Cabeceo and Other "Rules"

[itwillhappen]

The trick is that the overtaking and passing adds traffic to the destination lane, and even if done well risks causing halting by those in both lanes, unless they're very experienced and react well. I suppose it could work on a floor where everyone is experienced and prepared for it, but then I'd ask why – if those on the floor are good at this – there would be a traffic jam in the first place.

I have had the pleasure of attending several events where almost no one walked onto the dance floor without making eye contact or disrupted the flow of the dance. (Simply because then he would not have been invited again.)
Traffic jams arose there because couples were let in at the corners. Sometimes I made 2m progress on a song, sometimes I switched to the inner track and then stayed there because the outer track didn't get emptier again.

But that's not the case at a normal milonga here, and I overtake there quite routinely if necessary. And because nobody has to dance slower, I also think that practically everyone moves faster, regardless of theoretical models.

 

[Steve Pastor]

I prefer the elbow over the straight arm for guys who back up too much. It is employed by simply rotating your left side towards the line of dance while making sure your arm is somewhat horizontal.

There is also the technique of backing into someone who is blocking the line of dance, gently at first of course. This is preferable to using your partner as a battering ram ! I can remember being taught at Tango Berretin the technique whereby a group blocks / boxes in a couple who are being disruptive on the floor.

 

[TTanguero]

I can remember being taught at Tango Berretin the technique whereby a group blocks / boxes in a couple who are being disruptive on the floor.

I was chatting to a teacher in BsAs who described doing this. Apparently with one guy it happened twice before he got the hint!

 

[ArbeeNYC]

I prefer the elbow over the straight arm for guys who back up too much. It is employed by simply rotating your left side towards the line of dance while making sure your arm is somewhat horizontal.

There is also the technique of backing into someone who is blocking the line of dance, gently at first of course. This is preferable to using your partner as a battering ram ! I can remember being taught at Tango Berretin the technique whereby a group blocks / boxes in a couple who are being disruptive on the floor.

Yes, the elbow is useful if it's not too overt or excessive. Backing into someone can also be effective, although I don't use it because I don't like making contact with the couple ahead of me. The problem with that is that the shock is going to ripple through you to your partner, which is unpleasant for everyone concerned. The block technique is a good idea. I could have used it last night, in fact, but there were TWO disruptive couples in front of me, together occupying quite a bit of space and moving back and forward a bit too aggressively, with large movements and large steps on a crowded floor. I generally don't give such dancers extra space though. You do run the risk of getting scythed by his partner's heels (you or your partner) if you get too close.

 

[Bailango]

If there is a traffic jam in the other lane too, there is obviously no point in overtaking. But if the lane is free and the person in front of me has obvious problems to reach an appropriate speed, then I overtake, after some observation, with caution. In traffic and in tango.

I feel a little caught, because I change lanes when the LOD doesn't go any further. There are pieces of music that just don't want to be danced to on the spot.

Changing lanes is not over taking. It can be very irritating to get stuck behind a couple (leader) not moving when the music calls for movement. I was referring to overtaking within the same lane

The next worst culprits are those who zigzag between the outer and inner lanes.

You observe or take into account how is dancing ahead and behind you in the LOD. Depending on their tendencies, you have a fair idea how to use your own pace, when an how are they likely to move, their level of skills in navigating the floor. When you get someone barging in and out, that disturbs the calculus of the barger enters ahead or behind you.

In extremely rare circumstances I will change the lane. If I do, I will stay in it till the end of the tanda. In those rare circumstances I will only change if the lane is less crowded an there is enough room to switch and enter it without disrupting any couple. Mostly I’ll wait for the end of the song to change lane positions. If the outer lan is crowded, high chances that the inner lane is also equally crowded. Multiple lanes when they exist are almost equally crowded or not.

In all my years dancing and across many different places, my experience is the line of dance is generally followed. Those with bad floorcraft in terms of overtaking and weaving between the lanes are always a very small minority. There are other floorcraft issues which are more common like holding up line of dance, not knowing when to enter the ronda, intruding into space of adjacent couples, dancing too big, etc. LOD can get hold up for many reasons from incompetent or a beginner dancer to a couple who is dancing in place for too long.

 

[Bailango]

Overtaking?

Well, I have come across some claimed codigos from the past in that respect:

Thou shalt not overtake during a tanda

to a slightly more relaxed:

You may only overtake in extreme circumstances

So what's today's floorcraft milonga-defining codigo regarding overtaking?

In my experience it hasn’t changed. Same as what you outlined above from the past. And mostly gets adhered to. The offenders if any, are always the same people. Bad apples who deserve to be giving a warning by the organizers.

 

[Bailango]

Past the minute market though . . .

That’s jumping over the hurdle no one considers by passing these “lost in talk” couple as overtaking, if they are indulging in it for inordinately long time. Ronda can’t wait for them to finish.

 

[ArbeeNYC]

That’s jumping over the hurdle no one considers by passing these “lost in talk” couple as overtaking, if they are indulging in it for inordinately long time. Ronda can’t wait for them to finish.

Well, you can dance in place. I know quite a few couples, who will talk for the first minute of the song. In a 2.5 minute song, that's a lot of yak-yak.