The Embrace in Tango

I ran across this on The Very Tango Store website: http://www.verytangostore.com/embrace.html

Various quotes/discussions/opinions on "the embrace", some going back to the days of yore on Tango-L...




Anonymous:
The embrace opens and closes like a bandoneon




Attributed to Café Periódico del Tango:
Starting the Embrace
The first step is moving into each other’s embrace peacefully. An air of quiet reassurance from the man says to the lady, come to me and trust me. The leader senses that the lady has settled physically into the embrace before moving off. Leaders, if your partner has not settled into your embrace before you decide to move off, the jarring sensation would be felt immediately by both. A surprising start is perhaps not the best foundation for the tanda ahead.

For the Men
Setting this tone of calm for the dance is important. Maestro Javier Rodriguez once said in a class, the gentleman should hold the lady in his arms like a baby during the dance. What does Javier mean with this analogy? Think about about how it would feel. We would hold a baby securely in our arms, not in a tentative or frail manner (as if the baby will drop from our arms at any minute). Yet the hold is gentle, since we are not attempting a strangle-hold on the (poor) baby. During the dance, we would take care to create a comfortable environment. Not to unduly startle the baby with sudden movements without adequate preparation to mark the move. The baby feels safe, secure and happy. Likewise gentlemen, it will be so for the ladies!
... Leaders, don’t latch onto your partner throughout the break between songs in a tanda. The dance is over after the song ends. Now is the time to make social chit-chat, especially since the milonga is a social occasion to get to know your dance partner. More importantly, doing so often implies an intimate intention. Not even real life couples hang onto one another for dear life during the break between songs within the tanda.

For the Ladies
Ladies, the man has many responsibilities to take care of to dance with us. It is not an easy task. The important thing for us ladies is to remember to be relaxed in the embrace. By this, I don’t mean that the body turns to jell-o. While in this relaxed state, the core muscles sustaining our middle remains active. We hold ourselves and our own axis. Tension or nervousness will be transmitted to our partner and make the man’s job to lead harder. This is very easily felt in the embrace. Vice versa for the men, of course.

Ending the Embrace
Coming out of the embrace is a natural and mutual separation between the man and the woman. There is nothing very challenging or profound about it. Once... I danced a tanda with a tango visitor who had a most disconcerting way of dropping the embrace so fast, it felt as if we parted before the last note has ended for each song... It is possible to sense many things about our partner during dance. The overall impression I received from this gentleman is that the woman is simply a means to an end to dance tango. Frankly, this is a terrible thought.

My final thoughts on the embrace is this: Just because a couple choose to dance in close embrace does not automatically equate to a connection. This is merely form. It is what you give to one another and to the dance, genuinely. This is essence.




Attributed to Tina Tangos:
Embracing the Person
I consciously applied [Javier's] philosophy to the way I embraced the tangueros... which was to embrace the person – embrace who the person is. Really HUG them. With love. Real love. Just completely surrender and give myself, my heart to them, no questions asked. I haven’t always done that... I’ve chased the ghost but sometimes have forgotten to simply love the person in my arms. Truly love them.

I wasn’t sure what the reaction would be – I didn’t know if the guys here would be able to handle this chica coming up from South America and throwing her arms around them with complete surrender. But you know what? It worked out beautifully! Each time, I felt the embrace and the warmth returned to me, equally. I really, truly felt, with each dance, that I was sharing something special with the man in my arms...

For the first time... I have just abandoned all expectations, all hesitation, all of my 'oh I’m not in Buenos Aires so it’s going to suck' feelings, and really focused on the human being I was dancing with.

I said to myself, 'Right now I’m dancing with XYZ. I’m going to embrace him and all that I love about him. I’m going to embrace our friendship as we dance, and think about all of the things we have shared these past few years. I’m going to dance the love that I feel for him as a friend. I’m going to hug him good.'

I hugged the heck out of him and he gave right back. 100%. In a way that I have never experienced with him before.

And it happened this way with each man. And each time I really focused on who the person was, what we had shared, how much I loved him in that moment right there. And of course, because this is me, each time I made sure to give a little bit of my Buenos Aires to the embrace as well – there has been so much beauty (and ugliness) and magic in my life in Argentina and I hope I was able to share that with each man I danced with. And they were all open to it.




Attributed to Tango e Vita:
Abrazo, ways of embracing
A quietness in the soul is the magic. It makes you able to become aware of your body and how it is affected by its surroundings. Then you can look inward and choose values that are true to your inner self. Detachment is an ability to draw back from the physical impact of unnatural conditioning. It is like creating an island in the stream. The passage of time is often seen as such a stream. A pushing river that flows and flows faster day by day and on which we always have to catch on. Music too can be seen as a stream of notes. The dancer has to keep up with the mechanic time-pitch of a metronome. His consciousness is strongly fixed on potential outcomes. However, music also has the power to make contact with your inner self. When concentrating fully on the music, a whole range of subtle impressions will begin to set. It overlays the image onto another image on each existing instant as it occurs. If one can learn to relax enough, the body will naturally take care of itself, so performing the movements with a graceful naturalness, easiness and spontaneity. It improves the ability to perform without apparent effort. An embrace has such power of peaceful harmony too. It is an island in the stream of time.




Attributed to Janis Kenyon @ ToTango:
Approaching Miloguero Style
What I enjoy most about dancing milonguero style is that in his embrace I have this wonderful connection with my partner and the music. I feel how he is dancing for me and with me, yet at the same time allowing me to dance. As I am learning the lyrics of tango, I am understanding what it means to really feel tango, rather than just enjoying the beautiful music. My milonguero boyfriend says tango without lyrics is romantic; but tango with lyrics is a feeling.

Ladies, be prepared to make an adjustment with your head and arms when you dance milonguero style. If you are used to dancing salon style with your head turned to the right and with your left hand on your partner's arm or back, you will be making a change when you dance in Buenos Aires. I have been surveying the milongas here lately to see how many women dance with their head turned to the right, and have found only a handful that still do this. Some milongueros will politely ask you to change your head position so they can see the floor and dance the way that is most comfortable for them. In the milongas of Buenos Aires where I dance, 99% of the women hold their head straight looking over the man's shoulder with the left arm placed entirely around his neck so that her hand is somewhere on his left shoulder. This way your left elbow is not sticking out past his shoulder, which on a crowded floor could be a hazard. When your left arm is at a right angle, there is no possibility of hurting others. Just be sure that you don't hang on the man's neck by placing weight on your arm.

There are three head positions for the lady: 1) your left cheek bone to his right cheek bone (for salon style) 2) your right side of face to his right side of face (for milonguero style) 3) your nose and forehead to the right side of his face (alternate possibility for milonguero style).

Try these positions out with a partner and notice that you can stand directly in front of your partner with your head in position #2. However, in position #1, you may be in a V position with your body in relation to his; more appropriate in salon style, but not in milonguero style.

Milonguero style is danced in a close embrace that is not altered during the dance. You both have your weight over your feet and maintain your own balance. There is body contact from the head to the waist area. I don't agree that a woman has to lean on her partner in this style. Perhaps some have come to this conclusion after observing men with extra weight around the middle dancing with slender women who need to change their body position to adjust to his shape. In order for her to maintain a straight back, she needs to bring her feet away from her partner and change the angle of her body position. But for the majority of men I dance with in Buenos Aires, this is not necessary. In fact, if you lean on some men, they may ask you to stand up and dance on your own two feet rather than leaning forward on them. While leaning on your partner, there may be a tendency for your back to arch and this only makes your rear end protrude. It's just not a good dance position and may lead to future back problems.

It's important to relax when you dance. I admire the wonderful calmness that milongueros have. Even on a crowded floor, they can move around and use the space well. If there is a collision, they quietly pause and wait for the space to continue without interruption. If a woman has tension in her body, he will feel it. The dance won't be as pleasant for either of you, but with practice, you'll get the hang of it.

Since the floor is usually full where the milongueros dance, you won't be taking long steps in this style as you do in salon. I danced with my eyes closed and my heels slightly off the floor at first. Today I dance with my eyes wide open and my heels on the floor. This is a major change for me.

I believe that once you have danced with a milonguero in Buenos Aires, you won't want to dance salon style ever again. In my opinion, there is no comparison.




Attributed to Panayiotis Karabetis:
3 Tips for a Closer Close Embrace in Tango

Tip 1: CONNECT AT THE SOLAR PLEXUS
Before the lesson, I would connect to my partner’s chest using my sternum. The problem with focusing on a sternum connection (aside from differences in partner height) is that everything below it has a greater chance of losing emphasis during your embrace. It can become loosey-goosey. My back rounds, head slouches, and butt sticks out. To top it off, my hips move farther from my partner and decrease the effectiveness of my lead.
A solution?
Connect at the Solar Plexus! By focusing attention just a few inches below my sternum, I stop slouching and correct the alignment of my neck and spine. With this improved alignment, my head and shoulders get out of my partner’s space and let my hips do their natural job of being a solid base for my chest and head. A Solar Plexus connection, and the alignment it creates, allows a clear separation of the head, chest, and hips giving you better control and independent range of motion. More range of motion means more responsibility, but it’s okay, Allison’s smiles during my adjustments let me know I’m on the right track.

Tip 2: ESTABLISH A SOLID ARM-BODY CONNECTION
When it came to creating a body connection on the side (my right, her left), I foolishly let my right elbow stick out like a chicken wing. Not only did this open a huge gap that Allison could fall into, but it encouraged balanced issues during walking and side-stepping if I wasn’t careful.
A solution?
With my Solar Plexus connection in place, I extend my arm between the space of Allison’s ribcage and armpit, making sure the inside of my right arm touches the left side of her body. From a side-view, it looks like I’m extending my hand past her back to shake someone’s hand. After securing a snug fit, my right elbow bends so my forearm makes contact across the middle of her back and my right hand grips gently on her right side below her right armpit. This arm-body connection not only helps Allison stay in front of me when we turn, it also helps me keep my arm and shoulder in a more relaxed position.

