There's some 'gateway', which the organiser may control. Fair enough, since it's essentially a 'private' party. Some pass through; some don't. Given that social AT has no formal standards, I guess some 'evidence' that they're considered, shall we say 'appropriate', to join that 'club' of like-minded people.
Encuentros - pros and cons
- Thread starter ardix
- Start date
pianistamediano
Forum Master
I had a discussion with someone who's been dancing for close to two decades since university, and he didn't know what encuentros were; we chatted and had distinguished fairly well between festivals, marathons and encuentros by the end, but I think this was a salient point that I missed. No doubt some marathons are approaching a high degree of invite-only/known to the organisers, but it's not as explicit or adhered to as encuentros, I believe.
And I think that if a marathon veers too much in that direction, it risks becoming stagnant and then forgotten by other dancers, which marathon organisers don't want in general, because they want to maintain a reputation for a high level of dancing and selectiveness, and also create a desire to be one of the crowd.
opendoor
Forum Master
Some actually are ( but to save on royalty fees).
Miradamiranda
Well-Known Member
So did I just 2 weeks ago! Well, experienced. Maybe not 2 decades. For some it’s still so much under the radar.
itwillhappen
Forum Master
That would be better in terms of an event that is based on an invitation.
It is often not nice for the locals in particular when they cannot take part.
But on the one hand, most organizers advertise a bit so that new, different dancers from further away want to attend.
And on the other hand, many participants also want to demonstrate in one way or another, usually on Facebook, that they were there. That's just how we humans are.
itwillhappen
Forum Master
Encuetros are an attempt to optimize the quality of the dance partners. And wherever you make an optimization, you give less weight to other aspects and have to live with the consequences.
I was recently with my girlfriend, and more or less by chance a couple of friends came along. And the couple told us, beaming with joy, that they had registered for an encuentro for the first time and asked what I knew about it. Well, I had to explain to them that I am also registered there, but not with my girlfriend, who had just cooked a loving and good meal for all of us. It takes a certain clarity and transparency in the relationship to set off together in a positive mood for the evening milonga.
The only question is whether a criterion is to put weight on, whether it is really wanted. As a hint: in a leisure activity like tango dancing, we will observe in reality only that what is really wanted.
I was recently with my girlfriend, and more or less by chance a couple of friends came along. And the couple told us, beaming with joy, that they had registered for an encuentro for the first time and asked what I knew about it. Well, I had to explain to them that I am also registered there, but not with my girlfriend, who had just cooked a loving and good meal for all of us. It takes a certain clarity and transparency in the relationship to set off together in a positive mood for the evening milonga.
Of course it is also possible to optimize regarding a "fair" criterion. This is even possible with the simplest means for each individual tanda. Everyone who wants to dance lines up in two rows for leaders and followers, and a coin toss decides in which direction the rows are brought together. Everyone would feel equally included; strangers, beginners, introverts, wallflowers, creeps. (Okay, okay, nowadays two more rows for double rolers if you like.)
The only question is whether a criterion is to put weight on, whether it is really wanted. As a hint: in a leisure activity like tango dancing, we will observe in reality only that what is really wanted.
So your dance partner is not your girlfriend ?
I can never figure out when you talk about your dance partner if she is your gf too. In WCS swing the J&J partner are chosen with leaders and followers standing in respective rows facing each other. A random number is picked. The women rotate by that many number. Sounds similar to your tanda by coin toss idea.
itwillhappen
Forum Master
One of the nine or ten dance partners I have made arrangements with for encuentros and similar events has recently become my girlfriend. Now is it really inconvenient that I usually cannot take her, and never additionally, with me to encuentros at short notice. On the other hand, she does not have nearly enough free time to accompany me to all the events or she would professionally burn out.So your dance partner is not your girlfriend ?
Well, our optimum at the moment is that we spend some really suitable events together, if possible with a short vacation. Others can make other arrangements; this is a free country and tango only a leisure activity. You just rarely get the perceived advantages without the perceived disadvantages, including me.