain characteristics that enhance the emotion expressed in the music, the embrace being the most important, the communication of lead and follow, the improvisation. the attitude, the elegance, and the line of dance in the ronda. Tango also has an inherent structure in that there are only three steps, the open step, the front cross step, the back cross step, and the order of these steps in turns to the right and left as default modes. This was a natural evolution from the asymmetrical nature of the embrace, closed on one side, more open on the other. What the "nuevo" maestros did fifteen or twenty years ago was to show how an understanding of the structural elements leads to infinite leadable improvisation possibilities. Everything else in tango dance is evolved from this structure. This sounds rigid, and of course you can change the structure if you make that clear in your lead. The structure is merely the alphabet you use to improvise and create poetry in motion with a partner. The best tango choreographies still retain the visual impact of improvisation, to be interesting to the tango audience the movements should appear to be "leadable" or be able to be duplicated on the dance floor if one has the skills. Throughout tango's history, there were always innovators pushing the boundaries of what was accepted by the majority. Tango originated as a dance of the people, working class people, not in some stone castle dance academy. There were no rules, no ballroom type standards to dogmatically adhere to. It is an art form, and like all art forms, is constantly evolving. There were always dancers who imitate what they see on stage or in the milongas, and experiment with it, exaggerate movements. Some experiments work and influence the culture, some do not and are eventually discarded. As just one example, the "modern" colgada is essentially an exaggeration of a very old passing-over step, elongated into a spin, or two, or 200. Through evolution of the art form some elements naturally are more artistic or aesthetically pleasing than others. Some movements are more elegant than others. Elegance is in the eye of the beholder. (I, for one, am happy to see the near extinction of the kitschy shoe shine pants wipe). When many people see something as elegant, it becomes more desirable. And when that happens, those who have the most elegance, or "art" will attract the most commercial attention and imitation. That is the way the world works. Of course, we are each free to dance however we wish, there are no tango police. If you are performing solo, do whatever the heck you want, swing from the ceiling on ropes like monkeys to Piazzola if you like and people are willing to pay to see you. But, in a social setting, tango as a unique culture, as a lifestyle, really shines, we must accommodate all and with a minimum of accidents and crashes, the dancing should be proportionate to the space available, the line of dance, your partner, and the music. This gives the culture its charm. There is resistance to change in any art form. But an art form either evolves or calcifies and dies. Tango is a living art form. It is not preserved in a museum under a glass. There will be always people experimenting with other dance form elements and bringing them into tango. I used to fear this will dilute the tango to the point it is unrecognizable. But I have faith that the essence of the tango is so strong and unique and precious that eventually it is rediscovered and returned to, as a wellspring of sustenance and inspiration again and again. I observe that even the most radical trapeze artist young dancers still want to know how to dance in a conservative, close, quiet, elegant manner on the dance floor at some point in the night, with a special partner. So their tango evolves in accordance with the seasons of their life, and their emotional experiences, and this is where tango is unique, for every emotion can be expressed in it, and we each have our own individual expression of personality that is available to us in the tango. And,as connecting with another human being on a deep level is such a fundamental human need, the essence of the tango will continue to attract us.
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