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ADC
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Mendoza, could you please share with us your background in dance?
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OM
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I have been involved in tango for more than a decade now. I served as the founding president for the Manila Tango Club, the first duly incorporated tango club in Asia in 1999. I have worked closely with the Argentinean Embassy concerning the promotion of Argentine tango in the Philippines. I have travelled to Buenos Aires twice in 1999 and 2000 to further my skill, knowledge and ability on Argentine tango. I am now teaching dances around Southeast Asia specifically, Hong Kong, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Manila, Bali, Jakarta, and recently Dubai.
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ADC
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Who created Estilo Milonguero style?
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OM
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Estilo Milonguero is one of the many styles of tango. And as everyone knows, tango was born at the turn of the century when lonely social migrants from Europe who went to Buenos Aires found themselves expressing their sorrow through dancing. We can’t point it to one creator.
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ADC
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Can you please explain more about this style?
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OM
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Estilo Milonguero is one of the oldest tango styles. In fact it is a classic and has been considered a base form for learning the tango. It is danced to a specific kind of orchestra, especially that of D'arrienzo, which has a playful and bouncy rhythm.
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ADC
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In a duet, dance partners are expected to "connect". Doesn’t other tango partner “connect" in other style?
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OM
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Of course in almost all dances, there must be this thing called connection or for want of a better or simple term “rapport.” But the term "connection" in tango is given a different meaning when two people become so immersed with music as they dance the tango. This is when improvisation comes in and a "connection" is built.
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ADC
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How is Estilo Milongeuro different from other styles?
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OM
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It is danced to a playful and syncopated rhythm. It's got small steps and just like the other styles and dancers keep in close embrace all the time.
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ADC
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Is this your first time conducting workshops in Malaysia?
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OM
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No I have been coming to Kuala Lumpur since 7 years ago.
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ADC
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What are your comments about Malaysian dancers versus those from other countries?
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OM
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I find Malaysians to be quite enthusiastic learners. They have good sense of fun and they know how to “chill” even when learning. They take the time to go through the process even though I know how eager they want to learn fast because of economic reasons, which is fair enough. But they realize that learning the tango is a slow process and that they need time to absorb the many things they need to learn about the dance.
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