Neo Tango at the Portland Tango Fest 2005

Igor Polk, 2005 October 22

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I came from Portland TangoFest 2005.

I was so delighted to see that classical, volcanic, fun, and highly professional dance of Jorge Nel was without doubt the crown of the great performance. That was voted by applause! Fabrizio with Mariana Dragone, Metin's sharp ganchos, and even the genius of El Pulpo where not able to approach the success. It only proves that putting on transparent pants even on such a nice .. eeh.. figure like Mariana's does not make Masters!

Most memorable Milonga for me was the Closing milonga with DJ Dan Boccia. Why? Most important was that every next tanda he played called for slightly different dancing style. Mostly thanks to my favorite partner ( amazingly versatile ) I have danced: Canyengue-like dance, D'Arienzo rhythmic dance ( I would call it orillero close embrace ), close embrace milonguero, close embrace apilado, close embrace vertical, open salon 20s, open salon 50s, flying vals, El Pulpo's play. Point: all within tangos before 1952! I even tried colgada style at an alternative milonga. And that worked!

"Both classic and contemporary would co-exist peacefully on the milonga floor". That is a note of a Neo Tango dancer. They think about themselves not else but "contemporary"! ( Note for Europeans. In American context "classical" means often not "old, proven with time masterpiece", but "old, dusty-rusty, and dying". ) You know what, to earn the title you'd better lean some tango first!

This was a note from the previous ValenTango 2005.

Now the story continues. At the present TangoFest 2005 there were more opportunities for Neo Tango dancers to enjoy their own, specific, very remotely related to Argentine Tango dance. There were more alternative milongas, second dance floors, classes.

For me it is strange to see or dance Neo Tango to the classical music of Pedro Laurenz. Each music requires its dancing style to say the least.

Mixing of Neo Tango and classical Tango on the same dance floor is not a good idea. These dances just have different energy, rhythm, structure. Couples just bumping into each other. There is not fluent progressing around. Well, there was a lot of Neo Tango teachers and prominent dancers. When one takes 3 classes from masters willy-nilly he will dance the same at a dance floor.

I do not thinks Tango and Neo Tango co-exist peacefully on the same dance floor. That was a good idea to have 2 dance floors! I hope the next time it will work better.

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By the way, that is me:
At an alternative milonga - in a sweeter - my shirt was completely wet at he end. I loved to dance with that partner - she is so good in colgadas! Thank you, friends! These pictures do not represent Neo Tango. It is mostly Nuevo close embrace.

 

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My name is Igor Polk. I dance Argentine tango in San Francisco.

Copyright©2003-2006 Igor Polk
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