Taxi Dancers

DanceMentor

DanceMentor

Administrator
I remember there was another thread or someone had asked about when pro am dancing started. While this is not exactly Pro-Am competition dancing, it is an early case in the movies where it portrays people getting paid to dance with a partner. Describing the movie they used term taxi dancer. In a similar way you pay a taxi for the amount of time you spend riding, they were taxi dancers who charged a dime a dance.

Here is a link to a full length movie from 1931 with Barbara Stanwyck called "A Dime a Dance". It seems she is caught between a typhoon that is pursuing her and the man she really loves.

Have you heard this term taxi dancer before?

 
Taxi dancer is used all the time. For example, if taken solo trips to Havana and Buenos Aires. Both times I took lessons (duh, salsa and arg tango) and both times I paid the studio for a taxi dancer to take me out dancing that night so I could practice what I learned and have an inside perspective to the dance scene there.

My salsa teacher was my taxi dancer - I paid about $30 for him to take me salsa dancing from about 11pm until *gulp* 4am. It was a blast! In BA, I had 2 different taxi dancers than my teacher- they took me to milongas. It was comparable in price to paying a teacher here for their time
 
Taxi dancing was going on in NYC in the 50/60s at the Roseland B/Room.
And, there is a studio in NYC today ( In Brooklyn ? ) that does the same or similar, more like teachers for hourly "rental " .
 
I first read that term "taxi dancer" on DF. I had heard of "dance hosts" before. I knew my teacher had done that once before for a friend of a friend. For a long time I thought hiring ones teacher to social dance was unfair or something to hide. I worried for the feelings of my men friends that they would feel rejected if I hired my teacher to dance with me instead of dancing with them. And it is frightfully expensive. But eventually my want (dare I say need?) for skilled dancing outpaced my reluctance to spend so much or to risk what others might think. So far I've only done this once, but it was such a blast, and caused no hurt feelings (that I am aware of). My partner at the time did not mind because it freed him up to dance with more ladies. I only did it for 1 hour of the dance so I can still dance with all the other men and because I cannot afford more. So far the only complaint I've heard was from ladies who wanted to dance with my teacher during that hour. He was ever so gracious how he explained. I plan to do this again.

Have others on DF thought of hiring their teacher to host them? I am especially keen to hear the perspective of the teacher. Is there any specific etiquette about this? Any dance hosts on DF want to comment what it is like for them, what considerations they might wish the student to know? The term "taxi dancer" sounds less respectful than "dance host". Is it?
 
flying_backwards said:
I first read that term "taxi dancer" on DF. I had heard of "dance hosts" before. I knew my teacher had done that once before for a friend of a friend. For a long time I thought hiring ones teacher to social dance was unfair or something to hide. I worried for the feelings of my men friends that they would feel rejected if I hired my teacher to dance with me instead of dancing with them. And it is frightfully expensive. But eventually my want (dare I say need?) for skilled dancing outpaced my reluctance to spend so much or to risk what others might think. So far I've only done this once, but it was such a blast, and caused no hurt feelings (that I am aware of). My partner at the time did not mind because it freed him up to dance with more ladies. I only did it for 1 hour of the dance so I can still dance with all the other men and because I cannot afford more. So far the only complaint I've heard was from ladies who wanted to dance with my teacher during that hour. He was ever so gracious how he explained. I plan to do this again.

Have others on DF thought of hiring their teacher to host them? I am especially keen to hear the perspective of the teacher. Is there any specific etiquette about this? Any dance hosts on DF want to comment what it is like for them, what considerations they might wish the student to know? The term "taxi dancer" sounds less respectful than "dance host". Is it?
Click to expand...


A "taxi" dancer, is only hired one dance at a time, as others will book him; remember , they are in operation in public B/Rooms with no obligations .
 
I have been a taxi dancer, though I do not enjoy it so much because it can feel like prison. I was paid by the hour, and we agreed to dance like every third tanda.

It is fairly common in tango, as an above poster mentioned.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Dance Ads

Advertise on Dance Forums Reach dancers, teachers, studios, event organizers, and dance-friendly brands. View ad options
Back
Top