Tango is not only a fascinating dance but also a fascinating philosophy, culture and lifestyle. The search of tango is the search of connection, love, fellowship, unity, harmony and beauty, i.e., an idealism that is not consistent with the dehumanizing reality of the modern world. The world divides us into individuals, but tango unites us into a team, community and species. In tango we are not individualists, feminists, nationalists, Democrats, Republicans, etc., but interconnected and interdependent members of the human family. Tango calls us to tear down the walls, to build bridges, and to regain humanity through affinity, altruism, cooperation, and accommodation. It is a dance that teaches the world to love.



December 28, 2017

The Elegance of the Milonguero Style


In contrast to some tango styles that remind me of a bustling casino, the milonguero style of tango reminds me of a Zen garden - an oasis of austerity, serenity, peace and natural beauty for quiet contemplation. The style aims at inward experiences, so the look becomes less important. In fact, it is danced in simple and natural steps, very little adornments are used in order to avoid complication and distraction, enabling the dancers to focus inwardly on feelings.

That, however, does not reduce its aesthetic value. On the contrary, the style possesses a natural, simple and elegant beauty second to none. The following is an example.




Using cadencia
The key element responsible for the elegance of the style is cadencia. The woman leans on the man with her breasts pressing against his chest, enabling him to use the connection to swing her torso, causing her hip and leg to dangle in a chain reaction. Notice that the woman does not use her thigh to move her leg, but lets the leg follow the torso and hip to sway. Her attention is on the lateral motion of the body rather than the vertical action of stepping down, allowing her entire body to take its natural course to swing gracefully.

Hip movement
In doing so she needs to swivel her hips so that her free leg can take advantage of the inertia to either swing in roughly the same direction, or reversely in the opposite direction. She needs to swivel her hips in order to dance around him while her torso is attached to his torso. She needs to swivel her hips when she does front ocho, back ocho, molinete, planeo, boleo, etc. (See Dissociation and Gear Effect.) In short, hip rotation is used all the time in her dance, highlighting the flexibility and beauty of her feminine body. The milonguero style does not emphasize footwork, so she can focus on making the rotation of her hips graceful, smooth, yet noticeable, adding a feminine touch and elegance to her dance. (See Dancing with Hips.)

Dancing slower
In order to infuse elegance into the dance, it's essential to moderate the dance tempo. Racing to keep up with the beat can result in the loss of elegance in dancing, a prevalent issue often encountered in our tango. Instead of chasing the beat, the man should provide the woman with ample time to execute each step, while the woman should focus on crafting her every movement with poise and sophistication to heighten its elegance, as demonstrated by the couple above. The following are two more examples.






Using simple and natural steps
Another element pertinent to the elegance of the style is using simple and natural steps. Some tango styles are known for their fancy footwork and showy figures, which, although may be beautiful in some way, lack naturalness and elegance. The following is an example.




As you can see, impressive may be by some standard, a display like this relies on intricate figures, exaggerated movements, abrupt turns, and hasty actions. It looks busy, garish, farfetched and beat-chasing, but lacks the confidence, serenity, ease, simplicity, naturalness and elegance of the milonguero style, and it does not match the melancholy mood of the music. (See Dancing to Melody - Poema.)

In contrast, the first three couples use austere steps to allow themselves focus inwardly on quiet contemplation. The man leads by swinging the woman's body. The woman keeps her body tall and straight while swinging it gracefully, letting its intrinsic, natural beauty manifest itself.

Audrey Hepburn Said, "Elegance is the only beauty that never fades." I am convinced of that.



1 comment:

  1. This is very solid, constructive criticism and practical advice. Demir & Marques are higher skilled dancers than I'll ever be, but the sequence from 2:55-3:05 is almost laughable. The only thing that is missing is the brass pole.
    I hope festival organizers get this message too. I'm really tired of the workshop teacher's gymnastic performances. I don't like to see the women dressed like circus performers. More Audrey Hepburn and less Dancing With the Stars.

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