Musical intelligence

Scientists have discovered that when the brain is focused on the rhythm of music, the brain creates how the body will move.  This subject is explored in a television program on NatGeo entitled, Musical Intelligence.  It gives us something to consider, especially those who are focused on memorizing step sequences.  If our goal is to improvise our dance in the moment and express what we are feeling in the music, we can learn to rely on our brains.

Music and dance preceded language.  No human culture is known that does not have music.  Daniel Leviten, Ph.D. is a music psychologist at McGill University in Montreal who authored, This is Your Brain on Music: the Science of a Human Obsession.  He studied the brain of the popular singer/song writer Sting to see how various areas respond when hearing music and the creative process.  The big question is why do we like the music we like?  Answering this would help us understand why some tango dancers prefer to dance to music other than tango.  Sting said he remembers listening to his mother play tango at the piano.  He likes the rhythm of the tango and said it fed his muse.  His song Roxanne is a tango.

In the program, School for the Ear, Daniel Barenboim said: The music speaks to us when we are actively listening.  We have to become active listeners as dancers.  Then the sound, melody, harmony and rhythm make us dance.

Robert Jourdain says we don’t need an ear for music, but a mind for it in his book, Music, The Brain and Ecstasy: How music captures our imagination.  When music dissolves into ecstacy, it transports us to an abstract place far from the physical world that normally occupies our minds.  Sounds like a perfect description of what happens to many of us when we dance tango.

Milongueros and Dancers–the differences

There exists a multitude of ways to dance tango, so many ways to feel it. Still, as in other fields, we can make certain generalizations. One of the divisions I observed is between th0se who are milongueros and those who are dancers.

I’m not talking about a division based on the place where they dance (be it stage or dance floor) nor on the frequency. I am talking about something deeper that you can only see with a way of feeling and expressing the music.

Anatomy of the subjects of this study

To be intrinsically milonguero one has to do something more than simply go to the milongas frequently. There are dancers who go every day and conserve their essence as dancers. To be intrinsically a dancer is more that taking classes or being in a show.

The main difference between them is that the milonguero dances to feel well and the dancer to look good. This doesn’t mean that the dance of the milonguero is less pleasing to see. The feeling that he gives when he begins a tango makes you see that he transmits something special, and on the other hand at times a dancer, in his search for esthetics can lose harmonious paths. The beauty of the dance depends more on the quality of each one and, of course, on the point of view of those who observe it.

Enjoyment

The milonguero: he desires the closeness of the contact. He likes to embrace and be embraced, and this is one of his greatest pleasures in the dance.

The dancer: enjoys the movement more. His embrace is a means for his enjoyment of the dance and not an end.

Connection

The milonguero: he connects with his partner in the stillness of pauses. He embraces his partner, making connection with her through movement. He dances the silences and continues the cadence.

The dancer: he connects for the movement, it’s a dynamic contact. He embraces his partner, moves, and then makes contact. He gives less importance to the rhythm and prefers changes in velocity.

Style

The Milonguero: generally he possesses a limited quantity of steps, well executed and simple, that he repeats varying the order. He increases the number or the complexity of the them implying he is more cerebral in the dance, his primary enjoyment.

The dancer: disposes an arsenal of steps, constantly growing in number and complexity, caused by his esthetic search and also for certain sensation that to repeat a step in the same tango or very soon is shameful. Anyway, as a woman who enlarges her wardrobe to wear a new dress to each party she attends, so a dancer is always memorizing new steps and combinations that he will demonstrate at the next milonga.

Learning to dance

The milonguero: he never attended classes. His guide is practice and the floor where he dances. In addition, there are few adequate teachers (difficult knowledge to transmit); the adequate way to walk, the feet, and how to lead. They show very good technique in some aspects, and in others, none.

The dancer: he attends many classes, at times more than going to the milongas. And if he has to choose prefers to go to practicas where there is more freedom and space to experiment and test things. His principal interest is the steps and new techniques; he is always looking for new things and perfecting them. Although he doesn’t give much attention to the simple details, like simply walking a tango and his feet, he is always looking for a more comfortable position.

Lead

The milonguero: he has a very clear lead, understandable by beginners, very smooth but with security and firmness. The milongueras, on their part, know how to adapt to every type of embrace and, once more, they enjoy them. Even though there will be misunderstandings in dance, they are resolved with elegance, generally without being noticed. Both are displeased and uncomfortable with an open embrace.

The dancer: he knows more types of leads for all the steps he knows. Yes, of course, they need a partner that know how to follow well, and knows their techniques, or they are very limited. Female dancers possess enough sensitivity, but if the lead isn’t precise, or it is a different style to which they are accustomed, they are seen in problems.

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Translated with permission by Ricardo Schoua.   Opinion of Oscar Pereira published in Tango y Cultura Popular No. 107   Original source of article is unknown.

