itwillhappen
Forum Master
As I said, unless you or one of your friends speaks to the organizers in detail...
Are you "transparent" when you refuse a dance partner, for a tanda, but for example also one who would like to accompany you to an event?
At the end of the pandemic, maybe a new start?
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itwillhappen
Forum Master
I actually expect that the organizer puts the group together according to largely subjective points of view, if he has that much leeway at all. Well, however, this is much easier if you are not focused on one event, but can juggle with opportunities.
I'm accepted at one event with my ex-girlfriend, we will register for a similar one, we got rejected at one.
At one event I will register alone, I offered one to a "queen on the board" and I might sign up for one shortly beforehand, we'll see.
pianistamediano
Forum Master
You can tell I'm still a bit sore about it! But it will pass; time, marathons, and encuentros will heal my papercuts.
Ah, I realise that I should have phrased it differently. Not quite "transparent", but more of that if they have stated their method of selecting dancers, it should be clear what exactly that entails (for example, Martin was quite clear about how he selects the dancers, balancing roles and compatible dance levels. Dance levels are quite subjective anyway, so it's fine). If it involves giving (some) priority to people who have participated there before, or are known, then I believe it should be explicitly stated to be fair.
I keep my intentions for inviting a follower to myself, and I never ask a follower to explain why she will not dance with me; I never speak about it unless she brings it up first. In the same way, I will not explain even if asked, unless it is a friend I can be candid with.
If a dance partner would like to me to go with them to an event, I would assume that it is because we both enjoy dancing together very much, and that they have seen positive indications that I do actually enjoying dancing with them, instead of merely dancing with them out of obligation. If they have somehow progressed to the point that they really enjoy dancing with me when I don't enjoy dancing with them enough, well, I'd be flattered, but I'd also find some excuse if possible. I don't want to hurt people unless necessary.
(I'm assuming that in the second case, you mean a partner who herself would like to accompany me to an event, not a partner whom I would like to go together with to an event. In that case, my regular dance partners know I am selective about the music I dance with them to, so there are no hard feelings).
About what and does “transparent” mean here? What’s an example of being “transparent” when rejecting someone?
itwillhappen
Forum Master
I think "transparent" means "honest" here. And that really doesn't work.
itwillhappen
Forum Master
If, as an organizer, I didn't really enjoy arguing with highly emotional people, then I certainly wouldn't disclose my criteria in detail.
itwillhappen
Forum Master
If a lady asks me if we can go to an event together, then I assume that she wants to go to the event in the first place.
That we can manage a few minutes of pleasant dancing is perhaps a basic requirement, but for me it is much more important that she is personable, reliable and reflected. That we can endure each other in the car for many hours, agree on an (one ?) accomodation and restaurants, support us in case of emergencies.
And then that can carry a message on the relationship level. It's not every day that a "queen on the board" (who else?) pushes the pawns aside and openly admits that her position unfortunately has serious weaknesses, that she would like to take support.
itwillhappen
Forum Master
You always see something new:
half for two. three for free.
Of course you can just register regularly with your partner or invite your favorite leaders, and participate for free!
What we also have: More space and a waiting list of followers we'd love to welcome too. That's why we offer you: Invite your favorite leaders and get invited by us.
* If you are a leader and manage to collect three or more leaders for a group trip, you will get the ticket free of charge, too - of course!
* Of course, you don't need to be 4 leaders to turn it into a friends' trip. 1 Follower and 3 leaders, make it a friends' trip and share the promotion between you all.
Two for half. Three for free. | La Cuerda Marathon
www.la-cuerda-tango-marathon.de
pianistamediano
Forum Master
LOLhalf for two. three for free.
Of course you can just register regularly with your partner or invite your favorite leaders, and participate for free!
What we also have: More space and a waiting list of followers we'd love to welcome too. That's why we offer you: Invite your favorite leaders and get invited by us.
* If you are a leader and manage to collect three or more leaders for a group trip, you will get the ticket free of charge, too - of course!
* Of course, you don't need to be 4 leaders to turn it into a friends' trip. 1 Follower and 3 leaders, make it a friends' trip and share the promotion between you all.
