On Performances

I’m not a particularly big fan of performances. I think that they are, at times, misused and misunderstood. Their own merits are perfectly valid. Show tango with its big lights and fishnet tights can make good theatre. As a storytelling device a well choreographed tango is extremely powerful. It’s where the performance turns up on the milonga floor that the issues crop up.

The mid-milonga performance serves a number of functions.

• It allows visiting instructors to tout their wares.
• It allows the same instructors to put another item on their bill thereby making their travelling more worthwhile. It is their livelihood after-all.
• The honouring of an individual/couple, birthday dances,  leaving dos.

All valid functions with perfectly worthwhile uses for the community. The problem lies not in the performance or the performers but in the interpretation of the performance. Performance tango is, by its nature, big, showy and external. The misinterpretation is that all good tango is big, showy and external. Tango can be big, tango can be small. It can be showy or it can be extremely private.