Tango to me has always been about friendship.
It's about the times in a dusty classroom where english classes, stata classes, chinese culture classes give way to awkward shuffling around the floor. Where seats with attached tables become our vantage points at a 11pm practica on a Friday evening.
Where people meet, mingle, learn across all ages and all types, be it from healthcare, engineering, economics, professors, students, professionals and everyone in between.
Where late night mamak's post Friday evening regular milongas give way to conspiracy theories amidst the running rats around the drains and trees of Kay-el's messy streets.
When in a foreign land, you make friends immediately, by first, embracing strangers. Leading to night rides in brake-less cars and four women yelling directions to an unheeding gentleman bent on driving the route he wants to take.
When you have the last embraces on the floor, knowing you will see them again somewhere in this connected, weird and wonderful friendship of the love of Tango, its music, and its people.
Tete Rusconi’s open letter
Let us learn to dance Tango
Today January 9, 2006 I would like to ask you something with all the love and respect I have for you all. This is not a reproach against anyone, what I want is that the youth and all those who dance tango understand my reason: We do not have to dress up tango under any circumstances because this so passionate music gives us life, energy, pleasure and then makes us feel better. After so many years seeing dancers and trainers I think that there cannot be so many mistakes either in teaching or in exhibitions.
Next I shall tell you what my idea is. I always knew that music is the main basement of tango. Like also is learning to walk it with balance and cadence. I would not dare to say that there is no technique when you dance but I think that it would be much better if they taught to dance more freely, like for ourselves… there’s more fun there. Nobody can jeopardize us by watching us because we dance for ourselves.
I say that I think that many are disguising tango into something that is not true, because tango is music and you cannot start teaching steps or make the mistake of not teaching how to walk different music bars to recognize every orchestra. A lot of people that are teaching would have to learn first to dance tango in order to be able to teach giving all of themselves so not to let down their pupils or to spoil their images as educators.
Tango is not a business even though many ones think it is. Tango is a part of our life, a part of our grandparents, fathers, mothers, brothers, sisters and friends. It is our life. We should not be so greatly mistaken and ought to conquer it again since we are losing it because we do not respect it.
Dear friends, female and male dancers, since this you do is one more work in your life, in order to be respectful with yourselves, it would be nice that in your exhibitions you should dance more tango and less acrobatics, ballet or any other thing different to tango.
I don’t want to think that in your exhibitions you behave as contenders; we know that each dancing team should create its own style and, furthermore, you should not dance music alien to tango. Don’t lie to yourselves or to people about that.
And for the tango community of Europe and the rest of the world I have a piece of advice: I would like that you opened your eyes about how to learn to dance and, especially, to stage organizers and trainers, sincerely, I want you to know that when something is organized you have to summon the best dancers and teachers to be able to teach correctly.
Without music, cadence, posture, and balance, steps are of no help at all and for that we need authentic instructors and teachers.