Not too long ago (who is counting?) I wrote a fairly benign account of driving through downtown Portland, Oregon,
Yesterday I heard that REI has decided to close their "down town" (actually Pearl District but close enough) store. REI has been a mainstay of my outdoors life here in the Pacific Northwest. (Most of the gear I've needed to climb mountains and trek over high altitude passes have been purchased from REI) So, it's kind of a last straw in thinking about Portland.
Portland had some major problems, and it's very sad.
Meanwhile, the AT venues that are available to me are pretty much away from the homeless people, break ins, etc that are plaguing the city of Portland.
Yesterday I heard that REI has decided to close their "down town" (actually Pearl District but close enough) store. REI has been a mainstay of my outdoors life here in the Pacific Northwest. (Most of the gear I've needed to climb mountains and trek over high altitude passes have been purchased from REI) So, it's kind of a last straw in thinking about Portland.
Portland had some major problems, and it's very sad.
Meanwhile, the AT venues that are available to me are pretty much away from the homeless people, break ins, etc that are plaguing the city of Portland.
ArbeeNYC
Forum Master
Wow, REI closed its store? That's sad. I don't know Portland but it sounds a bit like the problems that have been occurring in San Francisco. Sometimes they seem intractable. Hopefully not. Didn't realize homelessness was a problem in Portland. I always imagined it as some kind of paradise of the Pacific Northwest.
It used to be.
It kind of started with people panhandling downtown and on the off ramps of the freeways. That got to the point where I'd be approached when I sat outside at my favorite brew pub 90 blocks away from the city core. Then homeless campers starting showing up along the freeways, and even downtown. The George Floyd demonstrations at the Justice Center downtown were a real mess with bad behavior on both sides. Local police did not talk the defund the police talk well, and with retirements and just plain quitting has left the department way understaffed. Boarded up and abandoned storefronts became more and more common. Then there is the move away from going to the office that has left buildings without tenants. One large building right in the core was taken over by homeless and drug dealers and users, in a spite of a fence and boarded up doors and windows. Portland police just cleaned it out and have said that they can do more enforcement now that their staffing level is up, but is the problem of organized shop lifting and smash and grab. REI's place is at the edge of the more affluent Pearl District, but they gave up trying to beef up security. (The mayor hopes to get them to reverse their decision.)
In my travels I've been lots of places that had spikes and even broken glass on walls surrounding homes, bars on windows and doors. But people are even driving vehicles into windows and doors to get into stores.
I saw comments about the venue for Valentango being in a not the best area. I used to go down there to shop and see movies and attend the Octoberfest in the park (polka and beer!). I haven't for a long time.
Base Camp Brewery with the Sherpa Kitchen food cart was just 3 blocks from where I used to do my AT, There were lots of tents on the sidewalks and even in the swales around there. Viscount Studio is still there, but now without AT, but Base Camp closed up during covid.
One more thing.... the long time host of the Sunday practica showed up at "my" coffee shop over here in east Vancouver. I told him I really missed that Sunday practica and thanked him for doing it for so many years. He said he there wasn't enough money in it.
Maybe it was all too good to last.
Maybe there will be a new start.
It kind of started with people panhandling downtown and on the off ramps of the freeways. That got to the point where I'd be approached when I sat outside at my favorite brew pub 90 blocks away from the city core. Then homeless campers starting showing up along the freeways, and even downtown. The George Floyd demonstrations at the Justice Center downtown were a real mess with bad behavior on both sides. Local police did not talk the defund the police talk well, and with retirements and just plain quitting has left the department way understaffed. Boarded up and abandoned storefronts became more and more common. Then there is the move away from going to the office that has left buildings without tenants. One large building right in the core was taken over by homeless and drug dealers and users, in a spite of a fence and boarded up doors and windows. Portland police just cleaned it out and have said that they can do more enforcement now that their staffing level is up, but is the problem of organized shop lifting and smash and grab. REI's place is at the edge of the more affluent Pearl District, but they gave up trying to beef up security. (The mayor hopes to get them to reverse their decision.)
In my travels I've been lots of places that had spikes and even broken glass on walls surrounding homes, bars on windows and doors. But people are even driving vehicles into windows and doors to get into stores.
