At the end of the pandemic, maybe a new start?

pianistamediano said:
I used to hear that it was pretty difficult to dance as a visitor in London, mainly because of widespread cliques/elitism - is that still true after the pandemic?
Click to expand...
The problem at a typical capital flagship milonga is not the "cliques/elitism" but that tourists there are numerous and interchangeable. If you don't like that, you don't have to go. I was at one of these exactly once, in Paris.
 
itwillhappen said:
The problem at a typical capital flagship milonga is not the "cliques/elitism" but that tourists there are numerous and interchangeable. If you don't like that, you don't have to go. I was at one of these exactly once, in Paris.
Click to expand...
I see, honestly don't really care as long as the music is good and I get nice dances (naturally, while dressed well and dancing well). I'd expect the same at your average milonga in BsAs.
 
itwillhappen said:
In my regular location there are separate milongas once a week with traditional music, once a week with mixed music and every two weeks with alternative music. I assume that this also reflects the general distribution in my surrounding. And I'm also very thankful that the community is big enough that everyone can choose the right offer, so that nobody has to tug around on the DJ for their interests.
Click to expand...
Sounds very pleasant! Wish my local community had more people.
 
pianistamediano said:
I used to hear that it was pretty difficult to dance as a visitor in London, mainly because of widespread cliques/elitism - is that still true after the pandemic?
Click to expand...
Never found a problem there (apart from floorcraft at some venues and events**), but that was mainly pre-pandemic. Only managed a couple of events there (classes, milonga) last summer, and those were fine. Perhaps it goes with being a couple, being 'known' socially to regulars, and that we're known to dance with other partners.

If it's a different venue, then I suppose being a couple helps; we have each other if my wife doesn't get dances, and we can take the view that we've paid for our patch of floor space, so we'll use it. Never really found a problem, beyond the usual problems for older followers, in any other metropolis.

**Can find 'poor floorcraft' even at a 'local' milonga.
 
Brummbaer said:
Never found a problem there (apart from floorcraft at some venues and events**), but that was mainly pre-pandemic. Only managed a couple of events there (classes, milonga) last summer, and those were fine. Perhaps it goes with being a couple, being 'known' socially to regulars, and that we're known to dance with other partners.

If it's a different venue, then I suppose being a couple helps; we have each other if my wife doesn't get dances, and we can take the view that we've paid for our patch of floor space, so we'll use it. Never really found a problem, beyond the usual problems for older followers, in any other metropolis.
Click to expand...
Ouch, don't think I'll try the milongas there then, unless I'm with someone or know a regular.
 
pianistamediano said:
Ouch
Click to expand...
I wouldn't put it as that bad; just similar to many other cities with a large pool of younger participants. 'Tradition' is now little more than a old myth. Take it more as reporter bias.

When you're the oldest people there, and unknown, it becomes questionable whether that's the best venue.

Age has been mentioned before. If most other followers are below 40 and mainly single, then, as someone much older, you're unlikely to be asked. Sure, as a leader you can 'ask', maybe you'll be accepted, but too young just makes you look like the weirdo on the prowl. Maybe it's comparable with going to the milonga in your regular suburban locale rather than going downtown for a night out.
 
pianistamediano said:
I'm curious about that — what was the attendance like for both floors? Is it a large enough city for a good number of people? Are there many dancers who enjoy (or even prefer) dancing to non-tango music?

We had a festive milonga like that last month which tried to do that for the first time in a long while, and the few times I dropped by the alt dancefloor, there were relatively few people there.
Click to expand...

I cannot answer this! The milonga is on same night as my favorite milonga so I have not been able to participate there.
 
itwillhappen said:
The only question is whether this also works outside of a niche in the mainstream, and if so, when. I see an event in Stockholm that has been switched from gender to role balance, is now canceled due to a lack of leaders, and is to be reinvented as a double-role event next year. And also a positioned event that tries with a contingent of 15% double role dancers and is now missing 15% leaders, regardless of gender. In practice, this will also mean a gender ratio of 4:1.
Click to expand...
Curious which event was it?
 
LadyLeader said:
I am not especially keen to go to a double roll event and we, solo leaders, are maybe many.

The situation here is more tipping over to a situation when the solo followers are few, and the doubleroll followers are only dancing with their doubleroll friends.
Click to expand...
The problem is the interests of experienced couples, who make up half of the participants at such an event, register early and cause little hassle, so they are often the commercial backbone.

Okay, the opinion of the leading men is of little interest, they are there according to the motto "happy wife, happy life". But what do the (mostly still) following women really get in exchange for dragging their partner there? In fact, the attribute "too conservative" and female leaders of currently still quite different quality.

In addition, of course, male leaders stay away. Whether they do so because they are not the long-term target group or because they are too cowardly to face the female competition is only a question of the point of view of ones own interests.
 
LadyLeader said:
The situation here is more tipping over to a situation when the solo followers are few, and the doubleroll followers are only dancing with their doubleroll friends.
Click to expand...
Isn't that what you might expect in general in any society? It's mostly a workaround. You'll always get a 'special' grouping: nuevo, alternative, traditional, queer... Some fade away, or die instantly; sometimes the middle-of-the-road takes some elements on board in order to continue, and it evolves.

I think a flaw with promoting double-role is that you've probably got to be sufficiently good in one role to consider changing/adding to your skills. How many would commence by taking the traditional opposite gender role? Sure, some would. But sufficient?

None of this seems to answer the fundamental problem of attracting male leaders, and the social environment to retain them dancing with others, particularly in a non-Argentine culture. Bolting on the old, perceived, Argentine tradition doesn't quite fit a non-Argentine culture, unless you desperately want to buy into the myths.
 
The pressure on me to follow would be higher on double-roll event because it is expected that women can follow. My following skills are many years behind me and to catch up work is not worth the gain.

To get a few tandas with an experienced follower are enough if the situation will develop to limited options.

itwillhappen said:
In addition, of course, male leaders stay away. Whether they do so because they are not the long-term target group or because they are too cowardly to face the female competition is only a question of the point of view of ones own interests.
Click to expand...
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Dance Ads

Advertise on Dance Forums Reach dancers, teachers, studios, event organizers, and dance-friendly brands. View ad options
Back
Top