Embrace...open or close?

[ArbeeNYC]

As in learning to drive a car, or any vehicle, or fly a plane, or control a ship, or perform surgery, or teach, or provide electrical or plumbing services, etc, you take instruction first. Maybe you even use a simulator (e.g. practica), or put in a lot of (supervised) practice. At least, in most places (jurisdictions) you're not let loose to wreak havoc in your selected field without first proving some capability.

I know some jurisdictions have suggested that you can be anything you want without qualifications, and even have some politicians 'enhancing' their resumé, but some instruction is a good starting point rather than raw experience.

Ahh, ok. Yes, prácticas are an excellent place to get started, along with some directed instruction. I simply meant that it's only on the pista that you really learn to develop your skills. You can't really do it in a class or workshop, which is an artificial environment. And, unfortunately, as you noted, in some places, you don't really need to prove your ability to navigate.

 

[LadyLeader]

Where else are you going to acquire it?

For me the fastest learning happened when I danced in a really narrow corridor at my friends home. You cannot negotiate with the walls but you need to learn modify your existing vocabulary - step length, pivoting - to avoid collisions. It took a few attempts on that occasion to get reasonable control and flow forward.

This experience convinced me that if you have the limiting structure at shoulder height the learning gets faster.

 

[itwillhappen]

And, unfortunately, as you noted, in some places, you don't really need to prove your ability to navigate.

Unfortunately? I'm satisfied when there's enough space for the incompetent, and actually that's usually the case with regular milongas in my area.

A lack of space is primarily a poverty problem, only secondarily are there encuentros on which this is deliberately created. When I decided to visit encuentros, I just paid more attention to floorcraft. The work lay ahead by learning space-saving turns in a close embrace.

 

[itwillhappen]

@TTanguero Don't worry, thanks for your comment, however when the women I usually dance they understand what type of embrace I like and they're agree with that considering me to dance with them

But can you watch relaxedly when they get invited by a close embrace leader and then dance with an ecstatic expression on their face?

 

[Tango Distance]

followers who stare at me in some way, which is just plain creepy

We are all different! Despite my Tango Distance foibles, I was/am not bothered by up-close eye contact, go figure. When I started, I would regularly gaze into my dance partner's eyes if she initiated it (all open embrace at first). An instructor (I don't think it was directed at me) said that should not be done. Whoops! I stopped doing it then.

I took it as a sign my partner was focused and enjoying the moment. I still will look someone in the eyes and smile sometimes in a dance, but only briefly. While it makes you JiT uncomfortable, it doesn't necessarily mean the lady doing it is a creepy person.

In my "Not Touchy Feely" thread, I was surprised to learn that are people who crave close contact, but don't like talking or eye contact. It was the reverse for my start in dance.

I do need to be better about looking for, and responding to cabeceo from the ladies -- while I don't mind the eye contact, per se, I do tend to be in my own little world of mental focus.

 

[JournalInTime]

While it makes you JiT uncomfortable, it doesn't necessarily mean the lady doing it is a creepy person.

You're probably right. Digging around in my thoughts, I think my big dislike for people staring at each other is that they aren't looking around them to help manage traffic. Just today I was dancing near a couple like this: They were staring at each other, and as a result veering all over the place.

 

[itwillhappen]

Digging around in my thoughts, I think my big dislike for people staring at each other is that they aren't looking around them to help manage traffic.

Dig deeper, some decades deeper...
...but ok, I also don't like that, starring and digging.

 

[Paja]

Eye contact in open is not a big issue for me. Worse is face-to-face contact in close embrace. Usually both in pair have head turned little to left side in close embrace, so I am controling situation ahead of us, follower can watch over my shoulder what is going on behind us, or close eyes. But some followers like to turn head to right and suddenly you are breathing literally the same air with her. This is much more intimate for me then body contact. You immediatelly start to thing about things like if you didn't eat something with garlic or onion, if your chewing gum is still freshing your breath enough, why your face is so sweated. You keep tell yourself "breathe with nose ONLY you stupid!.." Is not easy to stop thinking about your follower feelings and concentrate to leading only. But you know, what doens't kills you, makes you stronger

 

[ArbeeNYC]

Unfortunately? I'm satisfied when there's enough space for the incompetent, and actually that's usually the case with regular milongas in my area.

A lack of space is primarily a poverty problem, only secondarily are there encuentros on which this is deliberately created. When I decided to visit encuentros, I just paid more attention to floorcraft. The work lay ahead by learning space-saving turns in a close embrace.

Well, yes, it makes it easier when you can avoid the klutzy dancers, yet, if one only dances in big, open spaces, they don't get the opportunity to learn floor craft in any meaningful way.

I don't understand the "poverty problem" part though. Do you mean that the organizers are unable to afford larger spaces?

 

[itwillhappen]

I don't understand the "poverty problem" part though. Do you mean that the organizers are unable to afford larger spaces?

The organizers or the participants who pay for it, what's the difference?
In this sense, I also consider stone floors to be a problem of poverty. If you have the necessary resouces, you might prefer sprung oak parquet floors, oiled.

 

[opendoor]

..suppose we've got to blame Susana Miller for promotion of her version of 'real' AT outside BsAs..

But why blame? After years in open embrace, it was time for a change of style. And Susana wasn't the only one. Omar Vega was the true missionary of the milonguero style in Europe. Susana Miller was't known here back then.

Watch Omar's little performance on the Seine in 1995.

 

[pianistamediano]

But why blame? After years in open embrace, it was time for a change of style. And Susana wasn't the only one. Omar Vega was the true missionary of the milonguero style in Europe. Susana Miller was't known here back then.

Watch Omar's little performance on the Seine in 1995.

That is a truly delightful video! He moves a bit too much for me, but I still enjoy his musicality. I really should be playing more Canaro at milongas; I'd forgotten how lovely La Melodia de Nuestro Adiós was.

 

[pianistamediano]

I would say that Susana Miller is only really a pioneer [?] in North America; I have heard of Omar Vega briefly, but never Susana Miller until I started doing research into how tango spread worldwide in the 90s, especially when reading about Jantango's beginnings as a tango dancer.

 

[Bailango]

Watch Omar's little performance on the Seine in 1995.

That’s a very charming ambience with beautiful music and very nice dancing. In 1995 it must have been shot with handycams on a tape.

This type of dancing doesn’t scream performance. I don’t care which style label to attribute. It is AT at its most enchanting. Thanks for posting such a gem.

 

[Bailango]

I would say that Susana Miller is only really a pioneer [?] in North America; I have heard of Omar Vega briefly, but never Susana Miller until I started doing research into how tango spread worldwide in the 90s, especially when reading about Jantango's beginnings as a tango dancer.

While her name is frequently mentioned, out here on the west coast some of the earliest influencers were other Argentine dancers who started teaching in early 90s. In terms of real influence on the dancers Susan Miller was at best one among few others. She has more recognition because she was propagating a bit more structured approach to teaching tango.