Lilly_of_the_valley
Well-Known Member
At very least, greeting the newcomer is the organizer's duty, and the local instructors business interest. I know, in some places it is so upside down, there is not even that...
how long does it take to become proficient in tango?
- Thread starter manny
- Start date
Maybe in Europe. But here in the sates, often there aren't multiple communities in a single town. Sure, in places like NYC one would find quite a bit of variety.
But in the average midsize cities, there aren't enough tango dancers to form more than a single community. The most you would find is several in a region that often travel to one another's events. Even then, you might encounter cliquish behavior among the groups that make up the larger regional "community".
I've been to milongas as a total stranger where not a single person (male or female) approached me to say "hi" or "welcome" (and no one asked me to dance.) It was all up to me to break into conversations to introduce myself.
Lilly_of_the_valley
Well-Known Member
Actually, I know a local place that is called "alternative milonga" (I would not call it a milonga by any rate) where young and, I presume, beautiful women would ask a newcomer to dance just like that.
Lilly_of_the_valley
Well-Known Member
Funny, I had a student from out of town who stopped on her way in Sacramento, and went to a milonga. She complained to me that she was ignored there completely; not one person asked her to dance or even approached her to say hi. She felt quite traumatized by the experience. I assured the lady she would be fine at our local milonga. When she showed up, I started introducing her around, but very soon realized she did not need much assistance. That night she met quite a few people without any help from my part, danced a lot and had a great time.
jantango
Well-Known Member
Manny,
You asked a difficult question to answer. How long does it take to be fluent in a new language? Depends on your commitment.
Are you willing to devote all your free time to listening to the music and practicing alone?
Spending six months in Buenos Aires doing nothing but absorbing the culture of tango would help.
You asked a difficult question to answer. How long does it take to be fluent in a new language? Depends on your commitment.
Are you willing to devote all your free time to listening to the music and practicing alone?
Spending six months in Buenos Aires doing nothing but absorbing the culture of tango would help.
Why would that help anyone to dance?
Lilly_of_the_valley
Well-Known Member
I believe we already had a whole thread on that regard, "Does going to Buenos Aires make you a better dancer" or something like that.
Lilly_of_the_valley
Well-Known Member
Found this. Maybe we had more than one?
http://www.dance-forums.com/threads...ys-thats-not-what-they-do-in-argentina.37821/
http://www.dance-forums.com/threads...ys-thats-not-what-they-do-in-argentina.37821/
twnkltoz
Forum Master
I am REALLY surprised to hear that. How long ago was it? Often, people from out of town are introduced during the announcements so people will dance with them. A lot of people will recognize a new face and introduce themselves, etc.
Lilly_of_the_valley
Well-Known Member
It was last summer, I believe, June. Perhaps, she just fell on a random low energy slow night.
twnkltoz
Forum Master
Perhaps. Certainly no community is perfect. I know my husband and I were very warmly greeted when we first started Tango, by a lot of people we didn't know, at each new venue we visited. Now that we're well entrenched in the community, milonga hosts will often introduce us to newbies/visitors or ask us to go ask them to dance--and they do that with other people, too. In fact, sometimes I'll be selfishly annoyed because the girl from out of town is getting tons of dances and I'm not getting any! I've been told we're spoiled to have such a warm community.
opendoor
Forum Master
How awful actually. No wonder that you´ve been negative a lot. By the way, there are several very cliquy, snobbish or narcissistically communities in my home town. The worst I experienced: people that know each other for 10 years or more meet at a party or milonga and do not say "hi" or "welcome", not to speak of asking to dance.
Lilly_of_the_valley
Well-Known Member
Hahaha. I gather after all these years they cannot stand the sight of each other anymore.
Subliminal
Well-Known Member
Proficient?
Three years.
Good enough to social dance?
A few months if you are determined and practice.
Lots of incremental changes in tango development though, don't get discouraged.
Haha!
I must be the only one in the world who goes to a milonga and DOESN'T want to be asked by a lot of guys. There are milongas I've visited from another place where I've been overwhelmed by invitations from terrible, terrible dancers. Probably because the local ladies won't dance with them. A couple of crappy dances at the start to be seen on the floor is ok, but not dancing every tanda or not being able to cabaceo the guys who look like they might be nice to dance with, because you're continuously looking for something in your shoe bag to avoid making eye contact with the guy who dances against the line of dance and tries to lead jumps.
I think there's a very fine balance to be struck.
I must be the only one in the world who goes to a milonga and DOESN'T want to be asked by a lot of guys. There are milongas I've visited from another place where I've been overwhelmed by invitations from terrible, terrible dancers. Probably because the local ladies won't dance with them. A couple of crappy dances at the start to be seen on the floor is ok, but not dancing every tanda or not being able to cabaceo the guys who look like they might be nice to dance with, because you're continuously looking for something in your shoe bag to avoid making eye contact with the guy who dances against the line of dance and tries to lead jumps.
I think there's a very fine balance to be struck.