Carole Edrich Weblog

bits of the meaning of tango

The review on the meaning of tango is done and since there was nowhere near space enough for all that I wanted to say, I've written it here. It's not intended as a review (you can get that from Dance Today and if I’ve time, in-depth from ballet.co) but as a list of interesting points.

In spring at the BGTW, various online travel editors explained the differences in style required for writing on the internet. My dance posts are rarely large enough to warrant such treatment but I've applied their advice on creating sections with sub-headings here while ignoring pretty much everything else.

About the book

The meaning of tango is simply and clearly written, well structured and an enjoyable read. While nothing in it is particularly surprising, it provides insights and corrects misapprehensions in a rational manner. Even when making contentious statments, Christine Denniston describes her logic and indicates that other points of view exist.

Illustration from back cover
(c) Portico 2007

Tango as a language

I’ve always thought of dance as language and love that Ms. Denniston thinks so too. Her premise, that tango was developed by immigrants of different countries, and that the structure, basic position and even mechanisms of learning all contributed to the establishment of an intimate form of communication that has to be felt to be truly understood is clearly explained. However, at the same time one could easily be mislead into believing that tango is the only dance to have evolved its own methods of communication. There's no question that the language of tango is unique or that some dances (of which tango is one and flamenco another) have developed a more direct and immediate form of communication than others. But almost all dance has arisen as a result of a need to communicate and the language develops as a result.

Vulcan Mind-Meld – the Holy Grail of Tango

La Denniston uses the phrase “vulcan mind-meld” to describe the wonderful feeling of tango-duende (my words not hers), where two people can reach a kind of shared zen state, dancing well together, sometimes only peripherally aware of the rest of the world. This is an interesting concept and I can see why she’d use it to describe the mutual communication involved. However, it seems to me to ignore the exhilarating disorientation that can accompany the state. It’s humorous certainly and attractive to a certain type of person but I wonder how many people will accept that a mind-meld might represent a desirable state or recognise the experience after reading the words.

Tango from a teacher?

Repetitions tend to rankle when you can read an average size book in slightly more than an hour and there are lots of repetitions in this book. However, I’m not sure that’s relevant to others. It's entirely possible that a slower reader (or one who dipped into sections for reference) would not notice them at all.

Is this reiteration of words, phrases and ideas deliberate or accidental? Is it a result of Ms Denniston’s experiences of years of teaching tango? What she repeats is central to her message and it doesn’t take much effort to imagine that over the years someone can become so accustomed to dinning in the same basic tenets of tango to students who only half listen that they stop realising how repetitive they are or become even more determined to do so to readers, to ensure that the ideas aren't forgotten or lost.

Front cover
(c) Portico 2007

Philosophy and technique – and not steps

During the transition between old life and new I supplemented my income by giving private lessons in ‘salsa for seduction’. In these I tried to give students a feel for the music, believing that it (and a sense of rhythm) was more important than particular steps and the basis from which improvisation must grow.

It’s therefore a relief to find that Ms Denniston uses the same philosophy in tango. Because the context and social interactions of tango are very different the philosophy is further extended and best illustrated by quotes from her book:

“if a man made a woman uncomfortable in any way she, quite rightly, would not dance with him again, and nor would any other woman who had seen what he had done”
“the relationship between the leader and follower that gives the maximum pleasure to the follower, once it has been understood, also gives maximum pleasure to the leader”,
“to lead is to follow the follower”

As someone who has been learning tango for a while now, the only comment I can make on this is … "I wish"!

Tango as chess – seduction of the senses?

Another great comparison best illustrated in Denniston’s own words:

On leading when the follower has misinterpreted your intentions: “the lead could only change reality by first accepting it”
“A lesser consideration, though still an important one, was that some things were more aesthetically pleasing than others. In a chess game, all the movements of all of one player’s pieces are possible each time it is that player’s turn makes a move. That does not mean that all possible moves are equally good. A chess player will choose the next move on the basis of what brings victory closer. In Tango the leader leads the next move on the basis of what will feel best to the follower, what expresses the music most fully, and what is most aesthetically pleasing, and what makes best use of the space available on the dance floor.”

Another time where the only comment I can make is "I wish"!

In summary

The meaning of tango is presented with an appealing combination of humility and authority and is logical, open-minded and clear throughout. I enjoyed the book and was surprised at how easily it drew me along. I would strongly recommend it to anyone with an interest, whether passive or active, whether learning or not. If I could, I'd make it compulsory reading for all tango beginners as well as some leaders who think they’re advanced.

I’m left wondering why one tanguero acquaintance poured such scorn upon the book. Next time we meet I'll ask if he has read it at all.

Quick link to the book on Amazon

(Christine Denniston's work can also be found here and here)