Tip 3: CLOSE THE OPEN SIDE OF YOUR BODY
This part is simple. After I execute the previous two tips, I invite Allison to place her right hand in my left in order to close the open space on the remaining side of our bodies. To remember the height and angle of where my left hand should be, I think of holding a small mirror in it so she can see herself comfortably.




Attributed to Nina from Tango-L:
There is only one embrace. It becomes closer or more open depending on the crowd, the music, the partner, the movement, etc. The embrace accommodates the dance and the dancers.

The separation of styles in terms of “close” and “open” embrace came from the foreigners that began trying to make sense of tango in the early 1980s. People noticed a clear difference between the social embrace and the stage embrace when the show Tango Argentino roared through the world in the 1980s...

In a real sense, what is called “open” social embrace now, began outside of Argentina and is a result of a misunderstanding that stage tango is not social tango. That distance between partners is much needed on stage, just like the dreaded back step. Without the space between partners, the dancers are invisible to the audience. On stage, everything has to be made bigger. Without the back step, dancers would eventually fall off the stage. So both of these elements, dreaded by many social dancers, are much needed on stage. But on a social dance floor, they are silly - they do not serve the purpose of an intimate exchange that social tango calls for. What goes on between partners in a dance is a secret. It is private and is contained by the embrace. What goes on on stage is entertainment and is meant for public to see...

Argentines always knew that there is only one tango embrace. This embrace is danced very differently when they dance to D'Agostino than when they dance to Pugliese. Many of the older dancers (milongueros, if you wish) change the embrace ever so slightly to accommodate the bigger music of Pugliese and they do change the movements of the dance. But it is subtle.

Argentine dancers take great pride in their embrace. Each one takes incredible care of how to embrace his/her partner. People have mannerisms that are uniquely their own. Embrace is precious to them. It is at the core of the dance. It is the soul of the dance between the two partners. The “frame” configurations where a man is holding a woman with his hands instead of arms hits at the pride of Argentine male dancers because no self-respecting man would hold a woman that way.




Attributed to Igor Polk in response to Ron:
Ron, I do respect you a lot and always valued your opinions, but I have to disagree with you on almost all points you have made.

“The close embrace is more intimate and permits greater sharing of emotion.”
No, they are equal. Open embrace can be more intimate than close embrace. How? Ask me personally. Emotions are transferred by artistic abilities.

“Dancing tango in close embrace uses simpler movements and is less difficult to learn”.
Tango in close embrace is more difficult to learn (if you do not stick to absurd Naveira or Neo Tango over complicated open embrace concepts).

“Open embrace allows for greater outward dramatic expression”.
Absolutely not: [eg] Gavito. Close embrace dancing is more dramatic and attracts attention of general crowd much more. (If you know how to dance attractively).

“In open embrace separation between partners, larger movements, and more frequent use of conspicuous decorative elements makes greater demands on balance”.
Close embrace demands balance much more. Close embrace does not forgive mistakes easily overlooked in open embrace.

“Mixing close and open embrace dancers at a milonga can often create conflict over space”.
Absolutely not. One can dance closely large, and open small. But the energy is different, yes. Some music is better to dance in open, some - in close. Music should dictate in what embrace to dance. To everyone.

“Open embrace dancers often see close embrace dancers as blocking the line of dance”.
Beginners block the line of dance no matter what embrace they dance in. I agree that modern trend in close embrace shockingly promotes blocking the line of dance - somebody teaches that they should not progress around the floor or stop for too long. That is the flaw (I hope temporary) of teaching and modern situation, not the dancing position.

Open and close embrace are equal in emotional connection and possibilities for musical interpretation as well as stage impressions and technical complexity if one wishes so or simplicity if situation demands. True that they are different, but otherwise they are equal.




Attributed to Igor Polk:
Six Close Embrace Styles

Pseudo Close Embrace style 0
Why 0? Bodies in this style keep vertical position. Chests are just touching each other. Points of contact through which lead goes are still somewhere in the arms. This is the style separate from other styles, which I personally do not even consider a close embrace style. It is danced and led similarly to open embrace. It is essentially open embrace style danced in touch with each other. Nothing more to say. That is why I give it number 0. It is not a close embrace style, and it is mentioned here only because many people think that it is. Dancers dancing in this style if arm's touch is removed are not able to continue the dance without changing their technique, i.e. moving to one of the next styles.

Close Embrace style 1
Chest are not just in touch. Points of contact through which lead goes are on the chest. Not in arms. A man leads with his chest. Physically. Level of contact varies, but in accordance with rules of lead, there is resistance, it is created by a force directed horizontally between chests. This force is a lead-follow force. It becomes stronger to make a movement, and disappears when is it time to stop the same way as in open embrace. To feel better this force as well as other forces, chests should be in tight contact. Arms are for fun, for complex moves. Ideally, lead of all steps and elements is done with chest, including ganchos, boleos, sacadas, and so on. Degree of the force between chests varies from the small resistance which may make it visually indistinguishable from style 0, to very strong.

Close Embrace style 2
Apilado. A new force between chests directed horizontally appears. The force goes to legs. More accurately, the legs push from the floor and create this force. It requires from a light woman to place her legs very far back pushing from the floor, creating leaning - that is her force goes from the chest of her partner through her straight legs to the ground. If there would be no such force, it would mean that she hangs - she pushes from the man's chest, but this is not weight. This is that artificial force created by legs. It takes weight from the man. This force creates unification of bodies in one. This force is constant. It is not the same like the dynamic force of resistance. It is another additional one.
This force as well as whole body position requires cardinal changing of technique from open embrace technique. It limits movements, and even more. The force destabilizes unified body position, which demands more subtle control, feeling. It demands precision from the both, it demands great sensitivity from both. Do not try to use open embrace technique. It will not work. The technique and figures are different here.

Close Embrace style 3
This is the same like style 2, but the point of contact goes down to stomach area. Sometimes chests are not in any touch at all. This position limits movements more than style 2. Movements tend to be more circular. Legs are located closer to each other, then creating more opportunities for leg play. This style provokes long leg movements. It is more difficult for beginners (of this style) since lower application of force unbalances bodies to more chaotic faster movements. It is the same way why it is more difficult to keep a short stick vertically on a finger than a long one. But experienced dancers enjoy it.

Close Embrace style 4
Canyengue. If you go into a good apilado position (Style 2), then bend your knees a lot keeping bodies in touch - you are almost in the canyengue position. A woman should be more to the side and embrace is very tight. Canyengue dancing requires first of all canyengue music, which can be found in abundance in Canaro, D'Arienzo, Firpo, Ortiz, Donato, Lomuto, and many other tango recordings, especially from 1920-1945. In this dance, bodies move very smoothly, but legs do the faster work similar to milonga. There is a 'hop'. It is in the music, and it should be danced too. It is nice to lead a woman to the cross on 'hop'. So, this is pretty much it. There is a lot of fun in the dance!
Candombe. It is very similar to Canyengue style but even more shocking... A woman is leaning very tight on a man's right site completely relying on him to maintain the balance. Man is leaning to her to keep that bridge-like position. He is leaning to the right, since she is on the right: the right side on the man's chest is located right between.. sorry, women's chests. Man's right arm is around her waist. She looks right to the same direction like he. The music is fast and energizing - african roots. A lot of hip movement. I have to tell you... but I have no words to explain how great it is!

Close Embrace style 5
This style does not look like close embrace, but it is more close embrace than style 0. A woman and man are in touch with each others more on the side. Woman's breasts may not be in any contact with the man's chest. Her left arm, left side of chest, and back serves as the replacement of her chest. Contact in this areas is very strong. It is understandable. This style allows many of open embrace figures not possible in other styles. Tango Nuevo dancers often dance close in this position. Their contact is loose. This is not what I am talking about.

How did I come up to this? This is based not on any class, or tape, or theory. This is totally concluded from my experience on the dance floor. It is personal preference what style is better. To me Apilado is the best. Probably it is. But other positions are not wrong, but something which exists. The way of dancing is different in each style. Try never change it during the dance and you will feel. What is really important is how to lead and follow, which is a separate science and can be applied equally to any body position. As soon as you do it right, it is cool! Soooooo Cooooool!




Attributed to La Nuit Blanche:
That, is not tango.
Tango milonguero, tango salon, tango nuevo, tango fantasia… Close embrace tango, open embrace tango… Ballroom tango, swango, salsango, pomodoro, ravioli, spaghetti.

Pfft.

I don’t understand what the whole argument is about tango styles. That’s just what they are: styles. They are all tango. Why is there an argument at all?

I do understand that individuals have their own tastes and preferences for certain styles. I, for one, favor the close embrace salon style, for dancing. I love closing my eyes and feeling the rhythm of my partner’s body in a very close embrace, the wheeling hips, the cat-like torso, the connection spreading all the way around my shoulder blades and extending along the length of my left arm around his neck.

And sometimes, I love dancing in open embrace, exhilarated by the feeling of expansion, dancing into the big warm hand on my back, being led to create figures that are (at least in the imaginary sphere of my mind) art in motion.

I lovelovelove watching tango fantasia on a stage — the highly stylized showcase demonstrating the physical, musical, artistic capacities of this dance. And I love the way a particular person dances milonguero on a crowded dancefloor. And the way that couple dances open-embrace nuevo at that alternative milonga. And putting lots of ground pepper over my pesto linguine.

Of course, there are practical solutions for particular situations. Huge figures are rude on a crowded dancefloor. Some people are over 70 years-old, and they stick to small tiny steps and a close embrace... Others do crazy steps because they can, and because they can do them well (or not so very well, a-hem). Some people love the chest-to-chest connection, but also want to do interesting figures, so they open up a little within the embrace…

There is no Real Tango. There is just good dancing, and bad dancing. We enter into a space, a space with a floor and music, and we dance. And that is it.




Attributed to Larry de Los Angeles:
Leading with arms or hands
There is absolutely nothing wrong with using one's arms or hands to help lead a figure. What often is wrong is HOW some people use those - as a primary lead rather than a secondary “helping” one.

There is a hierarchy of leads. Most important is the upper torso, for overall direction in which the couple is to move, and to begin turns.

