The short answer is that, in London milongas, there are enough wannabe performers to disrupt the entire ronda. Those close to them have to take evasive action, then other have to evade the evaders ...
I understand wanting to avoid
that!
Here, it's less "wannabe performers" and more leaders who dawdle while vast space opens up in front of them, step back against the line of dance even when they could advance, and dance all turns as sweeping movements that involve them either walking around the outside of the follower or projecting the follower into a huge orbit. Of late, another trend seems to be freezing in place for an entire musical paragraph; it's far more than a pause. It's all big, halting, and prone to retrograde motion. Unfortunately, that's how the dominant schools in town taught them, and as they're the dominant clique, they're at all the invitation-only events here . . .
We do have a crowd who respect strict spacing – advance if there's more than a few steps of space in front, never retreat even if there's space in back, pause for at most count of four, dance all turns small and with an advancing component when possible – but they tend to be older, less flashy, and therefore not among the "beautiful people" who dominate invitation-only events. To my eyes, they're better dancers.
But there's also a difference in setup and atmosphere. Most London milongas don't have tables, just seating around the edges, so social chat is challenging.
We have some of that here, too. However, many organizers are aware of it and have taken remedial steps.
Last night I danced at a place with tables three deep, with lots of space between them. Some were high, bar-style ones with stools; others were longer and lower, as at a restaurant. Some were adjacent to the floor, others were behind a separating rail that demarcated the bar area. There were also comfy sofas with one, two, and three spots.
A monthly ball we had for quite some time was set in a military officers' lounge. It had massive tables and chairs in heavy, dark wood. It was a space where majors and generals would dine at big tables and then retire to sit around the hearth (blazing in winter, even at the milonga!), doubtless to smoke cigars and drink whiskey. Tables and chairs rearranged, a flawless hardwood floor was exposed, making dancing and sitting equally pleasant.
Another monthly ball was set in a former bank converted into a luxurious space for events such as film launches and charity galas for the monied. When its tables and chairs were rearranged, it was also ideal for dancing.
Interestingly, the venue most popular for invitation-only events here is none of those and has no tables!
The festivals I've been to, in contrast, are joyful and friendly places, where everyone dances with everyone, and people are all about the music and connection, not how they look to their (perceived) admirers.
Interesting. While I'm not a huge festival-goer, I don't avoid the ones within my reach. I've found that most have a hard core of locals who remain as cliquish as always, and little nuclei of visitors clustered together by place of origin and/or language spoken. I'd love to go to a festival where everybody shows up, forgets their allegiances, and has fun. That would be a dream come true!
benlovejoy.blog