The milonga floor

The daughter of a friend of mine has become interested in dancing tango in the past year.  She and her partner came to a milonga one night where I was dancing.  She noticed everything including how men crossed the floor after the invitation by cabeceo had been accepted.  I was pleased to learn that how to cross the floor is being taught where she attends classes, because it is something men have to know when they enter the milonga.  She commented that the man who came to dance with me didn’t walk along the edge of the floor, but rather he crossed directly in the center.  I knew that he hadn’t done anything improper because he crossed at the beginning of the tanda.  Our conversation got me thinking about all the things men need to know about walking across the floor before they begin dancing at a milonga. 

During the cortina music:  I learned years ago that the floor is considered sacred in Buenos Aires.  One isn’t supposed to cross an empty floor like it’s shortcut to see a friend on the other side of the room nor should one dance during the cortina. Yes, there is always someone who disregards this rule.  An aisle between rows of tables is provided to enter and leave the room without disrupting the dancing.

At the beginning of a tanda:  Men walk from their tables directly across the floor to where their partners will enter the floor or in front of the table if the woman is seated in the first row of tables. 

During the tanda: While others are dancing, men must circumvent dancers by walking on the outer edge to arrive where their intended partners will enter the floor to meet them.  This is most easily accomplished at the end of a dance when everyone is standing still on the floor.  Merging into the crowd is an easier transition when everyone begins the next dance.

At the end of the tanda:  Men escort their partners back to the point where they entered the floor.  This is an important part of ending a tanda, so that women aren’t left stranded in the middle of the floor to walk across it alone.  There is nothing stranger than seeing a woman returning to her table unescorted.  After one’s partner has left the floor, the man returns directly to his table.  Everyone is crossing to exit the floor at the same time when the tanda ends after four dances during the cortina music.

Tango historians

As I’ve become more interested in learning about the history of tango, its composers and poets, the orchestras and singers, etc., I have discovered people whose knowledge of tango would fill an encyclopedia.  They share their love and knowledge by presenting talks.  Finally, after gaining confidence with the language, my comprehension is sufficient to understand their presentations.  When I have a question, I turn to one of these experts.  

A friend from the milongas told me about the monthly tango talks she attends and invited me to join her in May.  That is where I became acquainted with Dr. Emilio Santabaya who  speaks for 90 minutes without notes and provides recordings from his extensive collection. 

 

Several years ago I began attending the “Peña de los Cantores y Poetas” in La Casa del Tango where a friend went to sing tango.  This is a world most dancers don’t know exists in Buenos Aires. My attendance has given me a greater  appreciation for the poets of tango.  I especially enjoy hearing tangos which I know from the milongas.  The peña group will be celebrating 25 years this weekend at La Casa del Tango.

Nélida Rouchetto, general secretary of the Fundación La Casa del Tango, is the one who takes care of everything from her office on the first floor.  She is there all day, seven days a week.   She has a poster in her office from a singing competition held in November 23, 1982, at La Casa del Tango with judges Osvaldo Pugliese, Emilio Balcarce, Alberto Podestá, Reynaldo Martin, and Carlos Garcia.

A friend and I were discussing whether Piazzolla’s music was tango.  I was convinced that most of it is not because of the musical structure.  My friend suggested we arrange an appointment to hear what Nélida Rouchetto, a respected tango journalist, had to say on the subject.  I remember hearing Luis Tarantino say on 2×4 radio that “Nélida knows more about tango than anyone.”  We sat in her office listening to LP recordings as she presented a historical sketch of the evolution of tango from De Caro to Piazzolla.  My friend was prepared with an audio recorder for our three-hour chat with Nélida.  She lost her full vocal capacity after surgery or she would be giving talks publicly.  This soft-spoken authority on tango has a wealth of knowledge that she cheerfully shares with all. 

A few months ago, I wanted to know if the majority of tangos with lyrics were written in lunfardo.  I approached Nélida one night during the break at the peña to ask the question.  I expected a simple answer, but she gave me a fifteen-minute explanation.  I have translated tangos with beautiful poetry without one word of lunfardo.  I wanted confirmation from an expert.

Luis Feldman and I happened to be in the same place at the same time the other day when I dropped off a cassette for transfer to DVD.  I had the pleasure of meeting Luis five years ago when a friend introduced us.  Luis has been a life-long fan of Carlos Gardel and has spent many years researching his life.  Luis, who has a degree in Economics from the University of Buenos Aires, dedicates himself to running his video shop Tango Beverly Hills in El Once where he sells the films of Gardel and Argentine tango films.  My friend and I chatted for three hours with Luis when he invited us to see his personal collection of Gardel photos and documents.   I was pleased to know that Luis continues with his passion and presents talks at the museum which was once Gardel’s home in the Abasto neighborhood.  Luis is the authority on tango in the movies. 

When the dance becomes art

Dancing isn’t as much about doing steps as it is about being inspired by the music.  Remembering sequences and guiding a partner through a choreographed set of steps is not the essence of dancing well.  It has nothing to do with memory.  Good dancing is the ability to connect with the music and ones partner in the moment. 

Good following is more than being able to follow the lead with balance and style. It’s about listening to the music and connecting to it for your inspiration. 