Arms supplement this. For instance, if the man adds a few double - or triple - steps to the basic slow-slow rhythm. He would tighten his embrace noticeably to indicate she should duplicate his rhythm change. Or loosen his embrace (or even back off from a close connection) so that she will know to continue the basic rhythm.

Hands should be used sparingly, but only novices claim they should never ever be used whatsoever. An example where they are needed is in leading a parada. A usual parada opens the embrace. The man's right hand or lower arm presses against her back to stop her. His left hand pushes lightly against her right hand in opposition to the lead on her back. The two lock her into the stop.

A foot lead is sometimes used with the parada. It is unneeded if the parada is properly lead. Teaching it may do more harm than good if it takes attention away from leading it properly.

Foot leads are the main leads for some movements. Sacadas are an example. Though I find it better to use my mid-ankle or mid-thigh (but never one's ankle or knee - they are too hard). I can lead closer to my partner's body and don't need to look down to be sure my foot is placed properly.




Attributed to Kara Ohlinger:
The Broken Embrace
I just read this post by Mari at My Tango Diaries and it really struck a chord with me. She describes dancing with a new partner, enjoying the song and the connection, until suddenly, he breaks the embrace for an under-arm turn, or soltada. After that, she couldn’t get her connection back.

Every so often, someone leads me in something like this, too. And it always feels awkward. Always. No matter how good the leader is otherwise. Because all of a sudden, our connection, the place I’m getting all my lead information, is just *poof* gone. And I’m supposed to do some little turn or something and then just magically find that connection again? It doesn’t work. I always manage to do, more or less, something like what the guy wanted. Maybe the guys don’t even notice how awkward it is. But I don’t like it.

The connection is a fragile thing. It is not automatic, no matter how well-matched the dancers are. This is why we take the first few bars of the song to find it, before we start moving. (You always do that, right?) So it is just asking for trouble to break it in the middle of the song, and then just expect to move on.

My most important job as a follower is to relax and be led. But breaking the embrace takes me out of my followers “zone”. Suddenly, I’m not following, I have to think and do some movement by myself. If I wanted to dance by myself, I would take up ballet or jazz. Finding that zone again afterward is awkward. Suddenly I’m thinking about my movements, instead of just doing them.

Why do leaders do these movements? Is it just another “flashy” move? Do they think followers like them? (DO followers like them? Undoubtedly, some do.) I’m sure I’ve mentioned before, when leaders have tried this with me, that I feel lost when they do. I may not have explicitly said 'I don’t like that' but what leader wants to make his follower feel lost?

I don’t know why guys do it. It strikes me as a “nuevo” or “fusion” type move (neither of which are things I like). Luckily, I don’t encounter it much, so I just do it and move on as best I can.




Attributed to The Making of a Tango God:
A plea from a guy dancing tango in the Bay
If you want to learn to dance tango but you don’t want to dance chest to chest, please, pick something other than Argentine Tango. Since the beginning of tango, when it was a man dancing with man dance, even during the golden age of tango when it was danced on big floors and was salon style, Argentine tango has been a closed embrace dance, if you have a problem with it, dance American style tango. If you want to feel this dance in your soul, if you want to understand what it means to share a moment, then you have to stop leaning backwards.

This one idea will control all of the other things that you have to learn to dance tango. How can you have musicality if you can’t step with the music? How can you dance together and share the lead and follow if you can’t follow each other’s intention? How can you share a connection so subtle and so passionate if you can’t touch your partner? I don’t believe you can.

I am going to offer a few suggestions, feel free to take them with a grain of salt.
1. Want to dance tango, lean forward, snuggle into the chest of your partner, you might find this uncomfortable the first couple of times you try it, but you will grow to love it fast, I promise.
2. This is a big one as well. DO NOT HANG ON YOUR PARTNER, HE IS NOT A COAT RACK. I was once asked 'what is the acceptable amount of weight to put on your partner', I answered, ‘none’.
3. This one comes from a friend of mine that danced in BA for the first time not long ago. She was told by her partner to stop dancing alone, he said 'Close your eyes and dance with me'. I will reiterate one more time. When you dance, close your eyes and dance with your partner, talk to his body with yours, and listen to each other’s bodies as you dance, this is tango, even more so, this is the passion of the tango.

Creating a Tango-Brand: The Role of Language in the Marginalization of Argentine Tango

From the very anonymous blog "Tango Voice".

Here is the "About":

This blog has initiated to counter the prevailing tendency to misrepresent tango argentino in North America. It provides a clearer perspective on tango argentino, and the differences between tango practiced in Buenos Aires and the predominant representation of ‘Argentine tango’ in North America. Strategies for promoting a culturally accurate practice of tango argentino are addressed.

This blog is not a diary of personal tango experiences. This blog is about how tango argentino is practiced and promoted in North America compared to Argentina, in order to overcome the cultural divide.

Creating a Tango-Brand: The Role of Language in the Marginalization of Argentine Tango

Note: There are hundreds of embedded hot links in the original source document. I recommend reading the essay there. Click the link below to open a new window.

Original Post: https://tangovoice.wordpress.com/2015/09/30/creating-a-tango-brand-the-role-of-language-in-the-marginalization-of-argentine-tango/


In Buenos Aires, porteños who dance tango in the milongas know the characteristics of tango dancing that are appropriate for the milongas (Tango de Salon) and the music appropriate for dancing tango (classic tango music).

In foreign cultures the characteristics of tango dancing and the music to which it is danced are adapted to local cultural proclivities. These modified varieties of tango are marketed under the 'tango' label and thus define tango for the community'. This appropriation of the 'tango' name hinders the diffusion of the Tango de Salon of Buenos Aires in foreign cultures.

In the early 20th century the first adaptation of tango to First World cultural tastes was Ballroom Tango, labeled as 'tango' within instructional curricula. However, its embeddedness within the ballroom dance subculture has marginalized its influence upon perceptions of the character of Argentine Tango.

During the 1980s and 1990s, tango stage productions traveling in Europe and North America created additional demand for learning to dance tango; the response to this was instruction in a simplified version of Stage Tango or in a version of Tango de Salon lacking an embrace. These versions of tango were marketed as 'Argentine Tango' (to differentiate them from Ballroom Tango), as 'Salon Tango' or simply as 'tango'.

In the mid-1990s Susana Miller introduced First World dancers to 'Milonguero Style Tango', which incorporated the embrace, thereby in this and other ways resembling the Tango Estilo del Centro danced in downtown milongas of Buenos Aires. Adherents to this style of tango saw it as authentic in comparison to what was being marketed as 'Salon Tango'. This created two Tango-Brands ('open embrace' or 'salon style' tango versus 'close embrace' or 'milonguero style' tango) that competed with each other in the tango marketplace, often accompanied by hostile interaction centering on the authenticity of each Tango-Brand.

In the first decade of the 21st century, promoters of tango adopted and marketed the new developments of the Tango Investigation Group (Gustavo Naveira and Fabian Salas) and others as 'Tango Nuevo', a genre of tango incorporating off axis movements, new orientations for movements associated with Stage Tango, and exploration of the elasticity of the partner hold from an enclosed embrace to an opened embrace to partial and complete partner separation. Thus, 'Tango Nuevo' became another marketable Tango-Brand.

In the mid-2000s, Tango Estilo Villa Urquiza, an interpretation of the style of tango danced predominantly in the outer barrios of Buenos Aires (i.e., Tango Estilo del Barrio) was marketed as another Tango-Brand in First World countries. To a significant degree it resembled the tango danced in the Salon Tango division of the annual Campeonato Mundial de Tango in Buenos Aires which, in part, facilitated its propagation.

In the latter half of 2000s, the One Tango Philosophy developed as a marketing strategy that attempted to resolve conflicts between different genres and styles of tango by subsuming all variations under the phrase 'There is only one tango'. In the application of this philosophy tango promoters were able to increase market share by simultaneously promoting several Tango-Brands while generally avoiding the reality that different genres of tango are adapted to different environmental niches (stage, practica, and milonga). In doing so, promoters of the One Tango Philosophy have been able to appropriate the 'tango' label for all Argentine tango dance variations, thereby competitively excluding and thus marginalizing promoters of Tango de Salon as the only tango suitable for the milonga.

Given the appropriation of the 'tango' label and near monopolization of the tango marketplace by promoters of the One Tango Philosophy, promoters of Tango de Salon are necessarily diverted from advertising the tango dance they offer as simply 'tango'. Two alternative strategies that may be effective in promoting Tango de Salon are to label this tango as 'Argentine Tango' or as 'traditional tango'. 'Argentine Tango' indicates that the tango danced in this environment is of Argentine origin and this labeling can promote discussion of this origin. This may be most productive for advertising to newcomers to tango. 'Traditional tango' advertises to dancers with exposure to some variety of tango that the tango danced in this environment follows the traditions of Buenos Aires milongas.

In Buenos Aires, the birthplace of tango, tango is defined by its cultural heritage. Although it may be difficult to define 'tango' precisely [Definition of Tango: Where are the Boundaries in Contemporary Tango (Stage Tango / Tango Nuevo / Contact Improvisation Tango)?], porteños who dance at milongas know what constitutes Tango de Salon and when dancing crosses the boundaries of socially acceptable tango dancing (Codes and Customs of the Milongas of Buenos Aires: The Basics). Adherence to a larger set of codes associated with tango social dancing, including the music to which it is appropriate to dance tango, defines an event as a 'milonga' [Do Milongas Exist outside Argentina? (The Milonga Codes Revisited)]. These traits are part of the Argentine tango dance culture that is maintained by its practitioners. New dancers learn the characteristics of tango through a socialization process.

