Tango Wedding Dance?
- Thread starter pygmalion
- Start date
Um, everyone is entitled to have an opinion and to voice it. You of course have the total right to reject their opinion off hand or to engage in a discussion. Of course, there are certain societal norms that I, as a socially functioning person, wouldn't transgress. I'm not going to stand up in the middle of a reception as the newlywed couple starts dancing to La Cumparsita and yell "Stop! Don't you know that this is a song about sadness, sorrow and heartbreak??!!". I'll clap with everyone and be happy that they're happy. But on my own time, I might log on to some internet forum, comment under a thread about wedding dances and suggest that some songs might not be the best choice for a wedding song.
I think the point Peaches was making (aside from the obvious "It's none of anyone's business what the couple chooses" point) is that you can't really know WHY they chose it. You are assuming they chose it out of ignorance of what the song is about, how the lyrics are translated, or the history behind the song's origin.
But as Peaches selection demonstrates... even when the couple KNOWS the language and the lyrics seem totally inappropriate, there very well may be a story behind the choice, and it makes sense to the bride and groom. It's somewhat arrogant to assume that people's choices are uniformed just because you don't agree with them.
newbie
Well-Known Member
I've seen in an AT group class a couple who was preparing their wedding dance and after several months of classes (starting from scratch) it was still far from convincing. When seeing them on the dance floor, instead of "Wow", you were thinking "Ok, when are they starting to dance?".
On the other hand, my balroom teacher was able to have any couple ready for their wedding valz after a two-afternoon session.
On the other hand, my balroom teacher was able to have any couple ready for their wedding valz after a two-afternoon session.
bordertangoman
Well-Known Member
The point Peaches was making may be obvious to you but the relevance was far from obvious.
As I understand it this thread it was about a non dance couple deciding on AT for their wedding dance and what did we think of that.
The aspects that the posts seemed to be considering in a general sense, were whether the dancing would be up to standard, what would be the best AT song or genre to choose and the dangers of choosing an AT song without any knowledge because often the lyrics did not fit with how the tune may sound.
Peaches example related specifically to English lyrics of an Irish rock group chosen by two experienced dancers.
Yes in Peaches circumstances I personally would not be concerned that they did not know what they were doing but in realtion to the OP I may be.
I have some dear friends whose wedding song was "You Spin Me Round," a one-hit-wonder, can't-even-categorize-it, terrible and IMO talentless song from the early eighties. It was the first song they ever danced to, when they met at a club, years before they got married. People pick wedding songs for all sorts of reasons. Eh. More power to them.
My original intent was to discuss whether it's possible to learn enough tango in five or six lessons to do a presentable wedding dance, but all the tangential discussion works for me, too. I truly love this place, curmudgeonly bantering and all.
Discuss away. I'm learning a lot from you all.
bordertangoman
Well-Known Member
I have some dear friends whose wedding song was "You Spin Me Round," a one-hit-wonder, can't-even-categorize-it, terrible and IMO talentless song from the early eighties. It was the first song they ever danced to, when they met at a club, years before they got married. People pick wedding songs for all sorts of reasons. Eh. More power to them.
My original intent was to discuss whether it's possible to learn enough tango in five or six lessons to do a presentable wedding dance, but all the tangential discussion works for me, too. I truly love this place, curmudgeonly bantering and all.
Discuss away. I'm learning a lot from you all.
If i was marrying some ladies here then it would have to be (Like a)Bat Out of Hell (I'll be gone when the Morning Comes)
bordertangoman
Well-Known Member
But if i were to marry the Woman-In-Question then it would be A Thousand Kisses Deep by leonard Cohen..
To get back on track... this is what I agree with. I'll add: encourage them to start while the wedding is still at least 2 months away.. preferably more. The stress is just too great for things to go smoothly once they get that close to the big day.
Sorry BTM, but that song didn't inspire me, thus it was a poor choice.
Now D... go easy on him... he feels "ganged up on" and wanting to run like hell from some of the women here. :twisted:
I assumed (perhaps erroneously) that if a couple was going to use AT music and do an AT dance for their wedding, one of the following would be true:
A) They would have some familiarity with AT which is why they are doing it. In this case, you can't assume that they don't know what they are doing (how would a couple who has no previous exposure to AT even know what the songs are to request a particular one?)
or
B) They are going to someone who is familiar with AT that will be teaching them for the wedding dance, which means that hopefully the teacher would be able to pick a song that makes sense for a wedding taking multiple factors into account. If the teacher gives them a song about heartbreak, gambling, or prostitution and the couple doesn't know it, then it's the teacher's "poor choice", not the couple's.
The original question as I understood it (and answered it upthread... I wasn't the one who got us off on bad taste, inappropriate choices, etc) was whether AT as a dance style could be taught for a wedding dance. There is a wealth of potential music to choose from. There are also "inappropriate" songs that are Fox Trot or Country Waltz. I can't imagine a discussion of doing a fox trot as a wedding dance would get sidetracked into a discussion of "bad taste" or lyric choices simply because some of the songs might be non-joyous. OR that the country waltze discussion would get all het up because some of the songs are overplayed, mundane and cliche' rather than being truly excellent pieces of music on their own..
