Taxi Dancers included Colombia Tango Festival

[TTanguero]

Are you talking about paid, sponsored, or volunteer taxi dancers?

I've been to a couple of festivals where there were ways for leaders to signal they were happy to be verbally invited by followers (either by wristbands or sitting on a particular table), and it seemed to work well.

 

[Miradamiranda]

I don’t think I’d dance any differently if paid either, although possibly try to give it a little extra if my livelihood and reputation were dependent on it. So the somewhat of a stigma attached to hiring taxi dances as not ‘real’ dances are probably just perception. “Oh she’s not good enough a dancer to get dances on her own so she has to pay to get dances”.

 

[Miradamiranda]

I have not been to BsAs yet, so I don’t have first hand experience with having to pay. I’d still go for the music and the culture. Friends tell me they mostly dance with foreigners that they just as well could have danced with elsewhere. In a thread where Berlin is mentioned side by side with taxi dancing, reminds me I’m due for another trip to Berlin. (Next summer, sometime.) Cabeceo worked perfectly fine for me there too.

 

[Brummbaer]

So the somewhat of a stigma attached to hiring taxi dances as not ‘real’ dances are probably just perception.

For some it's also about a stigma of 'extra' services provided. AT has that 'sexy' stereotype - as played out on TV shows and some films.

 

[itwillhappen]

Are you talking about paid, sponsored, or volunteer taxi dancers? Do you mean incognito dancers or yellow vests? There's a lot of confusion in your answers!

For me, it's about paid dancing. And for you, it's also about the community in Berlin and whether cabeceo works there?

 

[itwillhappen]

So the somewhat of a stigma attached to hiring taxi dances as not ‘real’ dances are probably just perception. “Oh she’s not good enough a dancer to get dances on her own so she has to pay to get dances”.

If, as in Colombia, the price is $50 per tanda, or $40 here in the US:

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then I assume the taxi dancers are excellent dancers. And that clients who want to afford them could be quite wealthy. That says nothing about their dancing ability, but it doesn't make them any more attractive as dance partners, and above all, they're busy for that time.

 

[opendoor]

And for you, it's also about the community in Berlin and whether cabeceo works there?

Berlin referred to the second topic raised by Miradamiranda.

 

[JournalInTime]

“Oh she’s not good enough a dancer to get dances on her own so she has to pay to get dances”.

I've often heard that description applied to those who pay taxis. It rubs me the wrong way because there are plenty of other explanations that are as good and probably more common. In rough order by what I've heard or seen personally:

“She knows nothing about the language and culture where the event is, and lacks the time and inclination to learn or muddle through, so she pays to ensure that she can dance with people who are used to tourists and who speak her language.”

“She knows the event is famous as one where only the young or pretty dance, so she pays not to have to deal with that b******t.”

“She has an image of being an excellent dancer that is very important to her, and has no desire to dance with anybody who would make her look bad, so she pays what amount to professional dancers to dance at her level."

“She is rich, so she pays to circumvent all questions of dancing or not dancing. You would, too, if you had the money.”

“She is neurodivergent and uncomfortable with gazes and strangers, but not at all with practical contracts and purchases, so she prefers paying for a well-understood service negotiated in advance to having a recreational event become an anxiety trigger.”

None of those are made up . . . they are real examples.

Other real examples: I personally know a charming, wealthy guy who's a terrible dancer and who dances with all the visiting "tango royalty" because of his connections and reputation. I know several young, pretty, terrible followers who dance with all the visiting "tango royalty" because they are attractive. And I know plenty of excellent dancers who get passed over due to being faces in the crowd.

The myth: Tango is equal-opportunity regardless of connections, culture, language, looks, money, neurotype, reputation, youth, etc. as long as you dance well.

The reality: Just about all of that other stuff matters more than how well you dance, which is as often or not just a tiebreaker.

 

[Tango Distance]

... the Berlin women are so used to really good local partners that they don’t want to take a risk with an unknown. So these guys who were always in demand in their home scenes suddenly found themselves in a position quite different.

