There’s a monster hiding in the corner of every milonga, stalking in the shadows of every festival, coloring every tango performance video you watch; and it slowly eats tango away. And many of us are not even aware of it.
… or just don’t care because they’re there just to have good time.
But I do care!
We live in a world of consumerism. We live in societies where everything becomes a product to be sold – and tango is no different.
I decided to write this article to share some of my thoughts on the topic of the commercialization of tango and what impact it has on how it’s danced and the overall culture surrounding it. As always, I don’t expect everyone to agree with me, but I believe it can make more people aware of why some things are the way they are, and not the other way around.
The First Monster: The Tango Industry and Consumerism
Me, you, your local teacher, the milonga organizer, the tango celebrity you idolize, the person who sells shoes, etc. We’re all part of the tango ecosystem, and we all play certain roles in it.
Yes, it’s a (sub)culture, but it’s also an industry. I really can’t tell what industry it’s a part of – entertainment, health and well-being, tourism, fashion, or something entirely different – but we all play that game.
Some spend money, others make money. Some are holding on by a thread just to stay in the game, but there are some with quite substantial profits.
It’s how capitalism works.
We should all be thankful for those who make all this possible – they deserve every coin they get from us. Especially those who work without profit, just for the love of it – our gratitude is all they need.
The problem arises when money becomes the primary motivation. Then, as I see it, tango takes a back seat.
Of course, this can happen for other reasons as well. Tango can hardly be considered a highly profitable industry, so the motivation is often self-promotion or pure egoism.
This bothers me a lot. Considering tango as a product to be sold has a very negative influence on the way it’s danced and the whole culture surrounding it.
The Second Monster: Misguided Strategies to Attract Dancers
I’ve been thinking about writing on this topic for a while. What pushed me to finally put my ideas “on paper” was a status update from a lady on Facebook. Personally, I have no idea who the author is (I saw it because some of my friends shared it), but it doesn’t matter – I agree with everything she said.
She talks about the idea of making tango more attractive to outsiders by changing it.
“…I am referring to the idea that we should make tango more “fun,” “party-like,” and create an atmosphere of a dance club in order to attract new dancers.
Read more on this link on Facebook
Tango is not like that. It is a dance with deep meaning; the music is nostalgic, and the dynamic of the dance is almost like floating in space. It is meant to make you experience very intimate moments in the space of the embrace.”
~ Fernanda Ghi
If we show the world that dancing tango means doing a bunch of acrobatic escenario steps, expect newcomers who will be inclined to show off; expect a classroom (and milongas) filled with exhibitionists.
If we show the world that tango is about “having fun” and “partying,” expect newcomers who will treat it like a party.
… and then, when they gain some experience and become local teachers or milonga organizers, they will perpetuate these same ideas. Sadly!
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Ivica
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The Third Monster: The Modern Social Dynamics
The history of tango that I’m familiar with says that tango was created at the beginning of the 20th century in the Río de la Plata valley. The flood of immigrants changed the demographics so much that at one point there were 10 men for every woman. Since tango was one of the few ways to get close to a woman, the pressure on men to become better dancers was enormous.
They used every opportunity to practice among themselves to prepare for that glorious moment when they had opportunity to dance with a woman.
“With so much competition from other men on the dance floor, if a man wanted a woman to dance with him, it was necessary for him to be a good dancer, and being a good dancer only meant one thing. It didn’t matter if he knew lots of fancy steps, or if the other men thought he was a good dancer. The only thing that mattered was that the woman in his arms had a good time when she danced with him – because with so many other men to choose from, if she didn’t enjoy dancing with him, she wouldn’t do it again, and neither would her friends.”
Source: History of Tango
This situation also influenced the mindset behind the dance. Cacho Dante wrote that “the woman was not just a follower; it was her that tango was dedicated to.” That meant that men created the whole experience for her as a gift.
And now, compare that situation with today’s tango landscape. What we have now is the opposite – we have so many more women, and the competition among them is fierce. That changes the social dynamics!
Men are less motivated to join the tango community, and when they do, most of them are not motivated to spend long hours practicing just to please her on the dance floor.
On top of that, I have the impression that many of those who put in real effort are doing it for the wrong reasons: impressing and showing off. There are also other cultural and social factors, but the result is that we’re slowly losing the tango that was focused on deep connection and respect.
I don’t expect every tango dancer to become an expert or want to get deep into the essence of tango, but it’s disappointing to see teachers intentionally disregard this aim. Whether out of indifference or ignorance, the result, in my opinion, is a distortion of tango’s true nature. As a result, I often see how the tango becomes a caricature of itself.
Hi Ivica! Is it the article you were working on when we met last October?
I absolutely agree with Fernanda (she’s supposed to come in Montreal this summer) and with you.
I keep my style ( close embrace) in this jungle where many people want to dance open to make more figures. And I prefer dancing only with the ones that I know can give me what I want.
The biggest feeling I had this year was in close embrace with a man….who knows dancing the silence.
I was feeling we were alone on the dance floor. No show-off movements. Just him and me.
At the end, and between 2 dances, I could see in his eyes, he was appreciating the dance too!
I walked on a cloud for 2 weeks after….just thinking of this dance.
Hi Guylaine… to be honest I don’t remember… Last period I was so much focused on my school that I even forgot that it was in my draft…
I believe tango is about giving, and if you dance with someone and you give, one should at least do it with someone who knows how to respect it.
Tango on <3
Hi Ivica,
nNce to see you back in touch and, as usual, I totally agree with what you say.
I just don’t think that all the reminders of showing our appreciation by sending you money dotted around your text is very helpful. It contradicts the spirit of what you say here ‘We live in societies where everything becomes a product to be sold’
Please let’s try to do some things that we care about for free.
Wishing you good meaningful tangos.
Saludos,
Hedy
Hi Hedy, you’re right… I think I will do less of that in the future… The thing is that in the past period I had trouble keeping everything running and doing payments for hosting, domains and other services I use… However, I agree with you, that should not the main point here.
Hugs