Is tango's love for its past hurting its future?

You know, tango is the only dance I've had to approach by learning language, history and culture. Tangueros/as LOVE tango's history. I doubt any self-respecting tango dancer would be unable to tell you tango's history, some version or the other. And that's good. It's good to know where a dance came from.

My question is this. If the tango community in general is focused on tango's evolution and history, then what's happening to the future of tango? Is further evolution being hampered by tangueros/as focus on the past? What do you think?

I can't say anything specific about AT as I have no experience with it, but I think in general that there is a tradeoff between maintaining the aspects that people love about a dance form vs. changing it in attempt to attract a more popular audience.

There might be room to create a 'pop' version of tango, but you'd have to decide if a tango stripped of more than a consumerized sense of its roots would still be something you'd want to dance. Or to promote on the chance that it might pull in people who'd eventually take an interest in the real thing.

This is basically the same decision I have to make everytime I drive past the packed "salsa" club on the corner on my way to a nearly empty ballroom social... I could take up the partner dance that is currently "in" if I wanted to be part of a crowd, but I've decided it's more important to me to do dances which preserve characteristics that I enjoy, even if some of those characteristics are the very reasons they are no longer as popular.

tango history

I don't think this is the case. The history of tango was of no concern when I was learning tango and I think there is a lot of mythology and misconception surrounding the 'history' of tango. There are also those who are traditionalist, who wish to preserve tango in its original dance form and evolutionists who view tango a dance which is open to new interpretation.

If one takes a parallel the evolution of Buddhism you will see that different cultures absorbed the teachings into their culture in different ways. In the same way tango is likely to evolve differences according to culture, the approach and emphasis that different teachers use.

Whilst we are still getting input from Argentine teachers we are getting something authentic but that will continue to reinvent itself and more importantly, as well as the dancers, we have musicians who like to play tango music both danceable and not.

History and preservation are very important. As is creative invention and growth. If there is a balance, as with most things in life, then Tango survives with old glory and future beauty working together to create truth.