When there is transference of practices from the culture of origin to a foreign culture, the social milieu in which the practices evolved often is lost to a significant degree, and there is pressure for adaptation to the foreign culture. Some characteristics of the original culture are maintained, some are modified, and some are lost completely. This phenomenon has been evident in the transference of Argentine tango culture to First World societies (Trans-Cultural Diffusion and Adaptation of Tango Argentino in the 20th Century). Nevertheless, tango dancers from First World cultures who visit Buenos Aires and experience tango in the environment of its origin often have the desire to recreate as much as is possible within the First World cultural environment a niche within which practices associated with Argentine tango culture can thrive. This endeavor is complicated to a significant degree by the understanding and use (and abuse) of the terms 'tango' and 'milonga' within the resident cultural environment, which often hinder significantly the ability to communicate clearly the characteristics of Argentine tango culture and promote its dissemination. This is because promoters of a First World adaption of tango dance and music have appropriated the 'tango' name, redefined it, and marketed their adapted system under a created Tango-Brand. In this way this readapted system becomes known and recognized by the resident culture as 'tango' and attempts to promote tango based on Argentine culture must compete against the foreign transformation that has become the established and popular Tango-Brand.

This post examines the establishment of a First World Tango-Brand and the process by which this commodity competitively excludes Argentine tango culture in the social dance marketplace. The role of the selective use of language in achieving this outcome is emphasized. The discussion here is limited primarily to the use of English language terminology for tango, although the appropriation of tango terminology is essentially worldwide in part because English is the most common language of tango instruction outside Spanish speaking cultures and in part because most foreign language derivatives of Spanish tango terms are based closely on the original Spanish terminology. Strategies for counteracting the appropriation of tango terms by tango entrepreneurs are discussed.

The Use and Abuse of Tango Terminology has been discussed in more general terms in a previous post.





The Creation of a First World Tango-Brand after the First Wave of Transcultural Diffusion

In the early 20th century the initial exposure of First World cultures to tango was primarily to a form of exhibition tango that was described by audiences as 'sensual', 'provocative' and 'indecent' (Trans-Cultural Diffusion and Adaptation of Tango Argentino in the 20th Century). A First World interpretation of early 20th century tango is displayed in the performance by Rudolph Valentino in the motion picture 'Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse'. Public interest in tango led to modification of the dance for instructional purposes, which eliminated most of the sensuality from the dance. Vernon and Irene Castle were instrumental in creating and marketing an Americanized version of the dance for social dancers. Versions of the tango dance stripped of overt sensuality were also introduced and became popular in Europe. A French version is shown in this video. Arthur Murray, a student of the Castles, developed a chain of ballroom dance studios that standardized the American Ballroom Tango that epitomized the Tango-Brand in North America. An example of the marketing of the American Ballroom Tango-Brand, complete with incorrect references to Argentine Tango, is shown here. In Europe the British ballroom dance establishment has been primarily responsible for the standardization of what has become known as International (Ballroom) Tango.

The 'tango' dance that has developed in the ballroom dance studios of North America and Europe bears little resemblance to the tango danced in the milongas of Buenos Aires [Ballroom Tango (American and International)]. The following videos demonstrate that: Tango de Salon, American Ballroom Tango, International Ballroom Tango. The Ballroom Tango is typically danced with a rigid frame, partners leaning away from each other, and rapid staccato movements. [See Ballroom Tango (American and International) for additional details.] In contrast, in Tango de Salon the frame is relaxed, partners are upright or lean towards each other, and movements are smooth. [See Tango de Salon: The Tango of the Milonga (Part II of 'Tango Styles, Genres and Individual Expression) for additional details.] Ballroom Tango also derived its own music for tango dancing based on First World popular music, adding drums to coincide with rhythmic changes and, for the most part, abandoning the bandoneon. (Listen to popular ballroom tangos such as Herando's Hideaway and Blue Tango.)

By naming the dances 'American Tango' and 'International Tango' there has been no apparent intent to communicate that these derivative dances are what is danced in milongas in Buenos Aires. The modifications from the Argentine source are obscured and apparently have been of little interest to the ballroom dance community throughout most of the 20th century. The nesting of Ballroom Tango within a social dance environment including other ballroom dances (e.g., waltz, foxtrot, cha-cha, rhumba) and the absence of instruction in and practice of milonga customs (Codes and Customs of the Milongas of Buenos Aires: The Basics) indicate that with the inclusion of a dance called 'tango' in the ballroom dance studio there has been no attempt to recreate a milonga environment; the 'milonga' terminology was not used in the ballroom dance community throughout most of the 20th century. Thus, there apparently has been no conscious intent to deceive participants regarding the Argentine tango dance and musical traditions in this environment. Nevertheless, in the appropriation of the 'tango' label, naïve participants may have incorrectly assumed that the ballroom dance was at least similar to the tango danced in Argentina, although one may assume that a simple inquiry to a ballroom dance instructor would correct this misconception. However, this situation changed with the reintroduction of ballroom dancers to tango of Argentine origin beginning in the mid-1980s, as is discussed below.





The Second First World Exposure to Argentine Tango in the 1980s and 90s: Initial Propagation and Nomenclature

The international touring of the tango stage production 'Tango Argentino' in Europe and North America in the 1980s and 90s, as well as other stage shows such a 'Forever Tango', created exposure to a modern form of Tango Escenario (video), a genre of tango of direct Argentine origin that was different from the American and International Ballroom Tango to which First World communities had been exposed for decades. This genre of tango was often referred to as 'Argentine Tango', correctly recognizing the cultural heritage of the dance. However, it was incorrectly assumed by many First World viewers that the tango danced on the stage in these shows closely resembled the tango danced in the dance salons of Argentina. Demand for instruction in the exhibited dance from First World audiences led in many cases to the creation of a modified accessible form of Stage Tango (video) including many elements that were not characteristic of the Tango de Salon of Buenos Aires (e.g., 8 count basic, lustradas, high boleos, ganchos and sentadas). Typically absent from tango instruction was the embrace that is omnipresent in Buenos Aires milongas (Variations in the Tango Embrace – 'Open Embrace' and 'Close Embrace' Styles of Tango: The Evidence from Buenos Aires Milongas) and the development of improvisational skills. Many tango instructional videos of this period (e.g., Osvaldo Zotto & Mora Godoy) taught tango as a series of set sequences, neglecting the improvisational nature of the dance.

During the first 10 years or so (mid-1980s – mid-1990s) of re-exposure of First World cultures to a tango genre of Argentine origin, labeling of the dance was not entirely consistent. The Stanford Tango Weeks in the 1990s, which invited some Argentine instructors to teach, were instrumental in the early propagation of tango; the modifier 'Argentine' was not specifically attached to the 'tango' taught there. Daniel Trenner, who was influential in the spread of tango in the US and elsewhere during the 1990s, did not specifically label tango as 'Argentine' in his 'Tango Catalogue', although it was clear that the tango promoted in music and instructional videotapes had an Argentine origin. In contrast, Janis Kenyon promoted tango in Chicago through the Chicago Argentine Tango Club and the International Argentine Tango Congress [1995], thereby specifically labeling the 'tango' as 'Argentine'.

As they were in the first generation First World derivative of tango, ballroom dance studios were instrumental in the propagation of the second generation derivative of tango of Argentine origin in that they had dance floors available for hosting tango-related events (workshops and milongas). Often these tango events were hosted by organizers who were largely independent of the ballroom dance community, although some ballroom dance instructors (e.g., Paul Pellicoro in New York; see also 'Paul Pellicoro on Tango') were active in promoting a tango dance derived from Argentine sources.

The ballroom dance community has been more consistent in its labeling of different genres of tango since the re-exposure to tango of Argentine origin in the 1980s. Ballroom Tango, the first generation modification of tango of Argentine origin, has been labeled as American Tango or International Tango, depending upon the variation taught, or it has been referred to simply as 'tango', especially when listed as one of several dances taught at a ballroom dance studio (e.g., waltz, foxtrot, and tango). The second generation derivative of tango of Argentine origin modified for ballroom dancers to be suitable for First World cultural proclivities has been labeled as 'Argentine Tango'. This latter tango derivative typically has been taught in ballroom dance studios as a series of named set sequences, possibly with a distributed step list, as is standard in the teaching of ballroom dances in general. Almost always absent from instruction in 'Argentine Tango' in ballroom dance studios is teaching tango in an embrace and teaching of improvisational skills. There may be exceptions to this generalization if the instructors of Argentine Tango in ballroom dance studios have visited Buenos Aires and have been had tango instruction with Argentine social dancers of tango (in particular, milongueros) (e.g., Lois Donnay in Minneapolis).

In contrast to the ballroom dance studios (and some Argentine stage tango dancers) promoting 'Argentine Tango' as a set of fixed figures, American dance instructors Daniel Trenner and Rebecca Shulman (often teaching partners) promoted 'tango' (identified as of Argentine origin) in their workshops and instructional videos as an improvised dance; nevertheless, the embrace characteristic of Tango de Salon was largely ignored in the earlier videos (exception). Popular instructional videos in Trenner's Tango Catalogue, e.g., by the (Mingo) Pugliese family (no longer available) and by "Tete" (Pedro Rusconi) also showed improvisation in tango; the Pugliese videos circumvented discussion of the embrace whereas the Tete videos focused on it. These instructional videos were influential in the 1990s because tango workshops (and even more so resident tango instructors) were few and far between.

Within the range of variation of the tango that was taught in North America during the 1990s, some instructors (e.g., stage performers such as Juan Carlos Copes and Osvaldo Zotto taught more elements of stage tango, and some instructors (e.g., Trenner and Shulman) taught a tango that was similar to the variant of Tango de Salon common in the outer barrios of Buenos Aires (Tango Estilo del Barrio), but without an embrace and including some antisocial elements such as ganchos and high boleos, as well as ronda inhibiting movements such as extensive foot play (e.g., lustradas) accompanying paradas. The term 'salon tango' was sometimes also used by tango instructors and organizers to categorize the variants that were less like Tango Escenario, giving the (erroneous) impression that this represented the Tango de Salon danced in Buenos Aires milongas. Some North American tango instructors [e,g,, Daniel Trenner] emphasized the distinction between 'stage tango' and 'salon tango'.

Thus, in the first 10-15 years after the reintroduction of North America to tango of Argentine origin, both 'Argentine Tango' and 'tango' were used as labels for identifying and promoting the dance, and the Tango-Brand most commonly marketed to consumers was a mix of Stage Tango elements and Tango de Salon elements danced without an embrace (Salon Style Tango, Milonguero Style Tango, and Tango de Salon in Buenos Aires and in North America).






