Tango as a social dance is improvised. There are so many variables: the venue, the floor, the other dancers, the music, the partner, and our mood at that moment.
Listening to jazz musicians discuss the creative process has brought insight to the art of improvisation. They talk about needing to get inside the music. This week I viewed another such program on Keith Jarrett: The Art of Improvisation. All classical music is notated and played note for note in performance. Jazz music is intuitive and happens in the moment. The bassist with the Jarrett trio commented that the music enters you. When it enters you, you don’t have to think about it. The music tells you what to do.
I believe this is the key to improvisation in tango: you have to allow the music to get inside you and take over. Then it tells you what to do. I’ve heard milongueros say this is how they dance. They don’t have to think about it. The music tells them how to dance. It’s that simple.
Tags: tango
Tango Chamuyo 
December 17, 2009 at 5:45 am
This is obvious — the music always tells you what to do. Tango is depraved because we are listening too much to many well-intentioned tango teachers. There is always only one way to dance and that is by listening to the music. Tango is sophisticated, but it is still a dance. My father used to play with tango, but he was always inspired and happy. At my local milonga there are a couple gentlemen who are dancing real tango. It’s time to close the schools and just enjoy tango.