Less isn't more! Like the Macy's July 4th fireworks, what you want to see after waiting for hours is the moment when hundreds of canons explode at the same time and create brilliant colors and patterns. Like going to a concert at Carnegie Hall or Lincoln center, a violin and a piano isn't going to interpret Beethoven's symphony like a big orchestra does. The more the merrier.
I am not saying that one should adorn every single song by different orchestras. I doubt that any one who is capable of doing adornment will embellish much in the De Caro's music. But in the music like D'Arienzo, adornment is almost a must to fully interpret the energy in the music. Often I've seen such lifeless scene on the floor while D'Arienzo is played. As Javier would say: "sleepy".
To embellish in 4 inch high heels to the music requires very good technical skill, great balance and strong foot. And sometimes I suspect it is another natural born Argentine thing, like the hips, that women are not inhibited to express themselves. In my opinion, adornment is the woman's own right to express her musicality, celebrate her own individuality and show her personality in the dance. A woman has her own say in the dance.
At Sunderland, I watched a little girl age of six or seven dancing with her father, whom in my opinion was a lousy lead. She was toe tapping while led pausing, little kicks here and there while doing ochos and sometimes high kicks to kneel level. It put smile on my face, watching her.
I had spent a lot of time observing in the milongas and noticed that young portenas who dance well love embellishment. Case in point, the often criticized Samantha Dispari. I watched her dancing (not performing) in the milonga at Canning. She was adorned with great speed, accuracy and full of energy. I didn't remember the music, but I remembered her hip was vibrating and foot was about drilling holes in the floor while tapping. I was feeling the music and the joy by just watching her dancing a few feet away.
More often now I feel the urge to express the music with embellishment; and I give time, allow space and expect the woman embellish. Nothing makes me smile and enjoy the dance more than a response from the woman with her adornment to the music. I admire her musicality and creativity. It is like having an intelligent conversation, and now I have found my match.
Tango is no longer a passive leading and following in 21st century. Men, give the lady the space and time to tell her story and feeling; Ladies, let me feel those pianos and violins through our connected chests with your leg and feet.
I adore those who adorn.
(And now I can get back to file my income tax.)
Disclaimer: The above opinion applies to established and advanced dancers only. For those who haven't been able to walk straight back and forth ten feet on an even level, those who couldn't balance herself/himself with one standing foot, without having to lean onto and effect the balance of their partners and those who couldn't tell the violin from the piano or bandoneon nor the difference between music of Di Sarli and D'Arienzo....Disregard the above post and KEEP WALKING.
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Great post, TP. I am always pleasantly surprised when I have time to do something other than what I am "expected" to do. I think some followers worry that their adornments are not appreciated.
ReplyDeleteHi TP, I can't agree less about the adornments.
ReplyDeleteI used to be a bit of an amazing adornista myself ;) , I would scan YouTube everyday for videos with Samantha, Geraldine and Andrea for new inspiration. That is, until I went to Buenos Aires and took classes with Alberto Dassieu.
He was the first person to tell me to only do adornments where the music and the lead permits. One should not clutter the dancing or the communication between the leader and follower with unnecessary adornments - FOLLOWING comes first. Only then can the leader and the follower dance in serene harmony.
A lot of the hard core milongueras would say the same thing - I got the same advice from Eva Garlez (one of the teachers at Susana Miller's school and Alberto's student and assistant), Susy Tilbe (from Milonguisimo) and Nina Balbuena (organizer of the thursday Milonga at Viejo Correo).
It is true, there are amazing portenas who can adorn every step twice over and back again - there is no doubt about their extraordinary skill level. But it doesn't mean that the milongueros think they are a pleasure to dance with.
I was at Sin Rumbo very late one night back in March this year with my husband. The only people who were left were a couple of locals, Maria Carmen, Jorge Dispari, and a group of their direct students. The women were doing some of the most amazing adornments I've ever seen. The organizer Julio Duplaa (famous Villa Urquiza milonguero) out of courtesy asked some of them to dance - but judging from the expression on his face, he found it awkward and unpleasant because the adornments got in the way of his lead and interpretation of the music.
Out of the blue, he asked me to dance - I did no adornments, I just followed - and his face was literally wreathed with smiles and he asked me to dance another tanda. We ended up exchanging email addresses and business cards, and he even took us over to Jorge Dispari and Maria Carmen to introduce us to them! He was overjoyed to find someone who would actually follow and dance with him rather than be in a little world of her own with her adornments!
Adornments (and especially over-adornment) looks exciting but they take away from the feeling of the dance and are disruptive. Dance with a woman who doesn't adorn and who follows you like a lover who will follow you to hell and back and you will know what I mean.
P.S. What was I dancing to with Julio Duplaa? I was dancing to Troilo with Fiorentino - I know people who love to adorn to that.
ReplyDeleteP.P.S. Unfortunately, the woman's role in tango is TO FOLLOW. Once we get into expressions of individuality we are no longer following. Believe me, it's painful to write this - I once wrote a whole graduate essay about the right of the woman to find spaces for self-expression in tango, but now with what I know I had to throw it out the window.