The arrival of Milonguero Style Tango and the Creation of the 'Close Embrace' and 'Open Embrace' Dichotomy

In the mid-1990s Susana Miller from Buenos Aires began touring in North America to teach a stylistic variation of tango she christened as 'milonguero style tango' (translation of the Spanish 'tango estilo milonguero'). This variation of Tango de Salon resembles the way tango was danced by many dancers in the downtown milongas of Buenos Aires during the 1950s (Tango Estilo del Centro); it is also within the range of variation of the most common tango stylistic variant danced in the milongas of Buenos Aires today. She used this particular terminology to differentiate it from the predominant style of tango danced in North American milongas at the time, which had been labeled 'salon tango' (aka 'salon style tango'). 'Milonguero style tango' was different from the 'salon style tango' danced at North American milongas in that the embrace was maintained (in a forward leaning posture) throughout the dance, movements were compact, and elements adapted from Stage Tango, such as ganchos and high boleos were absent from the dance (video). (Additional details on stylistic differences are reported in Salon Style Tango, Milonguero Style Tango, and Tango de Salon in Buenos Aires and in North America) Promoters of 'milonguero style tango' often emphasized that their stylistic variation of tango was an accurate representation of tango danced in Buenos Aires milongas whereas the North American 'salon style tango' was not. Although true as stated here, this does not take into account the 'Tango Estilo del Barrio' commonly danced in the outer barrios of Buenos Aires in the 1950s and still danced there and elsewhere in Buenos Aires today, which has a longer stride, a more upright posture, and an embrace that opens for giros and ochos (video). In the perception of North Americans, the maintained embrace of 'milonguero style tango' was the defining feature differentiating it from 'salon style tango', in which no embrace was incorporated into the dance, which often led to the dichotomization of North American tango into two labeled classes (i.e., two marketed Tango-Brands), the (redundant) 'close embrace tango' or 'milonguero style tango' and the (oxymoronic) 'open embrace tango' or 'salon style tango'. [Note: Not all proponents of the 'close embrace tango' identified themselves as teaching 'milonguero style tango', primarily because of the absence of the forward leaning posture.] Due to the assertive claims of 'milonguero style tango' being authentic and 'salon style tango' being inauthentic, and the defensiveness of dancers of the 'salon style tango', there was often conflict between advocates of each stylistic variation and sometimes fracturing of tango communities along stylistic lines; i.e., there were two competing Tango-Brands.





The Tango Investigation Group and the Creation of the Tango-Nuevo-Brand

By the early 1990s Gustavo Naveira and Fabian Salas had begun exploring new possibilities in movement derived from the basic elements of the tango dance. They called themselves the Tango Investigation Group. Mariano "Chicho" Frumboli, and Norberto "El Pulpo" Esbres were also instrumental in developing new tango movements. Many of the distinctive new movement possibilities these investigators developed were introduced by them and other tango instructors into tango social dancing, e.g., off axis movements such as volcadas and colgadas, new orientations of stage tango elements (e.g., linear boleos, enganches, piernazos) (Is Tango Nuevo a Form of Stage Tango?), and partial and complete separation of partners during the dance (soltadas). The primary investigators of these new variations in tango did not differentiate their dance as a distinct style or genre of tango, but rather considered themselves only to be building upon traditional roots and participating in the natural evolution of tango (Tango Nuevo: Definition of the Dance; see also Merritt, C., 2012 – Tango Nuevo, University of Florida, Gainesville FL). Despite the objections of its founders, the system of analysis of tango movements developed by the Tango Investigation Group and their colleagues and disciples became known as 'Tango Nuevo', a terminology that has proven to be useful for tango entrepreneurs in their promotion of what was soon to become a new and popular Tango-Brand worldwide (Helsinki, Finland; Berkhamstead, England; Irvine CA, USA; Tauranga, New Zealand). New music (beyond the classic tango music played for dancing tango in the milongas) was introduced for dancing (e.g., the 'nuevo tango' of Astor Piazzolla and followers, electronica) and became incorporated into this 'Tango Nuevo' culture. Popular practicas nuevas in Buenos Aires, such as Practica X and El Motivo became the breeding ground for the propagation of this tango subculture (Milongas and Practicas: Cultural Tradition and Evolution in Buenos Aires Tango Social Dance Venues).

Although the Tango Investigation Unit evolved during the early 1990s, the terminology 'Tango Nuevo' was not used widely in North America to describe a distinctive genre of tango dancing until the early 2000s. Arguments regarding the 'open embrace' versus 'close embrace' dichotomy were still active at this time, and the 'flexible embrace' of Tango Nuevo (i.e., shifting between an embrace and an open hold and even partner separation) added another dimension to the differentiation of stylistic variations in tango, so that in North America in the 2000s three distinct 'styles' were recognized, i.e., three Tango-Brands: 'salon style tango', 'milonguero style tango' and 'tango nuevo' (Tango Argentino de Tejas; Wikipedia). Among dancers, elements of Tango Nuevo were often incorporated into 'salon style tango', although inventive entrepreneurs also added elements of Tango Nuevo to 'milonguero style tango' to promote 'nuevo milonguero' as the modern evolution of Tango Estilo Milonguero [Tango Estilo Milonguero Nuevo (Nuevo Milonguero)].






Villa Urquiza Style Tango adds to the Tango Tower of Babel

In the mid-2000s in North America, new life was breathed into what was typically labeled as 'salon style tango' by rebranding it as 'Villa Urquiza style tango', referred to in 1999 in the Buenos Aires daily newspaper Clarin; translated into English). (See Tango Estilo Villa Urquiza). In North America, tango instructor Ney Melo was instrumental in promoting the Villa Urquiza Tango-Brand; his efforts included posting a series of videos on YouTube. The 'Villa Urquiza style tango' brand was a more accurate representation of the Tango Estilo del Barrio that was danced in the outer barrios of Buenos Aires during the Golden Age than was the North American 'salon style' Tango-Brand in that it typically incorporated the embrace, although dancers at North American milongas tended to concentrate more on incorporating giro with sacada variations and additional embellishments into their dance from 'Villa Urquiza style tango' rather than adding an embrace to their 'salon style tango'.

This differentiation of 'tango styles' into discrete Tango-Brands provided fuel for the development of diverse tango instructional programs, through which tango promoters enticed dancers to learn all three categories of tango in order to become a complete tango dancer. (Unfortunately, examples of this are no longer available because this separation of tango into distinct styles was a marketing phase that is no longer popular, although the 8th Style Tango School in Seattle used to promote classes in each of three of the aforementioned tango styles – see The One Tango Philosophy: Truths and Consequences)

Nevertheless, underlying the promotion of three (or four) Tango-Brands were controversies about which tango style was better or appropriate. Close embrace tango (Milonguero style tango) was advertised as the 'authentic' tango danced in the milongas of Buenos Aires, 'Villa Urquiza style' tango was closest to the stylistic variations displayed by dancers in the annual Salon Tango competition in Buenos Aires (Tango Buenos Aires Festival y Mundial); 'open embrace tango' (North American 'salon style tango') had the advantage of being better adapted to the North American mindset of dancing learned sequences without an embrace, and Tango Nuevo was promoted as the modern (sometimes inevitable) 'evolution' of tango.

The differentiation of tango dancing into different styles led to the creation of tango festivals that promoted a particular Tango-Brand, e.g., the Miami Tango Fantasy (stage tango), (video), the Denver Tango Milonguero Festival (video) [see also The Rise and Fall of Tango Milonguero in North America in the 21st Century (Highlighting the Denver Tango Festival)], and the Montreal Tango Nuevo Festival (video).

Although labeling of 'styles' facilitated advertising, this trichotomy created divisiveness among proponents of different Tango-Brands; in particular, Tango Nuevo was frequently criticized by dancers of other Tango-Brands as creating hazards for collision on the dance floor (Is Tango Nuevo compatible with Tango de Salon at the same Milonga?). The divisiveness among Tango-Brand identifiers was counterproductive for tango business enterprises. Thus, the intelligent marketing solution for these divisions was the development of the One Tango Philosophy.






The One Tango Philosophy and the Consolidation of Tango-Brands (The One-Tango-Brand)

The One Tango Philosophy (There is only one Tango; The One Tango Philosophy: Truths and Consequences) has its roots in the philosophy of Tango Nuevo. The primary architects of Tango Nuevo (Gustavo Naveira, Fabian Salas, Chicho Frumboli) have argued repeatedly that Tango Nuevo is not a new style of tango, but rather is closely connected to the tango of the Golden Age and only explores new possibilities for movement within the existing framework of traditional tango, thereby contributing to the ongoing evolution of the dance (Tango Nuevo: Definition of the Dance; see also Merritt, C., 2012 – Tango Nuevo, University of Florida, Gainesville FL).

The perspective that all stylistic variations and expressions of tango are unified through a common ancestry and subsequent evolution is embodied in the One Tango Philosophy. The basic tenets of the One Tango Philosophy are the following:

There is only one Tango: The argument here is that all genres of tango (i.e., Tango de Salon, Tango Nuevo, Tango Escenario are related and making distinctions between them is artificial. Limiting the free expression of this variability is restrictive to creativity. This philosophy fails to recognize that Tango de Salon is tango adapted to the milonga environment, Tango Escenario is tango adapted for the stage, and Tango Nuevo is tango adapted for the practica nueva (Tango Styles, Genres and Individual Expression: Part I – A Rationale for Classification by Niche Adaptation).
Tango is Inclusive. The One Tango Philosophy recognizes diversity and is inclusive; thus, all genres of tango are acceptable for dancing in any setting – the stage, the practica, and the milonga dance floor. This perspective is also extended to tango music in that any music to which tango steps can be executed is considered acceptable in any of the tango environmental niches. This tolerance for inclusiveness does not necessarily extend to the recognition of the right of minority opinions and practices to be respected. The minority in tango communities that often is not respected is the subcommunity of tango dancers desiring to model the milonga environment after the milongas of Buenos Aires, i.e., dancing only Tango de Salon to classic tango music and abiding by Argentine tango milonga codes in general [Do Milongas Exist outside Argentina? (The Milonga Codes Revisited)].

