Christine Denniston writing about the tango renaissance contrasts dancing with simpler steps, or complex combinations. Simple steps emphasize the connection; complex steps permit emotional distance between partners. People can dance close embrace without connection, and open or complex steps with connection. But these are not the norm. I would suggest that the music is similar. Some tango dance music, mainly older recordings, ask for a deep connection with the music. Other tangos, many of them newer, are so insistent they allow little independent contribution by the dancers. Promisingly, a few DJs find modern alternative tango music that is superb for connection.
Continuing parallels between music and dance, it has been measured that superb classical performances differ subtly in timing and emphasis from a mechanical (computer) performance of the same notes. It is further observed that increasing or decreasing the difference from the mechanical line both reduce the perceived quality of expression. So musicians spend their early years learning to play accurately, and their mature years learning to play inaccurately, in just the right way. Similarly with dance. Dancers learn first the moves, and later the expression. Tango music and dance are rich enough that it may take years to get just the moves. After that, you can work on expression forever. With ballet, it takes 2000 hours to have enough technique. It may take the same with tango. That's 5-6 years at 7 hours a week. Tango may not be the best dance to take up for casual social reasons. --Bill Swan ([email protected]) 425 865 0374 2232 157th PL SE; Bellevue WA 98008 USA _______________________________________________ Tango-L mailing list [email protected] http://mailman.mit.edu/mailman/listinfo/tango-l