A parallel story (but I think this is rare): I was visiting Los Angeles from out-of-state and went to a particular venue famous for being snobby (PM me if you are going to the Los Angeles area and want to know where). It had a fair number of ladies who looked like models or actresses, and way more women than men. I did mirada/cabeceo over and over... It wasn't just a gentle look away, it was snap the head away from you in a definite "No!" over and over! I was not asking the knot of models/actresses. I was beginning to think I'd have to go home with no dances, despite there being perhaps ~80 ladies. After about 20 failures, a statistically rather representative sample size, finally someone took mercy on me, and once seen I then danced the rest of the night with I think only 1 repeated dance partner. Several people apologized for how the event was not friendly to strangers. I have since then, over the years, heard multiple stories of how hard it can be to get a dance there. Both men and women have told me stories of getting no dances, or "thank you'd" before the 1st song of a tanda ended. Had I known that I would not have gone, but thankfully it worked out.

One very beautiful lady did a demo of a folk dance. She had sat there all night unasked. I asked her -- she wasn't great at Tango but it was fun -- and then she was invited a bunch more times.

Some ladies I consider good have told me they never get dances from the locals when they go, they only get dances with the group they arrived with, unlike other greater Metro LA events.

Would you dance differently with someone if you were paid to dance with him/her?

I have no experience as a taxi dancer or help-role-balance dancer. I think I would worry more about staying within the skill level, speed capability, or available range of motion (step size, amount of dissociation, etc) if I were being paid. Doing things well within my repertoire of moves would be wise. I know I wouldn't want to pay for someone trying to learn how to do something on my money, or trying to go faster than I could go, or with more range of motion than I have.

 

[itwillhappen]

They told me their experience was the opposite, that Berlin women are so used to really good local partners that they don't want to take a risk with a stranger.

You mean Berlin is a paradise for women, a land of milk and honey?
A constant influx of tourists is tiring, but I think a metropolis simply spreads stress because everyone is replaceable and the expensive tango infrastructure also has to be paid for.

 

[Bailango]

They told me their experience there was the opposite, that the Berlin women are so used to really good local partners that they don’t want to take a risk with an unknown.

While that was not my experience in Berlin as I mentioned, above kind of attitude is what gives tango a bad name of being snobbish.

I am wondering when it counts to partners in social dancing if people are more open minded when younger and become close minded as they get older. Are those in 40s and 50s more selective (not based on skills) than those in 20s or 30s.

 

[opendoor]

While that was not my experience in Berlin..

Please PM if you are around agein!

 

[Brummbaer]

I am wondering when it counts to partners in social dancing if people are more open minded when younger and become close minded as they get older. Are those in 40s and 50s more selective (not based on skills) than those in 20s or 30s.

I'm biased; I'm old. Older people (40+) have experience. Some are more likely to have money for a consuming interest, although other failed life choices may reduce that. Some may be more 'open-minded'; others may have had their prejudices validated. It's not as simple as old=close-minded.

Those in their 20-30s are likely to have other objectives beyond dance; some of those older may now have the same objectives - but they're experienced. Some in their 20-30s think they can, and must, fix AT issues by enforcing their take on 'tradition'. Older dancers may be wiser.

I'm not against dancing with a PYT, and have been invited to dance by some, but, somehow, it's not 'appropriate' to be choosing PYTs when old (don't wish to be seen as 'creepy'). Social mores play a part! If you're the oldest in the room, and there's a large age gap, you can feel out-of-place unless you're there to perform. 'Young' doesn't necessarily mean 'advanced', or even 'intermediate'.

Pretty much the justifications @JournalInTime gave for choosing a taxi-dancer apply to both roles. You don't have to deal with the b*****t any more.

 

[Bailango]

Please PM if you are around agein!

Will be a while before I am on the continent again. May be next year. I usually travel for non-tango and try to go to local milongas.

 

[JournalInTime]

Pretty much the justifications @JournalInTime gave for choosing a taxi-dancer apply to both roles. You don't have to deal with the b*****t any more.

Plus, as I've said elsewhere, a stigma that adds further b******t shouldn't apply. The difference between, "I barely know you, but we've danced once or twice. I'll drive you to the event, get you an invitation, pay your way in, etc. if you'll be my principal partner for the evening," and, "I barely know you, but I'll pay you to be my principal partner for the evening" seems hair-thin, like the difference between benefits with cash value and actual cash at a job, both of which my government taxes at the same rate. The exchange of favors is just a fact of life where I live – I've had (and accepted) such offers, as have many other leaders I know, because the region is leader-scarce. People who think money changes the dance are weird.