The difference between Nuevo Tango and Neo Tango

I believe this is an important question nowadays.

1. Tango nuevo is better to dance to tango music of 50-60 like later Pugliese.
Neo Tango is danced to non-tango music. Alternative so to speak. Pop, new age, eastern. Suitable.

2. Tango Nuevo is danced in regular tango cloth. Neo Tango - in super-modern baggy pants. It makes a lot of difference in dancing attitude. It is quite impossible to imagine a woman in stockings doing this.

3. Characteristic of Nuevo is long steps. Sort of flying. A lot of ganchos, sacadas, boleos. Circular dance, but pretty different from salon tango.
Main characteristic of Neo is separation. Elastic embraces which are often broken. Rotation around one's axis without touching a partner or one hand handling only. This does not exists in Nuevo. Extending an embracing arm. Ganchos, boleos are to extreme. Looks like fighting in a fast dance. Men's ganchos are really like martial arts kicks with bodies tilted from being vertical to a side, back, or front. Women do the same! It is totally absent from Nuevo. Waving movements of bodies. Hops. Men put their legs up around a lady, for example in a back sacada.

4. There is no Neo close embrace. Instead they prefer to dance slow open. In Neo slow dance - a lot of strange movements non-existing in Nuevo. As if they try to probe a partner - to watch the reaction, to find a weak point... If they go into close embrace - it looks like Nuevo close embrace.

5. Neo positions are exactly like martial arts positions - ready for a kick - soft bent legs holding the floor, relaxed bodies ready to react swiftly, watching eyes gazing inside the partner. Just a little bit more, and we will see actual kicks and blocks here. No wonder, martial art partnering is called "a dance". Neo is Capoeira ( 1, 2, 3 ) of Tango.

6. Nuevo - I think Gustavo Naveira and Chicho. Neo - well, Homer from San Francisco and Jaimes from Seattle. These are the first names coming to my mind.

7. Neo originated from Nuevo. There are some little things in Nuevo which differentiate it from other tango which are developed to extreme in Neo. However the difference between them is sharp. Nuevo is still tango, while Neo is not. Neo Tango is totally new dance: Neos are not able to dance Argentine Tango, they prefer different music, they do not mix with other dancers, they keep their own community,

8. And attitude. Ask Neo dancers - they all will tell that they dance nothing else but Argentine Tango. But this is not the same dance. This is a new dance and new community developing. They are not interested at all in older tango.

They say they are contemporary. They say that they progress tango forward. I think these are just empty confusing words. Except of a handful of Neo community leaders ( and not all of them ) these dancers do not have correct ideas what Argentine Tango is. They do not have a point to base the comparison. Well, they really could not care less. Me too. I will happily dance Neo as a relaxation from Tango, and then come back.

That is what typical young talented man from Neo community on his way in tango would say: "I listen to old music more and more and like it more and more, I can hear much more good stuff, I came to conclusion that I like it all! ". Well, I am happy about it! But that happens only if he makes an effort to listen, to learn.

One young man once he got introduction to Canyengue ( it is considered a very old style of tango, hmm.. ) said: "That is what I always wanted, that is mine! It fits me so well, I am crazy about it! ". Yes, that is what happens once the power of knowledge approaches you: insight! A recognition of your own power and abilities! Discovery of new worlds! There are many entities in life who would love you to know less. You should be aware of that.

9. And one last but not least difference. Nuevo still comes from Argentina. Neo, to the best of my knowledge - from USA and Europe. (...)

How to do an Ocho?

How to choose your shoes

Tango requires shoes that allow you to maintain your balance, but also allow you to pivot easily and gracefully. For women, heels of 2 to 4 inches create the best line, while men can choose from a variety of dance shoes with no or low heels.

Steps
Step One
Buy dance shoes for both your practice shoes and your regular tango shoes. Though you can wear street shoes that meet the criteria for tango shoes, the fit and balance are never as good as a real pair of dance shoes.

Step Two
Choose a shoe that fits closely but doesn't cramp your foot. Your shoe should feel like an extension of your foot, whether you are a leader or a follower. Ask for assistance from a shoe salesperson to help you select exactly the right size for your foot.

Step Three
Test the dance shoes for balance. Walk forwards and backwards wearing the shoes and also stand on one foot. Both leaders and followers should only choose a shoe design and heel size that they can do this comfortably in.

Step Four
Make sure you can pivot in the shoes. The soles should be smooth enough that you easily pivot and don't need to forcefully move your body.

Step Five
Select dance shoes that remain securely on your feet, regardless of the tango move you do. Leaders won't have a problem with this, but followers should make sure that the shoe straps keep the shoes on their feet securely.
Tips & Warnings

* Visit Buenos Aires, Argentina, for the best selection of tango shoes for men and women. If you can't do this, find tango shoes for sale at tango festivals.
* Leather will stretch, so new leather dance shoes may feel too tight the first few times you wear them.
* If you find good shoes with street soles, you can cover the bottom in suede or faux leather for a better pivoting surface.
* You can buy custom-made tango or ballroom shoes online, though you can't guarantee the fit.
* Some black-soled shoes may cause streaks on the dance floor. Test out black-soled shoes before wearing them to a practica or milonga.
* Followers should buy at least one pair of closed-toe practica shoes to protect their feet in class. As leaders learn new moves, they may inadvertently step on your feet.

Buenos Aires Tango Festival

Fingers on the pulse of the tango at the annual Buenos Aires Tango Festival
When: 22 Feb - 2 Mar 2008 (annual)
Where: Buenos Aires
Cost:Various
Opening Hours:Various
The mesmeric rhythms of tango flood the streets of Buenos Aires every year in late February and early March during the Buenos Aires Tango Festival. First held in 1999, everyone who's anyone in the romantic world of tango performs for the adoring public and free dancing displays featuring world renowned artists are held at venues all over the city.
The Argentine ministry of culture organises this extravagant party, in the birth city of this musical phenomenon. For those who want to join in, there are tango classes for beginners and masterclasses for the more experienced dancers, all for free.

Gotan Project

Finnish tango

Sandra Sue: a tango photographer

The tango dance, rather than the music or the song, is the generator of the gesture and the disseminator of a supposed - sometimes real- port mise en scene that has become unmistakable and has known how to establish a place for itself in the world’s visual memory, from Helsinki to Taiwan, and from Paris to Bombay. It does not matter that the instruments change, nor that an erroneous musical beat hinders more than it helps the dance. The gesture represents it, evokes it, converts it into a symbol thanks to a rare quality of universal evocation possessed by few dances.