Example of Nuevo (photo attributed to Zabara Alexander)
Nuevo has the following attributes:
- Highly flowing, agile and continuous rhythm: a distinct lack of staccato and cortes.
- Partial dissociation and flexibility of the embrace, where a contact point between lead and follower is temporarily relaxed or disconnected.
- Total dissociation of the embrace, where at times the lead will revolve around the follower without any touching at all.
- The dance is imparted a significant circularity of movement.
- Spontaneous moves outside defined tango repertoires; producing new combinations of steps, embraces and combinations.
- Adoption of movements from other dance styles, particularly salsa, ballroom and swing.
- Use of the free leg, particularly to explore spaces around the partner – to points between the feet, legs and around the body.
- Frequent changes of directions and turns.
- Upright posture.
- Both lead and follower carefully manage their own balance and axis. Shifts in axes are common.
- Over-extended long steps and leaps, leading to a generally faster overall tempo for a given musical piece.
- Feet are often seen to be lifted from the floor.
- Exaggerated use of volcadas, colgadas, high and linear boleos, enganches and ganchos. Poses and embellishments are very dramatic.
- The embrace is usually open, but may be close – either directly in front or offset… in other words completely flexible.
Nuevo – Norberto ‘El Pulpo’ Esbrés and Luiza Paes
Nuevo – Mariano ‘Chico’ Frumboli and Eugenia Parrilla
Nuevo – Gustavo Naveira and Giselle Anne
Nuevo – Gustavo Naveira and Giselle Anne
Tango-Nuevo & Neo-Tango: the Differences
The differences between Tango-Nuevo and Neo-Tango is a hotly contested issue. Many sources assume that Tango-Nuevo & Neo-Tango are one and the same (for example in Wikipaedia the term Neotango links directly to Nuevo Tango). However, it seems this is not actually correct, and there are some significant differences:- The revolution of Tango-Nuevo was initiated by the creations of Astor Piazzolla (specifically we can pin-point it to the scandal of 1953). Neo-Tango showed up much after (about the year 2000), and in fact Neo-Tango evolved from Tango-Nuevo.
- Tango-Nuevo derives from Argentina, whereas Neo-Tango derives (mostly) from from the USA and Europe.
- Whilst Tango-Nuevo is based on, or is very similar to, traditional tango, much of Neo-Tango is danced to non-tango music or a fusion of tango and electronica, and is a completely new form of dancing.
- Neo-Tango has significant amount of separation of lead and follower, in which embraces are broken, or the lead rotates around the follower without touching.
- The dress code in Neo-Tango is more ‘hip’, with baggy pants etc.