Tango Evolution: The argument here is that tango has always evolved and continues to evolve to this day. Tango variants such as Tango Nuevo are evidence of the inevitable evolution of tango. The assumption here is that whatever form of tango dancing evolves is acceptable and should be tolerated. However, this free expression of tango often hinders the free flow of the circulating ronda and the exploration of movement possibilities often impinges upon the personal space of other dancers on the floor. The logical fallacy in the tango evolution argument is failing to recognize that not all variations that evolve are adaptive and that environmental (including social) pressures select against maladaptive evolutionary tango experiments. What is practiced today may be absent tomorrow. From another perspective it should be noted that what may function in the tango classroom or practica may be dysfunctional on the milonga dance floor.

Tango belongs to the world. The argument here is that although tango has its historical roots in Argentina, the propagation of tango to the rest of the world permits non-Argentine cultural influences to modify tango (see Organic Tango). Notably, this allows the infusion of traits from other cultures to create a tango hybrid that is more palatable for marketing in other nations. This hybridization of tango is most readily apparent in the creation of a new genre of music classified as Tango Electronica or, more broadly, Neotango, in which the bandoneon and utterances in Spanish of phrases referencing 'Buenos Aires' and 'tango' culture are added to First World electronic music lacking a tango rhythm (e.g., Gotan Project). Alternatively, First World cultural practices may be infused with elements of Argentine tango culture, e.g., by holding a 'milonga' in which dancers are invited to wear fantasy costumes (video).

In following these principles of the One Tango Philosophy, tango entrepreneurs can appeal to the healing of divisiveness among Tango-Brands that exists within tango communities by encompassing all this variation within the One-Tango-Brand. This celebration of tango diversity allows a tango teaching academy to offer literally several dozen courses to attract tango dance students, offering them a taste of the extensive variability of the tango dance. Both 'traditional' and 'alternative' milongas can be offered to appeal to dancers who respect or do not feel the need to respect Argentine tango music traditions. First World holiday theme tango social dancing events can be held to allow tango dancers to have the comfortable environment of their own culture while making a superficial effort to engage in the practices of a foreign culture. This catering to the tango consumer is designed to build a large consumer base, thus possibly monopolizing the tango market and thereby especially competitively excluding tango enterprises designed to replicate Argentine tango cultural traditions.

Notably, this One-Tango-Brand does not advertise itself as 'One Tango', but only as 'tango', thereby effectively appropriating the 'tango' label and instilling in the mind of tango consumers the misleading impression that, for all that is offered, 'This is tango'.






The Role of the One Tango Philosophy in the Marginalization of Tango Based on Argentine Cultural Traditions

In Buenos Aires, the tango danced at milongas is Tango de Salon, as exemplified by Tango Estilo del Centro (aka Tango Milonguero) (video) and Tango Estilo del Barrio (aka Tango Estilo Villa Urquiza) (video), with variations within and between these common dance expressions. These variations in tango dancing have shared characteristics – embrace of partner, maintaining a circulating ronda on the dance floor, respect of the space of other couples on the dance floor, and avoidance of attention-capturing conspicuous movements characteristic of Stage Tango. In addition, in Buenos Aires there are characteristic customs associated with the milonga environment such as playing only classic tango music of the Golden Age for dancing (Music Played at Milongas / Tango Social Dance Venues), the structuring of music into tandas with cortinas, clearing the floor during the cortina, gender segregated seating, and use of the cabeceo for dance invitation (Use of the Cabeceo and Gender Segregated Seating in Milongas in Buenos Aires and Elsewhere in the World). [For a more extensive review of milonga customs, see Codes and Customs of the Milongas of Buenos Aires: The Basics and Do Milongas Exist outside Argentina? (The Milonga Codes Revisited).]

First World tango dancers who have experienced the environment of Buenos Aires milongas, or who have been educated regarding the customs thereof, often wish to recreate as much as is possible the Buenos Aires milonga environment at a First World milonga, i.e., be able to achieve a peaceful connection with partner in the embrace while dancing to classic tango music. Ignorance or disregard of milonga customs is common among First World tango dancers who have been given instruction in Tango Nuevo and Tango Escenario; the practice of these genres of tango dancing on the milonga dance floor, with their inherent tendencies for conspicuous space consuming movements and lack of connection to the progressive ronda, creates conditions that disrupt the atmosphere sought by aficionados of tango as danced in Buenos Aires milongas. Freedom from these disruptions can be achieved by segregation from the larger First World tango community, as is done in Buenos Aires where, in choosing milongas and practicas to attend, dancers segregate themselves by age, style of dancing and sexual orientation (Milongas and Practicas: Cultural Tradition and Evolution in Buenos Aires Tango Social Dance Venues); however, First World political, cultural, and economic conditions make initiating and maintaining this segregation difficult [Factors Affecting the Survival of Argentine Tango Cultural Traditions in Non-supportive First World Cultural Environments (The Dominance of Tango Extranjero)].

In the competition of the tango marketplace, application of the One Tango Philosophy, unless guided by inept leaders, will attract more dancers than a tango enterprise guided by dancers seeking to replicate Buenos Aires tango traditions. The One Tango Philosophy does not verbally reject Argentine tango traditions, but rather gives lip service to them in its espoused inclusiveness, offering Tango Milonguero (perhaps modified by include elements of Tango Nuevo) as an instructional option, often with the caveat that this is how one would dance by necessity when floor conditions are crowded, while simultaneously reinforcing the notion that Tango Nuevo and perhaps even Tango Escenario are acceptable models for dancing at a milonga when floor density is low, as long as one respects the space of other dancers on the floor. (Notably, this respect is rarely achieved in practice.) Thus, the One-Tango program becomes a one stop shopping site for tango consumers. What is missed in this eclectic but erroneous representation of Argentine tango is that not only is Tango Milonguero the primary style of dancing at Buenos Aires milongas even when floor density is low (video) in part because partner connection in the embrace is a defining feature of tango (The Essence of Tango Argentino), but also that the milonga is not appropriately a showcase for display of conspicuous step repertoires (Codes and Customs of the Milongas of Buenos Aires: The Basics). Also, even though such seemingly quaint milonga customs (by First World standards) such as the cabeceo may be mentioned in passing, the failure to impress the value of this and other milonga traditions on tango students creates an environment in which the cabeceo is poorly understood (if at all) and, thus, direct approach for dance invitation to an unwilling partner becomes a commonly experienced milonga practice. A catholic attitude towards music for dancing at a milonga also functions to disrupt the connection with music that tradition-based tango dancers seek in their dancing. The ingenious approach of the One Tango Philosophy is that it is designed to avoid the contentiousness of the 'open embrace' versus 'close embrace' and 'classic tango' versus 'neotango' conflicts by democratically allowing tango diversity at a milonga. However, in an attempt to accommodate all, this eliminates the possibility of creating a Buenos Aires milonga environment for those seeking it. The larger participation in an all-inclusive One-Tango program within a tango community usually inhibits the growth of any tradition-based tango subcommunity, because the larger number of tradition-ignorant dancers often results in the influx of One-Tango students into an advertised 'traditional milonga', thereby disrupting the coherence in the practice of milonga customs sought by tradition-based dancers. Thus, attempts at creating a tango environment supportive of Argentine tango cultural traditions may (and probably will) fail to materialize, unless corrective action is taken.

However, the greatest assault of the One Tango Philosophy upon Argentine tango cultural traditions is through the appropriation of the 'tango' label. There may have been an economic advantage in years past in advertising instruction in Tango Nuevo or Villa Urquiza Style Tango, but in the middle of the second decade of the 21st century these labels are used much less often in advertising in North American tango communities. There has been a collective (most likely economically-based) decision to advertise all genres of tango dancing simply as 'tango'. Even the philosophy stated 5 or so years ago that 'There is only one tango' is no longer stated explicitly (see There is only one Tango; The One Tango Philosophy: Truths and Consequences), except perhaps to leave a vestige of this bold statement in Spanish ('Hay solo un tango') in small print on the home page of a promoter's website. [The Organic Tango School also has toned down its rhetoric regarding the 'the lines between stage & social dancing, past & present, and the Argentine vs. non-Argentine way … have been abused' (see Organic Tango).] The absence of a need to explicitly state the One Tango Philosophy indicates the battle for tango supremacy has been won and that the heterogeneity and 'evolution' of tango styles and genres that ignores adaptation to the milonga and neglects Argentine tango cultural traditions has become, with rare exceptions, the de facto 'tango' of the First World. [Perhaps it appropriately should be identified as a new genre of tango called Tango Extranjero, but most likely this nomenclature would be regarded as confrontational rather than insightful by the tango community at large.] In this passive aggressive strategy of subsuming all genres of tango under the 'tango' label without differentiating them by niche adaptation (Tango Styles, Genres and Individual Expression: Part I – A Rationale for Classification by Niche Adaptation), promoters of Argentine tango cultural traditions who assert that only their view of tango is culturally valid, thereby correctly implicating the One Tango Philosophy as misrepresenting (at the very least) the tango of Argentine origin, may be branded as politically incorrect and divisive forces within tango communities, which will hinder their efforts at promoting their tradition-based version of tango.






Linguistic Strategies for Promotion of Argentine Tango Cultural Traditions in Face of the Takeover of the Tango Name by those Misrepresenting Tango

The appropriation of the 'tango' label in the creation of the One-Tango-Brand creates significant communication problems for promoters of Argentine tango cultural traditions in First World environments. If those believing that tango has evolved for the modern world had chosen appropriately to rebrand their product as something new, perhaps calling it 'Nuevo', leaving the label 'Tango' for those honoring tango traditions, then each brand could have its own niche, with Tango dancers attending 'milongas' where Argentine tango cultural traditions are practiced and Nuevo dancers attending 'neolongas' where an evolved dance adapted to 21st century First World cultural proclivities is practiced.

