Taxi Dancers included Colombia Tango Festival

[Tango Distance]

I know a tanguera going to the Colombia Tango Festival, She said something she liked was that taxi dancers are included in the price. It is $1800 for the week, hotel included. I don't know the number of attendees or the gender balance, but I'd guess 20 taxi dancers probably really helps the classes, maybe not as much the milongas.

In contrast, the Gavito Festival was $50 for 1 tanda, or $90 for 2 tandas, for a taxi dancer. You could potentially have spent $1800+ per day just on taxi dancers!

I Googled for a bit, it looks like taxi dancers are a thing at larger festivals in the Americas. BTW I hired a taxi dancer for a single tanda once. even though I was dancing nonstop. It was a great experience, watch for the story in the future.

(mod edit: name spelling fix per author request)

 

[Reuven Thetanguero]

If you are referring to the Manizales Tango festival, it's in COLOMBIA. The Colombians are very sensitive to misspelling of their country's name.

 

[tangoing]

On one hand, it's good that tango pros can find work as taxi dancers + it's good to stimulate the tango economy.
On the other hand, is the tango scene so bad/elitist that there's such a large market that people (assuming it's mostly older women) must pay others just to get dances?

 

[Rabbit]

On one hand, it's good that tango pros can find work as taxi dancers + it's good to stimulate the tango economy.
On the other hand, is the tango scene so bad/elitist that there's such a large market that people (assuming it's mostly older women) must pay others just to get dances?

Sometimes the role balance is really messed up, sometimes its about dancing with a partner way above their skill level. I dont think any of this is unique to AT

 

[fiesta0618]

I dont think any of this is unique to AT

I can confirm that it is not.

Social ballroom does not really have the concept of a taxi dancer (probably because Pro-Am scratches that itch, despite the fact that it is a competitive rather than social format), but it is absolutely the case that a good proportion of dancers will jump through a lot of hoops to experience a high-level partner, even in a healthy and well-balanced scene.

 

[Brummbaer]

I believe the term 'taxi dancer' originates from the early 20th century (1920/30 Depression era) dance hall culture in the US. I believe around the San Francisco area. There's the 1930's film 10 cents a dance with Barbara Stanwyck as a taxi dancer. Maybe ProAm is a more recent, refined, version?

The history in AT is slightly different. One could trace this to early days when tango was danced in academias, pirigundines, brothels, clandestine casinos and bars. The organizer charged every man a certain amount for every six minutes of dance and paid the women a certain amount for the whole evening. The tanda and cortina are also related to this where tin chips were bought and used in payment for a set of dances. In AT it dates from a time when there was a shortage of women in Argentina.

I've come across male taxi-dancers wending their way across Europe. However, in the contemporary form, ignoring any possibility of additional offerings than 'dance', I'm intrigued whether it was just a good/great dance, or whether there was some 'connection'.

 

[Brummbaer]

On one hand, it's good that tango pros can find work as taxi dancers + it's good to stimulate the tango economy.
On the other hand, is the tango scene so bad/elitist that there's such a large market that people (assuming it's mostly older women) must pay others just to get dances?

Of course it used to be the other way round (see above). Nowadays males seem to have found other diversions, which is their loss. Dance isn't seen as sufficiently macho! Where there's a market...

 

[tangoing]

Sometimes the role balance is really messed up, sometimes its about dancing with a partner way above their skill level. I dont think any of this is unique to AT

Yeah but they were talking about festivals, which should be closer to role balanced than random milongas. And I do think the concept of taxi dancers are a lot more magnified in AT than other dances.

 

[ArbeeNYC]

I know a tanguera going to the Columbia Tango Festival, She said something she liked was that taxi dancers are included in the price. It is $1800 for the week, hotel included. I don't know the number of attendees or the gender balance, but I'd guess 20 taxi dancers probably really helps the classes, maybe not as much the milongas.

In contrast, the Gavito Festival was $50 for 1 tanda, or $90 for 2 tandas, for a taxi dancer. You could potentially have spent $1800+ per day just on taxi dancers!

I Googled for a bit, it looks like taxi dancers are a thing at larger festivals in the Americas. BTW I hired a taxi dancer for a single tanda once. even though I was dancing nonstop. It was a great experience, watch for the story in the future.

Columbia is on the Upper West Side of NYC. They do have tango classes there but no current festival I am aware of. By the way $50/tanda for a taxi dancer is kind of outrageous.

 

[ArbeeNYC]

Yeah but they were talking about festivals, which should be closer to role balanced than random milongas. And I do think the concept of taxi dancers are a lot more magnified in AT than other dances.

Many seem to supplement their teaching income with taxi dancing. Although I'm not sure if all of them teach.

 

[Rabbit]

Yeah but they were talking about festivals, which should be closer to role balanced than random milongas. And I do think the concept of taxi dancers are a lot more magnified in AT than other dances.

In my experience festivals or any other sort of special event always attract more followers than leaders, if theyre role balanced it's because of intervention from the organisers one way or another.

There are certainly a lot of taxi dancers in Buenos Aires, but it's a special case because of the tourism factor.

 

[Brummbaer]

And I do think the concept of taxi dancers are a lot more magnified in AT than other dances.

Certainly the concept has a longer history, but a quick google shows other latin dance festivals (e.g. weekenders), and some reports of taxi dancers (who seem to be appreciated).

 

[Tango Distance]

Am I the only one who has done a taxi dance here?

My little story: I was at a large USA festival. It was my 2nd marathon milonga of the event. I danced nonstop the first one, minus a handful of tandas for restroom breaks. The 2nd one was going just as well. BTW, I'm sure it was not my major dance skills, just the benefit of the 2:1 female:male ratio. I noticed a "Taxi Dancer" sign in the corner, somehow I had missed it before. Half impulse, and half due to high recommendations, I went over and paid. It was amazing! Superfast steps just happened. The taxi dancer said "Eso!" several times, smiled alot, and said I had great musicality at the end. Yes, I realize professional enthusiam would be good business for a taxi dancer; in other words, maybe some acting was going on, but in any case it was great fun! I was glad I did it. She qualified as the best dancer I have danced Tango with, and that was a top tanda for me. My only regret is I didn't get it on video.

I went away with a different impression. I had thought taxi dancers were only for people having trouble getting dances.

• It had not occurred to me a taxi dance is also a way to get a dance with someone very good.
• Doing this early in the night could have the addtional benefit of showcasing you very well, and increasing your chances at getting good dances (or getting dances at all).

It's not something I'll do very often, but maybe once a festival. One would do well to watch the taxi dancer dance first. If you want to be showcased well, you'd want someone with a big smile and looking like they are having a great time.

 

[opendoor]

Am I the only one who has done a taxi dance here?

I did it three times because friends and event organizers asked me to. I only did it to connect with an event organizer and be part of a team. My goal was to DJ. I always found it very demanding and exhausting. You have to create the same feeling of security and comfort for every followers, whether tall or short, bulky or slim, experienced or inexperienced. At the events mentioned, it ruined my desire to dance for my own enjoyment. I left the events as soon as I had done my duty. After an accident and several knee surgeries, that little episode was over anyway.

 

[Brummbaer]

Am I the only one who has done a taxi dance here?

Never used one directly as never needed to. I have my SO. We dance with others anyway. Also we dance with maestros and teachers we know. e know some who now teach who have been taxi dancers.

However I can see the benefits in some circumstances.