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Anthony Cronin started the thread:
Interesting viewpoint, I am a tango traveller as a dancer and DJ (33 weekends in 2017). I have nowadays little to do with my local scene. I though, am not feeling guilty or think my absence makes the slightest bit of a difference. You have to travel to improve, to grow and learn as a dancer. Yes, you are right these people ‘neglect’ the local scene. I would not worry though as there will be a time when all travellers can no longer travel and they will return. They might despair and try to improve the local scene, they might miss their friends and organise an event to bring others thus growing the scene. like in Societies.. emmigration and immigration has it’s benefits. If your situation prevents you from travelling there is still much to be enjoyed locally. You do not have to be a traveller to bring the party to you, you just have to know travellers to act as ambassadors, maybe organise something yourself?
Posted 27/03/2018 @ 00:46 | Last modified 10/01/2020 @ 12:52
Gabriella Berggren replied:
One person travelling does not affect the local scene, of course. But a large number of dancers who focus mainly on special events in other places means that the local milongas lose their audiences. I disagree about having to travel to improve as a dancer. Here in Stockholm, for instance, we have a few excellent teachers, in addition to visiting teachers, and milongas or practicas every day of the week. I have a feeling – but this is speculation, naturally – that there are other reasons why people go away to dance. There is a notion, for instance, that if you don’t travel you’re not serious about your tango. When I started dancing 14 years ago, people did not travel as frequently. Instead, the prevailing idea was that you had to go to Buenos Aires for a couple of months – this would somehow transform you forever. But although visiting distant places can be a valuable experience, I wanted to draw attention to the environmental impact of frequent travel – and also point out that the local everyday scene (i.e. regular milongas and practicas and local teachers) is depleted by this fashion. Also: is tango really that important? How many people actually need to be experts in the field of tango? Yes, there are some professionals – teachers, performers, DJs. But what about the rest of us, amateurs who do it for fun? Is the honing of our skills really so vital that it’s worth all that CO2 emission? It is a conscious choice on my part not to travel for tango. I try to fly as little as possible, to keep my carbon footprint down. I dance, practise and learn locally and contribute by organising activities now and then on a non-profit basis.
Posted 27 Mar 2018 @ 07:50 | Last modified 8 Jun 2019 @ 10:15 | View and share
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Have tango will travel
Essays & Opinions: When I began dancing tango socially, there was a tiny community who would turn up fro…
Gabriella Berggren | 26.03.18