Dear Irene Ho,
ReplyDeleteThe purpose of this post is in response to the critique of certain blog posts about the dancers/performers who adorn. It is never about the adornment for the sake of adornment. It is about for some highly skill dancers adornment becomes a way that they express the music. It is foolish to assume that any one who dances to certain level will take adornment over connection.
All the people who you mentioned are sixty and seventy year old milongueros, for whom I have utmost respect and was fortunate enough to get to know a few. Old milongueros dance a calm way, few would jazz up occasionally to spice up the dance, such as Tete. No wonder a lot of women come from all over the world to dance with them. As a matter of fact, before my first trip, I was adamant about keeping it simple and well connected. I was called a traditionalist and purist. I know how to dance the feeling by just walking.
In New York, I study with Carlos De Chey, a porteno who learns from Nito Elba and soon Silvina Valz; in Buenos Aires, Javier Rodriguez and Andrea Misse. And my beginner teachers are all Argentines. I don't have any other experience with other teachers. My opinion might not include other style than the ones that you have studied.
And I had danced with Andrea for a little over ten hours. From the limited experience that I have, I appreciate more and more the musicality that she shows in her embellishment. It is an indescribables feeling that one can have in the music.
And I disagree with tango is simple "leading" and "following". Javier told me in the second class:"A man's only responsibility is the woman's foot. Whatever the woman does with her free foot is her own business." Then again, it is under the provision that both are well connected.
The challenge is how to be connected and yet maintain individuality. Some milongueros are very controlling, judging from the face of the woman(eyes wide open like the deer in front of the headlight.) in the milonga. Sometime I feel that the woman is suffering.
If you have time, read through my posts. Then you probably understand a bit more of where I am coming from.
Thank you for your comment
Dear TP,
ReplyDeleteThanks for your clarification regarding connectivity. What I have been taught and that I am trying to do goes beyond connectivity - I see complete and utter harmony between the leader and follower. Some examples I have seen on YouTube are Alberto Dassieu dancing with his wife Paulina, Osvaldo and Coca, and Osvaldo Centeno dancing with Ana Maria Schapira.
As you have noted I have had different argentine teachers and different experiences than you, so I do have a different position regarding adornments. To each his own!
By the way I have read all your posts and although I may not agree with you on some things, your opinions are very entertaining and it is great that you have decided to share your journey in tango with everyone. I'm looking forward to reading more of your posts! Cheers.
People seem to have a lot of opinions about this. I think I dance rather simply, without any fancy stuff unless it is really called for in the music, and I do it without thinking. Following is a meditation for me, and being relaxed and at full attention to the partner. It seems some partners really like and expect fancy footwork, it is sexy for them and part of the newer "look" of beautiful, and younger, tango dancers. However, I will say that I am really having fun dancing with leaders who allow me time and space for something of my own. The new world.
ReplyDeleteI think Irenes comment; "someone who would actually follow and dance with him rather than be in a little world of her own with her adornments" underlines it all. Adorn when the music calls for it, when the leader gives space for it and in a way that adds to the shared dance. There is nothing worse than a dancer who brings a kitchen sink full of adornments and manages to wedge them between you and the connection. (I suppose the same could be said for leaders throwing in high falutin combinations to the detriment of the connection).
ReplyDeleteLove the caveat TP 'just keep on walking' hehe!
E,
ReplyDeleteI,for one,was against fancy footwork, until recently that is. I tip my hat to those few who can do a lot of fancy footwork to express the music yet maintain quiet upper body connection, man or woman. The only problem is that few can do it artfully and naturally. And on a social dance floor, the key is to be in the music dream. Like you say: "active" Meditation.
Dear TP
ReplyDeleteI was surprised to hear that Javier said that what the woman does with the free leg is her business. I personally think the most beautiful adornments come when the woman allows the man to play with her free leg, ie. the adornments are led by the leader. In any case they feel great, perhaps because I feel that they deepen the connection between me and my leader. The leader may have more or less control over the shape of the adornments depending on the situation. But I feel it is a mistake to say that the leader should not care the woman's free leg, and I wonder if Javier meant it in a different way or whether he's style is that different. After I realised and experienced led adornments I now do very little by myself other than taps.
Dear La Tanguera,
ReplyDeleteIf you watch the Youtube clips of Javier and Andrea, you would probably pick up what I meant. What makes Javier great is because he gives woman freedom in the dance. If we agree that tango is a conversation between two, then you probably would agree that when only one person dictates the conversation, it takes away the mea ning of conversation. My latest post of " I followed well, but I didn't dance" reflects the same sentiment.
When I learnt this time was that when a man leads every single moment in the dance, it takes away his joy in the dance. In the case of adornment, the man suggests, and the woman is free to make a decision to embellish that note or not. That's what he meant by one man is only responsible for woman's one foot. A woman has her own "chip"(brain) and can determine what she wants to do at this particular moment.
And of course, it is under the assumption of a woman knows how to walk gracefully, how to embrace a man and how to maintain her balance and not interfere the man when she embellish. And it might take some years for some to achieve all these, in my opinion, prerequisites.
But once one gets to and pass certain level, one might discover new relationship and meaning in tango.