The following except is from an October 16, 2008 article, by Philip Hersh, of the LA Times, lamenting the retirement of two prominent figure skaters (Buttle and Lambiel). The controversy involves the change in judging criteria, emphasizing athleticism over artistic expression. As one reads this, we may just as easily substitute the word, tango, for the word, skating. “Adding all the rococo ornaments to skating does not give it style, the sort of grace and purity of line Buttle and Lambiel embodied at their best. It does what the poet Alexander Pope pilloried 300 years ago in these lines from “An Essay on Criticism:” Such labour'd nothings, in so strange a style, Amaze th'unlearned, and make the learned smile”
The style of tango we dance may be venerated or disdained by the style of expression we infuse into it. You control your style. A focus on clean technique, courtesy and consideration for your partner and the other couples, compliance to codas of the venue, feeling for the music, all display respect for the heritage and traditions of Argentine tango. At that moment we recognized tango as a fulfilling part of our existence, we received a living gift, and with that a responsibility to nurture. But for each of us it is our choice of how. The flavor of the classics of literature remain alive to each generation, unchanged in printed form. In classical dance we have ballet masters who pass on their repertoire as their ballet masters, of a generation before, pass on to them. For Argentine tango, I’d like to preserve something more fundamental, a sort of timeless essence, if you will, which cannot be captured on YouTube. Abrazos, Ricardo _______________________________________________ Tango-L mailing list [email protected] http://mailman.mit.edu/mailman/listinfo/tango-l