However, the origins of tango misrepresentation preceded the creation of the One Tango Philosophy. Certainly the introduction of First World audiences to tango shows in the 1980s and 90s provided a skewed perspective on tango of Argentine origin. For an even more general audience, popular Hollywood motion pictures in the 1990s such as 'Scent of a Woman' [1992], and 'True Lies' [1994], as well as more electronica infused tango dance scenes in movies in the 2000s such as 'Shall We Dance' [2004] and 'Take the Lead' [2006], none of which depict tango dancing appropriate for the milonga, have assisted in creating a popular faulty image of tango. In North America, the popular television show 'Dancing with the Stars' has presented an even more distorted image of Argentine tango to naïve audiences. Thus, without much conscious attempt to learn about the characteristics of the tango dance, potential North American consumers of tango have been primed to accept in instruction a version of tango that is very different from the Tango de Salon of Buenos Aires. For those with little or no prior exposure to tango who actively seek information regarding tango dancing, YouTube searches using the terms 'tango' or 'Argentine tango' produce numerous examples of tango exhibitions that do not represent Tango de Salon (YouTube as a Source of Tango Information). Likewise information presented on websites of tango instructors typically provide images of tango as a performance dance rather than as a social dance (The Representation and Misrepresentation of Tango in Website Images in North America). Given the characterization of tango dancing in entertainment venues and popular media, there is no reason for tango entrepreneurs of the One Tango Philosophy to create a new name for their dance offerings, and significant economic advantage in capitalizing on preexisting erroneous perceptions regarding tango dancing by appropriating the simple 'tango' label.

This puts promoters of Tango de Salon at a disadvantage in labeling their tango dance in attracting new dancers. If they call their dance simply 'tango', as would be justified, it becomes necessary to make the effort to explain that the 'tango' they are offering is the tango of the milongas of Buenos Aires. Another option would be to advertise the tango offered as 'Tango de Salon' or 'Tango Milonguero' but this kind of labeling is too esoteric for a tango naive audience and too limiting in scope for those previously exposed to the One-Tango Brand who wish to express the diversity that One-Tango offers on the milonga dance floor. Both of these strategies necessitate making a distinction of the Buenos Aires milonga 'tango' from the 'tango' most likely to be offered by promoters of the One-Tango-Brand, a dance laden with exhibition moves, likely to be danced to Neotango music, without incorporating the embrace. When exposed to a simple tango dance focusing on close connection with partner and classic tango music, devoid of exhibition moves and excessive ornamentation, the novice tango student is likely to be either confused, bored, or resistant with regard to this image, which conflicts with the dominant representation of 'tango' in First World cultures. If the promoter of this authentic social tango describes this tango as 'authentic', this creates the risk that this message will be carried to the purveyors of the One-Tango-Brand, who may respond that tango has evolved beyond this historical image and requires neither the embrace nor classic tango music nor the eschewment of exhibition moves (provided they respect the space of other dancers) to be enjoyed by contemporary dancers in a modern world. In some cases, claims of authenticity will be met with hostility by promoters of the One-Tango-Brand, who feel threatened by the exposure of their misrepresentation. Since the message and/or imagery of the One Tango Philosophy is repeated by numerous tango entrepreneurs, including many instructors of tango from Argentina, the simple Tango de Salon of Buenos Aires has only a minority representation in the First World tango world. One need only attend a typical First World milonga to recognize this. Thus, the image of Tango de Salon has become a weak signal in a tango environment replete with the relentless resounding stimuli of flashy moves, not requiring the uncomfortable invasion of personal space imposed by an embrace of one's partner, executed to familiar sounding First World (influenced) music.

Because the 'tango' label (i.e., Tango-Brand) has been coopted by followers of the One Tango Philosophy, in First World cultures there is confusion and miscommunication when a tango organizer respecting Argentine tango cultural traditions promotes (only) Tango de Salon as the social tango of the milongas. Nevertheless, there are several available options in using specifically crafted language to overcome this obstacle.

One option is to specifically advertise what is offered as 'Argentine Tango'. (This is the option in English, although equivalent language is available in other languages, e.g., 'Tango argentino' in Spanish speaking countries.) There may be hesitancy in taking this approach because tango is of Argentine origin and it is redundant to state that it is Argentine. Also, ballroom dance studios have labeled as 'Argentine tango' their version of a tango dance derived and modified from Argentine origins (usually some variation on North American 'open embrace salon style tango' taught within the framework of a step list), with the adjective 'Argentine' used to differentiate this dance from the 'tango' (no modifier) that is the Ballroom Tango that bears little resemblance to its Argentine ancestor with the same name. One might think that using the terminology 'Argentine Tango' would imply to the potential tango student that the tango dance offered is the ballroom dance studio adaptation of Argentine Tango. It was certainly true that in the 1990s in North America, when 'open embrace / salon style tango' was the de facto second generation derivative of the tango danced in Argentina, tango dancers often wished to distance themselves from the ballroom dance studio nomenclature and even interpretation of the dance. However, in the 2010s, the situation has changed significantly. 'Argentine Tango' may be offered as a course in many ballroom dance studios, but these enterprises are typically segregated from the tango community at large. Ballroom dance studios usually do not sponsor milongas even if they offer courses in 'Argentine Tango', and the number of dancers who are simultaneously involved in ballroom dancing and tango community sponsored milongas is limited. Thus, the stereotypic image of the ballroom dance version of 'Argentine Tango' is no longer so prominent in North America. Since the simple label 'tango' with no 'Argentine' modifier is used by One-Tango-Promoters, who believe that 'tango belongs to the world' and can be shaped by non-Argentine influences and still maintain its core qualities as a dance emanating from Argentine culture, reinserting the modifier to promote 'Argentine Tango' reasserts that the dance is of Argentine origin, and this labeling (i.e., recreating an "Argentine-Tango-Brand') can be a springboard for discussion of Argentine cultural traditions with respect to tango, as well as serving a filtering function in redirecting misguided students seeking (American or International) Ballroom Tango.

Another option is to brand Tango de Salon in First World cultures as 'traditional tango' (or equivalent in another language) and to advertise social dance events as 'traditional milongas', implying for the latter that at least some of the most prominent milonga traditions of Buenos Aires milongas are practiced (see The Role of the Milonga Organizer in Creating an Environment Promoting Argentine Tango Cultural Traditions). Although these terms have been abused either intentionally or unintentionally (the latter by those lacking sufficient knowledge of milonga customs), the inclusion of the modifier 'traditional' also opens the door for instructors to educate naïve tango students regarding Argentine tango cultural traditions, although it may run the risk of turning off some young people who tend to be more impressed with modern interpretations than with embracing tradition. Of course, one may still need to deal with One-Tango-Brand promoters who claim their instructors are thoroughly versed in Argentine tango tradition (and, of course, building on this tradition to evolve tango to be relevant in the modern world), but in reality One-Tango-Brand promoters usually breeze superficially past tango traditions in their enamorment with tango evolution and thus offer limited exposure to tango cultural traditions. Not simply calling Tango de Salon 'tango' can be seen as acquiescence to the One-Tango-Brand promoters who control the language of tango in the First World. Nevertheless, this is the reality of First World tango marketplace and promoters of Tango de Salon need to deal with it.

Considering these branding options, it may be best to adopt both strategies, advertising 'Argentine Tango' to those with no prior tango dance experience, and advertising 'traditional tango' within a community of tango-exposed dancers. In adopting this dual strategy, naïve tango interested people can be readily informed that the tango dance they select to learn is from Argentina. For experienced dancers who appreciate Argentine tango cultural traditions and make choices about tango instruction and milonga attendance based on advertising, use of the 'traditional' label provides them with more accurate information regarding the character of the dance and the music they will encounter.






Summary

In First World cultural environments, where exposure to tango is not normally part of the socialization process, visual and auditory images of the dance (and its music) are attached to the label 'tango' by advertising, mass media and the interpretation of the dance by arts and entertainment enterprises. These images are used by tango entrepreneurs to establish a marketed product or Tango-Brand.

In the 100 years since the introduction of tango to the First World, the public image of tango as a dance has changed. The marketing of tango to potential dancers has attached various accessory labels to tango in advertising which, in association with the visual and auditory images accompanying these labels, have created numerous Tango-Brands.

After the initial First World exposure to tango in the 1910s, ballroom dance instructors rapidly transformed the tango dance of Argentine origin, removing most of its sensual elements, into a ballroom dance acceptable to First World cultural tastes. In the absence of exposure to the tango of Argentine origin that could provide a point of reference, this transformed dance could be referred to simply as 'tango'. However, with the somewhat different influences of Vernon and Irene Castle and later Arthur Murray in North America and the British ballroom establishment in Europe, over the decades there eventually developed two different ballroom Tango-Brands – American Tango and International Tango, respectively.

During the second exposure to tango of Argentine origin in the late 1980s and early 1990s, a modified version of the Stage Tango of Argentina was introduced to First World dancers. This version of tango was referred to alternately as either simply 'tango' or 'Argentine Tango', with the latter terminology preferred by the ballroom dance establishment in order to differentiate it from the 'tango' adaptation already taught in ballroom dance studios. This modification of the tango of Argentine origin typically was taught as a dance with large conspicuous movements, memorized sequences and no embrace and, thus, had only a superficial resemblance to the Tango de Salon danced in the milongas of Buenos Aires. Nevertheless, there was some variation in this second generation modification of the tango of Argentine origin and those instructors who taught a dance with fewer stage elements and more improvisation (but still lacking the embrace) referred to their version of tango as 'salon tango'.

In the mid-1990s First World tango communities were exposed to the 'milonguero style tango' (tango estilo milonguero) of Susana Miller and her disciples. This version of tango included a maintained embrace and was devoid of large conspicuous movements and, thus, resembled the predominant variant of Tango de Salon danced in the milongas of Buenos Aires. The resulting contrast between 'milonguero style tango' (also called 'close embrace tango') and the pre-existing 'salon style tango' (also called 'open embrace tango') led to conflict between the competing Tango-Brands that was often divisive in tango communities.