I saw comments about the venue for Valentango being in a not the best area. I used to go down there to shop and see movies and attend the Octoberfest in the park (polka and beer!). I haven't for a long time.
Base Camp Brewery with the Sherpa Kitchen food cart was just 3 blocks from where I used to do my AT, There were lots of tents on the sidewalks and even in the swales around there. Viscount Studio is still there, but now without AT, but Base Camp closed up during covid.
One more thing.... the long time host of the Sunday practica showed up at "my" coffee shop over here in east Vancouver. I told him I really missed that Sunday practica and thanked him for doing it for so many years. He said he there wasn't enough money in it.
Maybe it was all too good to last.
Maybe there will be a new start.
Last edited by a moderator:
pianistamediano
Forum Master
If one is organizing milongas/practicas for the money, well...
Perhaps he just meant that it was too hard to break even. I've heard talk from the organizer of the longest running milonga here that it was getting harder and harder to break even, and that he might have to shut it down if not enough people come regularly. Although if you consider what's been happening since it resumed after the pandemic restrictions were lifted...
Most experienced dancers there refuse to dance with beginners at all. Unless said beginner is young and attractive, of course. It's their choice, naturally, and not wrong, but then beginners get discouraged and experience being ignored for a long time. That means less new people are willing to go to the milonga and stay in the local community, which means that the community doesn't really grow adequately. I don't think these dancers are that community-minded, anyway.
The organiser likes to be all paternalistic and "godfather of tango"-y and give beginner followers advice on the dance floor. He's been a teacher for two decades.
There isn't much socialising going on, compared to the other milongas/practicas/monthly events. People mostly go there just to dance, and talk within their own groups. So the atmosphere isn't as friendly/welcoming as it used to be.
Perhaps he just meant that it was too hard to break even. I've heard talk from the organizer of the longest running milonga here that it was getting harder and harder to break even, and that he might have to shut it down if not enough people come regularly. Although if you consider what's been happening since it resumed after the pandemic restrictions were lifted...
Most experienced dancers there refuse to dance with beginners at all. Unless said beginner is young and attractive, of course. It's their choice, naturally, and not wrong, but then beginners get discouraged and experience being ignored for a long time. That means less new people are willing to go to the milonga and stay in the local community, which means that the community doesn't really grow adequately. I don't think these dancers are that community-minded, anyway.
The organiser likes to be all paternalistic and "godfather of tango"-y and give beginner followers advice on the dance floor. He's been a teacher for two decades.
There isn't much socialising going on, compared to the other milongas/practicas/monthly events. People mostly go there just to dance, and talk within their own groups. So the atmosphere isn't as friendly/welcoming as it used to be.
Bill did this Sunday practica, moving through three different locations, for about twenty years. Although he did did have a substitute occasionally, he was there doing the music and teaching a beginner level lesson Sunday after Sunday. After the lesson he did the music and would occasionally be dancing. I often wondered how he could be there week after week after week.
It was known as a friendly, low key place to dance AT.
Nothing lasts forever, only the earth and the sky (& even those will end!).
It was known as a friendly, low key place to dance AT.
Nothing lasts forever, only the earth and the sky (& even those will end!).
ArbeeNYC
Forum Master
Sounds like the urban core in many cities today. Homelessness in San Francisco is an enormous problem. We have our share of problems with homelessness (60,000+ and rising) but it's less visible here and the city has taken a harder stance on street vagrancy. Shoplifting has been a growing issue since Covid but it's generally restricted to certain stores and, interestingly, it turns out that the majority of crimes are committed by a relatively small number of offenders, who shoplift habitually and often to sell stolen goods to a higher-up, who will buy it and sell it on line. So, some of it is for personal necessities but a lot of it is part of a crime ring.
The city here is too built-up to allow for anything ike a permanent encampment. And the city has been desperately trying to find shelter for the migrants that FL and TX so kindly decided to bus to NYC. But in most places, it's not all that visible. There's a lot of panhandling though and a lot of desperate people. The biggest problem here is the cost of rent and the cost of living generally. That's really put the kibosh on a lot of events and raised prices across the board for those that remain.