Encuentros.. Please explain. thx

[Gaiatango]

Most events I know of do require you to commit to dancing roughly 50/50 in order to register as a dual-role dancer. If you're going to be dancing predominantly in one role, then you need to register for that role.

Yeah, that's my experience. Personally I dance lead generally in workshop situation and mostly in Practicas however at a Milonga I want to dance follow.. So am I a submarine?

 

[tangoing]

I don’t think there’s any encuentros in the nyc area…space is hard to come by and all the advance dancers basically congregate at 1-2 milongas/practicas anyways.
There are private workshops that are invite only / word of mouth though.

 

[brujo]

The word encuentro is captivating as a Spanish speaker. I know it means meetup but also has a meeting of 'looking/finding'. So what exactly can you find in an encuentro that you can't find in a milonga?

 

[itwillhappen]

Some very capable locals, including teachers and performers, are conspicuously absent. Most of the crowd isn't local. The commonality that leaps out at me is how everyone present is fitter, slimmer, younger, and better-dressed than most people at most local milongas.

Such events for the young, rich and beautiful are known here in Europe more as (one form of) "marathons". Encuentros are then more for a group of people who are looking back on this (actual or imagined) phase of their life journey.

 

[Brummbaer]

The word encuentro is captivating as a Spanish speaker. I know it means meetup but also has a meeting of 'looking/finding'. So what exactly can you find in an encuentro that you can't find in a milonga?

Concentración...

of good and bad. If you fit the required mould - good; if you don't like that particular mix - bad (think: do you really want to be a member of a club with such people in it?).

 

[itwillhappen]

Of the regular posters here on DF, I'm one of the longest-serving. I can tell you how the encuentro hype affected the milongas in my city. Around 2009, I noticed that the best and most experienced followers were showing up less often at the milongas. When confronted, they all said in unison: "Why should I sit around in this milonga when I can dance non-stop for a whole weekend?" In contrast, I didn't know a single leader who attended encuentros.

And how does that fit together? Where do you think all the endurance dancing leaders came from?

My peer group and I despised the downgrading of technique and floorcraft that was celebrated at encuentros.

If that was the case, then in my opinion, things have fundamentally changed. At festivals and neo/non/alt events these days, there seem to be significantly more beginners and untalented dancers, especially leaders, than at a selective encuentro or even a high-key milonga. Encuentros nowadays are more of a retreat for older, experienced couples. At a selective marathon with its younger, well-trained participants, the overall dancing level can certainly be higher.

 

[itwillhappen]

Yeah, that's my experience. Personally I dance lead generally in workshop situation and mostly in Practicas however at a Milonga I want to dance follow.. So am I a submarine?

Why should you register as a double-roler if you want to participate as a follower?

This might work for a first-come, first-served registration process where no one evaluates or ranks the registrations, such as festivals and some marathons.
Some encuentros don't even have a double-role checkbox. "Of course," women are allowed to lead, but then they should do it "properly." This is linked to the question of which events you've already participated in as a leader. And expectations are usually high; if the balance is significantly skewed, the participants' frustration will also be felt by the organizer.

Of course, there are nowadays hybrid formats these days, including double-role encuentros.

 

[TTanguero]

So am I a submarine?

It's only an issue when registering for role-balanced events. I think in that situation it's the dancing they care about rather than the workshops.

 

[itwillhappen]

The word encuentro is captivating as a Spanish speaker. I know it means meetup but also has a meeting of 'looking/finding'. So what exactly can you find in an encuentro that you can't find in a milonga?

What you find there, in my opinion, is a more or less balanced experience for heterosexual, established couples. My girlfriend estimates that at the established Encuentros we attend, up to 70% (I don't have an eye for that sort of thing) are committed couples who strive to dance with different, and mostly good, partners in close embrace.

 

[ArbeeNYC]

There are private workshops that are invite only / word of mouth though.

Private workshops? Tell us more. I'm curious as to why an instructor would keep them private. And are they different than simple private sessions one pays for with an instructor (alone or with a partner)? It would seem counterproductive for an instructor not to publicize such a workshop.

 

[opendoor]

Private workshops? Tell us more.... It would seem counterproductive for an instructor not to..

After all, Tupperware and Avon parties were very popular for a while. Exclusivity might be a sales strategy—learning (or having) something that can't be bought publicly.

However, unofficial events aren't automatically related to an encuentro milonguero. Most encuentros advertise their events publicly. The bottleneck only arises later in the registration process.

 

[itwillhappen]

Private workshops? Tell us more. I'm curious as to why an instructor would keep them private. And are they different than simple private sessions one pays for with an instructor (alone or with a partner)? It would seem counterproductive for an instructor not to publicize such a workshop.

You're mixing up the roles of organizer and instructor. You can simply approach teachers and ask if they'd be interested in giving a workshop for you and your friends. The details can then be freely negotiated.

 

[Brummbaer]

You're mixing up the roles of organizer and instructor. You can simply approach teachers and ask if they'd be interested in giving a workshop for you and your friends. The details can then be freely negotiated.

It also depends on space available and costs. Given that a space needs to be hired, then it needs sufficient attendees to cover the cost. We've attended 'private' workshops using someone's large 'shed' in the garden (with a suitable floor) that can accommodate 4 couples at most. The 'shed' comes for free; you pay the instructor(s) a negotiated fee for their travel and time. We've also had similar in our space via zoom during Covid lockdowns.

 

[Bailango]

Yeah, that's my experience. Personally I dance lead generally in workshop situation and mostly in Practicas however at a Milonga I want to dance follow..

then you are a follower and not a double roller or someone that wishes to switch.

What role you dance in workshop or practica doesn’t matter.

 

[Bailango]

Such events for the young, rich and beautiful are known here in Europe more as (one form of) "marathons". Encuentros are then more for a group of people who are looking back on this (actual or imagined) phase of their life journey.

Haha. That gave me chuckle. May be useful way to describe the difference between the two in a lighthearted way.

Perhaps youngsters have started gravitating towards marathons and no-longer-youngesters to Encuentros. I attend neither. Both are far more popular in Europe than in the USA. To best I know a few festivals have been traditionally popular in the USA that people go to. Not to marathons of Encuentros.