Tango on Youtube: can you learn from a video?

[jantango]

Arlene's blog post is an interesting topic. I totally agree with what she has written.

It takes time to know if you are watching good tango dancing or a bad immitation. Most of YouTube tango videos show exhibition and performance tango. What percentage of those who attend classes have these goals in mind? Don't most want to be social dancers?

A few days ago a couple showed up at the milonga. I haven't seen them at this milonga for years. Someone told me they are performing on stage seven nights a week at one of the tango houses (dinner/show). They don't advertise classes in the magazines and sell their DVD instead. He is someone with a recognizable name in the tango world. I remember reading an article which referred to him as a milonguero.

Those who don't know how to dance well stay in the center of the floor. That's where this couple was dancing. He was doing whatever trick he could to amuse her, and she was laughing. They never danced an entire tanda. When they walked off the floor, he went first. I saw this time after time. When they entered the floor, he went first and she followed. This is basic etiquette in any dance situation, but this "famous" teacher/performer didn't follow this rule. Needless to say, he didn't follow any line of dance in the center of the floor. He has been teaching for many years but doesn't know proper conduct for the milonga floor.

 

[wadpro]

I think if you are not a beginner, some tango combinations can be learnt by watching dance videos or dance lesson videos. And I really improved my dance skills by watcihing videos. However you cant learn some figures and combinations by watching...

 

[Zoopsia59]

Most of YouTube tango videos show exhibition and performance tango. What percentage of those who attend classes have these goals in mind? Don't most want to be social dancers?
.

I think most people want to do show tango socially.

If all they've seen is show tango, they don't even realize that there's something else. When they do see the something else, they are underwhelmed because they were drawn to the flashy stuff. (that was my reaction the first time I saw a video of Tete.. I had to dance over a year before I appreciated non-show styles)

I remember a couple did a demo here years ago in pure salon style dancing. Almost everyone later poo-poo'ed them saying "they weren't very good". Hardly anyone came to their workshops.

When I heard the comments, I relayed them to the organizer and told her she should probably mention in her introduction of them next time that the are demonstrating BA style social dancing for a crowded floor, and that what the audience should be watching for is purity of movement, musicality, connection, etc, etc.

Eventually their popularity grew.

 

[Zoopsia59]

Arlene's blog post is an interesting topic. I totally agree with what she has written.

<<<I no longer take classes because people teach moves. I don’t want to know moves. Besides, I’m a follower and I don’t need to know the move! I just need to know HOW to move. A YouTube video will not teach you that either. >>>

:notworth:

 

[Captain Jep]

Hmm... it does seem that rants like this bring out the tango purists.

Here's the basic problem. In most dances "moves" separate the experienced from the beginners. You can do a triple axel toe loop with added sacada? OK - you must be an advanced dancer. In tango , however, no one can make their mind up over what exactly makes up an "advanced dancer". Is it someone who knows all the moves? Or is it someone who can dance simply and yet with great musicality?

You are NEVER going to convince a beginner that the latter is an "advanced" dancer. For most beginners , milongueros dance the way they do because they are OLD. A beginner would think "I'll be able to dance that way once I have learnt the basics - what's the big deal?"

So criticising Youtube vids is pointless. Or what they lead to. The only thing IMO you can do is to try and reason with those beginners in the "real world". And turn them to the light..

 

[Peaches]

I find the only thing you can do is bang your head against a wall.

Again.

And again.

And again.

Screw this, I'm gettin' a drink and a smoke.

 

[spectator]

I find the only thing you can do is bang your head against a wall.

Again.

And again.

And again.

Screw this, I'm gettin' a drink and a smoke.

Ha Ha!!!
And that's why I like you, I will show transatlantic solidarity and do the same right now...

 

[Captain Jep]

Yeah you're right. What the hell. Can I join the party? Scotch or Bourbon? (no fancy red wines at this party!)

 

[Mario7]

I figure that by watching Tango on youtube every day for two years, that I myself although only able to dance an average of once or twice each week, have the ability of a four year dancer who has danced at least twice a week for that time. I access this by knowing dancers with different lengths of experience. I learned a hell of a lot by watching youtube...if I were to begin to list it all, I could write for a solid hour and probably think of more to add later. I do not lie.

 

[dchester]

Arlene's blog post is an interesting topic. I totally agree with what she has written.

Yes, it is interesting. Here is my favorite part of her post.

I don’t have anything against YouTube or the people that put up their videos. In fact, there are some lovely videos of people dancing Argentine Tango to authentic Tango music. I am sure something can be learned by watching these videos. After all, people can learn by watching others. The other thing people can do is to talk about what you are watching. I have been very lucky to have more experienced dancers discuss what was happening on the dance floor with me. This is nice because…and that is not nice because…..

It takes time to know if you are watching good tango dancing or a bad immitation. Most of YouTube tango videos show exhibition and performance tango. What percentage of those who attend classes have these goals in mind?

Maybe I'm reading more into your post than what is intended, but you seem to be surprised (or think there is something unusual, or possibly wrong) with this. To me, it seems to be expected that people would post the more visually pleasing videos. People like to see performances when watching videos.

Don't most want to be social dancers?

It depends on who's definition of social dancer that you use. Social dancing in the US is a little different from social dancing in BsAs. Our dance is influenced more by performances than your dancing is. While I want to understand as much as I can about social dancing in BsAs, I don't want to limit myself to only that.

 

[opendoor]

Re: Can you learn from a video?

Suppose you´re teasing a bit So let me needle back

Don´t mean to generalize, but I know some famous milongueros and so called teachers from BAs that cannot teach either! That even do not know what they are actually doing in a move, nor that they can put it into appropiate words. Besides this, I think that the prevailing didactics in BAs for many years was sink or swim. So it was reasonable that a new (now old) generation around Naviera use to breathe new life into it.
And the same with the bando: almost every classical tutorial consisted of scales up and down for 5 years!