How to improve musicality

[Brummbaer]

Tango Space team uses the smile as *a test* if you have reached the milonga mood!

They list 5 differences between tango and milonga. All of them point differences in the process of stepping and moving.

Rock that milonga tanda: the 5 differences between tango and milonga – Tango Classes For All

www.tango-space.com

Milonga (the dance) is 'fun', but comes in several (a continuum of) musical flavours, unless you really want to be traditional and purist about the one-true-milonga.

 

[opendoor]

Milonga (the dance) ..comes in several.. musical flavours..

But all, typical milonga porteña, candombeada, campera, milongón, or murga all work with the baldosa.

 

[pianistamediano]

Dancing with a smile to this milonga seems a bit inappropriate, considering the lyrics:

 

[itwillhappen]

Dancing with a smile to this milonga seems a bit inappropriate, considering the lyrics:

Just dance to something different, best w/o lyrics at all:

 

[Brummbaer]

But all, typical milonga porteña, candombeada, campera, milongón, or murga all work with the baldosa.

Yes they do, but it's not the only option. It's certainly a wise choice if you don't have something else - floor environment permitting. However, if necessary, I can limit steps to a confined space of the chequerboard under us.

And that applies to all the AT options. The common complaint is that you're perpetually forced to do so, irrespective of desired musical interpretation, because of poor floorcraft from others.

 

[pianistamediano]

The common complaint is that you're perpetually forced to do so, irrespective of desired musical interpretation, because of poor floorcraft from others.

This!

 

[ArbeeNYC]

but apparently people just want to dance salsa and stay in the same spot.

I'm very familiar with that sort of behavior.

 

[Rabbit]

I'd rather people dance on the same spot than the complete nonsense they are doing in El Boliche which has awful floorcraft. Even by London standards. Yeah it was actually annoying enough to name the milonga.

 

[pianistamediano]

I'd rather people dance on the same spot than the complete nonsense they are doing in El Boliche which has awful floorcraft. Even by London standards. Yeah it was actually annoying enough to name the milonga.

Quite the mess, aye. I'd liken their motion to Lévy flight.

Can't believe you actually went there again recently though! I'd have thought that my stories were enough of a deterrence.

I only go there every now and then to dance with a few followers. The floorcraft is lamentable, especially whenever the venue fills up with >≈100 dancers and when people - who don't usually go there _ appear in groups. The last time floorcraft was at an all-time low, I recall not recognising about half the dancers.

 

[Brummbaer]

Quite the mess, aye. I'd liken their motion to Lévy flight.

Can't believe you actually went there again recently though! I'd have thought that my stories were enough of a deterrence.

I only go there every now and then to dance with a few followers. The floorcraft is lamentable, especially whenever the venue fills up with >≈100 dancers and when people - who don't usually go there _ appear in groups. The last time floorcraft was at an all-time low, I recall not recognising about half the dancers.

Maybe that's a consequence of having learnt from 'performances' and other lessons on YT without the context of the traditional ronda and, as noted, 'salsa tango'. However I had come across poor floorcraft in London pre-Covid, but less so. As I've noted previously, AT appears to be evolving away from that 'tradition' from Argentina, possibly by cross-contamination from other genres that participants see, or bring with them. But it was ever so - and how AT itself evolved.

 

[Rabbit]

Can't believe you actually went there again recently though! I'd have thought that my stories were enough of a deterrence.

A friend invited me. I hadn't been before. Don't understand why anyone would choose to go there on a regular basis.

 

[pianistamediano]

However I had come across poor floorcraft in London pre-Covid, but less so.

I've heard stories here and there from the long-time London regulars about pre-Covid London tango, about 10+ years ago if I recall correctly? Back when Negracha still had a basement Nuevo room and Carablanca was still going strong. Apparently, it (floorcraft, and everything else) used to be much better than it has been in the past few years. What was it like from your perspective?

 

[pianistamediano]

a consequence of having learnt from 'performances' and other lessons on YT without the context of the traditional ronda and, as noted, 'salsa tango'

Makes sense.

 

[Brummbaer]

Back when Negracha still had a basement Nuevo room and Carablanca was still going strong.

Ah, Negracha. We learnt a lot from Ivan and guest teachers. Happy nights! A late night public transport system. Go out late and tell our kids not to wait up for us. Even food and some decent nuevo music with which to experiment - along with some extremely good traditional.

Went occasionally after it moved from Holborn to temporary venues. Pavadita, run by Nikki Preddy, was also good. And, AFAIK, still going in the same place after they were told to move out (prospect of higher rents)

There was the occasional poor floorcraft (or maybe we were naïve), but it depended who was there. More the exception than the rule. You could identify the culprits. Some were dealt with. Similarly at Che. There were also a lot of extremely good dancers.

Makes us sound like regulars, but sadly too infrequent visits for dancing.

On visits nowadays it depends where you are and, to some extent, who you know or are acquainted with.

But we're all aging. And that group of organisers had all been together in various shows and similar, so put their stamp on the scene.

 

[Bailango]

Maybe that's a consequence of having learnt from 'performances' and other lessons on YT without the context of the traditional ronda and, as noted, 'salsa tango'. However I had come across poor floorcraft in London pre-Covid, but less so. As I've noted previously, AT appears to be evolving away from that 'tradition' from Argentina, possibly by cross-contamination from other genres that participants see, or bring with them. But it was ever so - and how AT itself evolved.

Please don’t export it out of London and UK