Shallow seas

 

I saw this reshared by a friend on their social media.  Part 1 was a paragraph on 'How to bring new and young people into our tango?' which is a question apparently doing the rounds just now.  This feeding off each other's ideas in the blogosphere, which soons turns into forms of plagiarism, is one of the reasons I rarely read most tango opinion blogs, and then only from those I feel have scruples and who have the backbone to do their own thing. Still, it is a valid question, or would be if it specified about bringing them where, exactly. 

Somewhere, apparently - the writer didn't say where - there is "the idea that we should make tango more “fun”, “party-like”, and create an atmosphere of dance club, in order to attract new dancers." Anyone who has danced salsa, or even forró knows that a traditional milonga is a more sober experience.  

But part 2 sets warning bells jangling with "the mouthpiece"  speaking for "the community". The trite and self congratulatory comment about what is required to be a tango dancer reveals more of the character. Another reason I avoid reading tango blogs and pronouncements is the depressing shallowness of thought.

To answer the question: the way to get more people into tango is obviously to bring friends to practicas and milongas. The dropout rate for classes is stratospheric.  And the reason might very well not be that people are "not ready" for tango.  How did people learn to dance tango in the past, before its commercialisation? In conventillos, with the people they hung out with, the people they were around already.  There were no teachers.  So they probably didn't drop out the way or in the numbers they drop out of classes today. The reason - god almighty, why is this so very hard to grasp, so extraordinarily controversial? - the reason people drop out, might it just be the learning method? In the milonga they see the real thing.  Those being guided learn in practicas and milongas by dancing with people who can already dance.  Those wanting to guide learn to be guided first and then practice walking in milongas or moves, if they want them, in practicas with people who already have those moves.

If a friend said to you, Oh, I've discovered this amazing dance or musical style, I would love you to experience it!, would you be more inclined to see or hear it for yourself if they suggested you go to an expensive class or to actually watch or see people dancing that dance or playing that music in a social setting, usually much cheaper?