In the early 2000s, Tango Nuevo, characterized by off-axis movements, reorientation of existing tango movements, and extensive variation in partner connection (including separation of partners during dancing) gained popularity in First World cultures and led to the creation of a new Tango-Brand. With its large expansive movements that were often unpredictable and thus hazardous to other couples on the milonga dance floor, the Tango-Nuevo-Brand was in stark contrast and therefore at odds with the Tango-Milonguero-Brand, and conflict within tango communities heightened to a significant degree, especially since Tango Nuevo represented tango dancing in Buenos Aires milongas even less than the pre-existing 'salon style tango'.

With the North American invention 'salon style tango' losing in popularity to the Tango-Nuevo-Brand in the late 2000s, it was rebranded (with minor modifications) as the more verbally enticing 'Villa Urquiza style tango'.

A solution to the tango community divisiveness created by market competition among Tango-Brands was incorporated into the One Tango Philosophy, which ostensibly drew upon the arguments of the founders of the Tango Nuevo movement (who rejected the 'nuevo' label and argued that 'there is only one tango') by marketing all Tango-Brands (eventually without using brand names) under a single umbrella and therefore coopting the 'tango' label. This inclusiveness was expanded to include non-Argentine cultural influences upon tango as integrated components of the marketed product. This sequestration of the 'tango' label was particularly harmful to promoters of Argentine tango culture (i.e., mainly those who promoted Tango Milonguero), who could no longer label their dance simply as 'tango' without drawing contrast with the artificial mixture of different tango genres and foreign influences under the single 'tango' banner.

The successful marketing and often monopolization of tango within tango communities accomplished by followers of the One Tango Philosophy necessitates the development of an alternative strategy for the advertisement of tango following Argentine cultural traditions. Two options for labeling the dance and music associated with it are 'Argentine tango' and 'traditional tango'. Although the terminology 'Argentine tango' has been used widely by the ballroom dance community to differentiate it from the 'tango' of ballroom derivation, the relative independence of the ballroom dance community from the tango community in most locales should minimize confusing the two uses of the nomenclature. Adding the adjective 'Argentine' to 'tango' reinforces the notion that the dance is of Argentine origin and opens the door for conversation regarding this connection. This terminology probably would be most effective in recruiting newcomers to tango. However, for those who already dance tango, this terminology may appear needlessly redundant or suggest an association to the ballroom version of 'Argentine Tango'. For this more tango-experienced group, use of the terminology 'traditional tango' and likewise 'traditional milonga' for the social dancing event communicates (hopefully unambiguously) that Argentine tango cultural traditions are respected in this environment. It is the connection to these traditions that need to be emphasized in order to differentiate these efforts from the misrepresentation of tango so commonly marketed throughout the First World.

Somewhere between firming up and melting :: Tango Quote

On the subject of the embrace, or tension in the embrace...here is the entire post...

"Tone without tension, melty but not flaccid, presence VS "resistance", awareness but not micromanagement, assertiveness without force, grounded while also buoyant..."

Catherine Young (on Terpsichoral Tango Addict's FB post)

Tango is suffering with someone else in your arms

Here's an unpublished draft from July 3, 2010...no not that suffering...not suffering like it's a really bad dance suffering...but suffering suffering...human condition type shit...at least that's how I'm choosing to interpret it...

02/28/18 note...I'm dancing a whole helluvalot more tango abierto with The Divine Miss Sugar G...and having a helluvalot'o fun...hell, I might even end up buying some white tango shoes...(grin)...

Please accept my apologies for the sensationalist headline. I was reading Susana Miller's essay "Tango Abierto y Tango Milonguero" and the last line plucked me like a guitar string.

If tango entrenches itself in one style we’ll end up alone, dancing a virtual tango, seated in front of our computer, and we’ll lose its essence: the risk of both enjoying and suffering with someone else in your arms.

So, I'll freely admit that I machete'd her words to draw in a few more readers. But she did say it - kindasorta. But that's not what really resonated with me in reading this. It was her balanced treatment of open v. close, and her lucid brevity in verbalizing the various growth phases of tango. Not so much distinct phases of development, but the continuous evolution of a person and the tango in their life and soul. And heart and mind.

I was telling my close friend Rigoberto the other day that "I think about tango every day, but I rarely dance anymore...". There is my true and heartfelt headline.

Susana's essay came along at just the right time for me. I needed to hear that there is no close without open, and no open without close. I can see the former very clearly, and I am hopeful the latter does hold to be true over time.

For me, I have absolutely no use for open embrace tango. It doesn't do anything for me. It doesn't float my boat. To the contrary, it sinks my boat. My teacher in Aspen taught us close embrace almost from the get-go. Aspen is, or was, a close embrace community, much like Denver. It's my default. It's the source of my longing for tango. Delving into the why's and science and psychology of it...another time.

I've been lamenting to myself that if I am able to dance a few times locally each year; once or twice a year at a festival, or every two years - that will be enough. Lamenting to myself or convincing myself. I've even pondered the possibility that my tango fix may take the form of a trip to Buenos Aires every four or five years.

I suppose I'm maturing in my tango - or focusing on higher priorities in life - or a combination of the two. I'm still trying to wrap my head around what's going on in my head. Wound up in the head around tango. I also recently posted a status update on Facebook that read something like this: "...uh, I dunno...something like "looking forward to the day when I can NOT think about tango".

Now I'm whining.

The point is that I needed to hear this - that open embrace is fundamental to close embrace. Close embrace might not exist without it. My dream/fallacy/lamentations of Austin moving to become a more "close embrace" estilo milonguero community...(not sure what I meant to continue to say here...the draft post just trailed off with this...)



By the way, thanks to Joe Grohens over at The Topic is Tango from bringing this to my attention on Tango-L.

Here is the essay in its entirety:


Tango Abierto and Tango Milonguero [by Susana Miller]

[open embrace tango and close embrace or estilo milonguero tango, as danced in the milongas of buenos aires]

The so-called tango abierto, based on the spectacle and glamour of its moves, is the gateway to tango. It is what people see all over the world, in Buenos Aires; at the theatre and on TV. Can anyone possibly resist the match between great technical display and romanticism? Inevitably, it’s ‘love at first sight’. This is the type of tango that attracts many students to class. A small part of these go on, trapped by its passion, dancing in classes or on the stage or teaching it. As in any other discipline, knowledge of tango is shaped like a pyramid, with a large amount of beginners at its base and the few chosen and ambitious elite that will never stop studying at its peak. Dancing tango isn’t easy. It’s never been a massive practice either, not even during the so-called “golden age of tango” in the forties and fifties.

The difference between this dance and any other is that you can’t learn it by going to the milongas, watching the dance floor or by studying a DVD. It needs study and time, just like an academic career.

You need about 10 years to dance it properly. That doesn’t mean you won’t enjoy the journey. In fact, it’s enjoyment that moves the learning process forward, a process which is not linear, but two steps forward and one back.

You need time for doubts and time to compare and double check the knowledge that comes with good, regular practice.

It’s almost impossible to avoid tango abierto. Throughout the world, most students, far away from the pistas porteñas, start with this type of tango, as indeed do most young people, even in Buenos Aires. It’s here that they find a wide open space in which they can reassert themselves and hold on to in the midst of this global and somehow oppressive world.

The fact is that tango abierto is spectacular. It requires great physical challenge as your body is the protagonist. Hours of practice and dedication are needed.

Once you’ve started, nothing else matters. It is the only thing you talk about. You don’t even notice how boring you’ve become to all your friends, tired of hearing the same old story over and over again. At work you can’t avoid discretely practising a couple of steps. Nor can you avoid it whilst waiting for the three a.m. bus. Every single mirror, every shop window shop are an opportunity to double-check your posture. And after this (at first) subtle invasion of public places, you inevitably end up moving your own living room around in order to use it as a small studio.

The fact is we all started with tango abierto. It is part of our personal history: the game, the freedom and the challenge, all of these are fixed in our emotions, like the fond memories of childhood.

Tango’s ‘old guard’ that has been dancing for over 40 years, also started with tango abierto. They started with the many backwards sacadas, barridas and ganchos until they eventually ended up with their embrace del centro, cerrado and parrillero that they continue to enjoy nowadays.

Tango abierto attracts beginners and inevitably makes their life easier, which is fantastic, since no popular dance continues for decades unless there are beginners. But the paths of learning gradually turn long and twisted, and you never know where and how the story is going to end. But he or she who continues will finally reach something really big, a sort of climax, la fiesta del tango: a more mature tango, less narcissistic and less ostentatious. Tango is in no rush, it knows how to wait even until you reach your forties. Tango withdraws itself in order to get stronger, and emerges triumphant, a tango that is no longer based on the look of the others but on the profound dialogue between partners. Its conception of music is richer and more sophisticated. It isn’t formed by the muscular tension of the tango of stage performances but by relaxation of the body. Therefore, it’s a more organic tango, not suitable for theatres and performances where the tango abierto is danced.

Those who continue to dance tango abierto over the years become the maestros, those who dance it both properly and in the correct context, on bigger dance floors, with more space. They never run the risk of colliding with other dancers. They choose suitable places to dance, usually far from downtown. When they have to dance on smaller dance floors they adapt their style, dancing milonguero like the others.

For those dancers over 30 and those who are younger but with experience, the musical embrace of the tango milonguero leads the way to tango for the rest of their life. Tango abierto and tango milonguero are the two streams which fuel the source and maturity of tango. They are mutually indispensable. If one is lacking there will be no future for tango.

The maestros who generate communities should specialise in one style, whilst acknowledging, accepting and supporting other existing styles. They should encourage those that teach other facets of tango, which in turn need to be nurtured by all the other expressions of tango. Each style and expression matches different ages, expectations and stages of life.

It is very difficult to begin without the game and the freedom of tango abierto but it is also very difficult to dance tango for a lifetime without giving it more significance, however important pleasure and fun may be. Tango’s maestros and organizers should negotiate events, locations and times in an intelligent and rational way, smoothing down, regardless of egos and competences, for tango isn’t a place where you always have to compete and find out who’s who. Idolatry and selfishness can only serve to hurt the general well-being and growth of our community, or even divide and destroy it entirely. If tango entrenches itself in one style we’ll end up alone, dancing a virtual tango, seated in front of our computer, and we’ll lose its essence: the risk of both enjoying and suffering with someone else in your arms.

[end of essay]