When this occurs, the dance becomes art.  This kind of dancing really changes the dynamics of partner dancing. It is more demanding of the woman who needs to express herself and follow sensitively.  It is demanding of the man who needs to improvise while protecting his partner on the floor.

This silent conversation in the embrace provides challenge and inspiration for both.  Creativity and presence develop.  This becomes more important as dancers mature from step knowledge to improvisation.

Tango has captured the hearts and enthusiasm of young dancers in many countries.  They are young in the sense that they do not really understand the music of tango and therefore do not dance to the music.  The milongueros, who learned as teenagers, have a lifetime of experience to prove that tango is a feeling that is danced.  Their tango is art.

Traspié

traspié: trip, stumble.

It’s a word that is used to describe a style of milonga.  There is no actual tripping or stumbling since dancers continue along with the music.  It is actually referring to the triple-step (three weight changes in two beats of music) in milonga rather than the double-step (two weight changes in two beats of music). 

Some milonga recordings are better suited for double-steps and others for a combination of doubles and triples.  My first milongas were danced with Ernesto Jorge De Gouvea before I had seen it danced.  He communicates every movement clearly with his body.  All one has to do is relax and feel it.  That’s easier said than done.  If you think about the steps, you will stumble.  I finally learned that connecting to the music is key.

The milongueros who enjoy dancing milonga con traspiéare Ricardo Suarez, Fernando Iturrieta, Pedro Sanchez, Roberto “Pocho” Carreras, and Ernesto “El Flaco Dany” Garcia, who has earned world-wide fame for his elegant style.

It’s not about how you look, it’s about how you feel

This is what dancer Gabrielle Roth has to say in the introduction to her video, “The Wave—Ecstatic Dance for body and soul.”

Move to surrender to the dance. Your soul wants to express pure energy in the moment. There are five basic rhythms to our inner most being:  flowing and fluid; staccato, short percussive; chaos—wild and free, totally surrendered; lyrical; and stillness.

Anyone can do this. It’s not about how you look, it’s about how you feel. You breathe into the now, whatever you’re feeling, surrender to it, move with it.

Some rhythms are more comfortable than others. Each is a gateway to your soul. You have to find your personal style. Your breath is the key. Listen to the beat.  Relax, surrender, and have a good time.

If you don’t do your dance, who will?

Flying first class

Every time I boarded an airplane, I walked through the first-class section where passengers were comfortable in the wider seats and already being served drinks while those of us in tourist class were being squeezed into tight quarters.  I never had the chance to fly first class, but I enjoy a different kind of flying–dancing tango.

I started out in the milongas of Buenos Aires in tourist class.  There were many times when I didn’t think I would make it back to my seat after ten minutes of turbulence on the floor.  I survived my share of rough and bumpy excursions.  I didn’t know others in tourist class, so it was a game of trial and error.  It’s a learning experience in tourist class. 

It took months to learn who was in first class in the milongas.  After accumulating frequent flier miles in tourist class, I unexpectedly found myself with a man from first class.  I knew it immediately because the ride was incredibly smooth, and I was soaring.  There was no doubt in my mind that I wanted to leave tourist class and travel first class all the time.  I am happy to say that I have traveled first class since my first upgrade.

Once you have felt the comfort of flying first class in the embrace of a milonguero, you will never want to go back tourist class.  It’s the only way to fly.

The battle of styles

Ten years ago today the Argentine newspaper Clarin published an article about the current trend in tango styles: Villa Urquiza with long steps, Almagro with short steps, and Naveira with a new variety of figures. [Spanish version] [English translation]

This is what Nito Garcia said in his interview published in the July 2009 issue No. 177, page 35 of El Tangauta:

“Does the Avellaneda style exist nowadays?

Nito: No, at times I taught a “milonga from Avellanenda,” but I called it that because they were the steps I learned in Avellaneda. I don’t believe that either the Avellaneda style or the Villa Urquiza style exists. I even doubt that the great creators of what they call today Villa Urquiza style ever lived in that neighborhood. How come the Villa Urquiza style appears now and did not appear before? When tango turned commercial, strange things began to happen.”

Ten cents a dance

Domingo Santa Cruz (1884-1931) owned an academy of popular dances located at Gascón 1150 in Buenos Aires.  Men had to buy at least two tickets (20 cents) in order to enter.  Then they could dance with any of the thirty-five women available at the academy.  A female dancer received five cents per dance.  The director of the academy was a dancer known as “Tarila” (1889-1961) who managed the floor.

The academy advertised a dance contest in 1914 as follows:  A tango and vals contest will be held for three days, July 14, 15, and 16 from 10-12pm at the famous Santa Cruz popular dance academy at Gascón 1150.  The grand prize will include a custom-made suit with a value of $50 from the tailor shop of Pascual Altomonte and Son, Corrientes 3615.  The orchestra will be conducted by Domingo Santa Cruz (bandoneon) and Juan Santa Cruz (piano) with a new tango repertoire during the competition. 

 The dance halls of New York during the 1920s employed women to dance with men.  They were the inspiration for Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart who composed the song  Ten Cents a Dance for the broadway show, Simple Simon.