The "dark side" of Tango scene

[itwillhappen]

"you have lost nothing here" or discriminating views when people are dancing together (for example beginners), if possible combined with some cynical smile.

Can't imagine that at a regular milonga here.
Are you living in a big tango metropolis?

 

[latinjazz]

Can't imagine that at a regular milonga here.
Are you living in a big tango metropolis?

No, not at all.. And I think that might be exactly the problem...
The dwarfs are the giants here.

 

[JournalInTime]

No, not at all.. And I think that might be exactly the problem...
The dwarfs are the giants here.

It's always the worst in small places. My hometown isn't large. There are two tango schools there. I should say "two tango cults." And it's Jets v. Sharks, Montagues v. Capulets, etc. the whole time.

Where I live now, we have tons of studios, teachers, events, etc. There are definitely rivalries. But they aren't nearly as venomous. Also, they're mostly driven by capitalism, the almighty dollar: People just want the business of the other place. It isn't particularly cultish.

 

[TTanguero]

And if that happens and people are watching you like Hannibal Lecter in silence of the lambs while you nervously smile, you might not go back there.

No nervous smiles here – I and my dance partners have literally laughed aloud at some of our less competent attempts, and we're not alone in doing so.

 

[itwillhappen]

No, not at all.. And I think that might be exactly the problem...
The dwarfs are the giants here.

I prefer milongas where the organizer keeps to be the one and only giant - and uses this in a wise fashion.

 

[ArbeeNYC]

Would you say those who understand history, evolution and significance are better dancers than hobbyists?

Not necessarily, you are comparing two different things and asking for an absolute form of measurement. I would say that the one informs the other, however, and while knowing them doesn't make you a better dancer of AT, you can never really approach the significance of the dance without them. Of course, outside of B.A., this is much more difficult because there is no shared history, no close contact with the origins of the dance. It's why there's (or was) so much seriousness about it on the part of milongueros in BA. For someone in another part of the world, it's another thing to learn.

 

[ArbeeNYC]

The two are related. There are six or seven nights a week of some kind of tango dancing where I live and I thought that when I really started to go out social dancing I'd be able to dance three or four times a week. What I found was that at most places I was virtually ignored and I could only find three or four places a month where I could actually do any dancing. Not only is my progress slower than I'd like but it's also sucked out a lot of my tango enthusiasm and I've cut way back on the number of classes I'm taking.

Why didn't you simply go to a practica and spend a few hours a week there? When I started, I didn't step into a milonga for more than a year and didn't try to dance in one for two at least. Just go to classes and practicas; it's really all you need when you're starting out. You can do a lot more dancing at a practica than you can at a milonga.

 

[ArbeeNYC]

How many people will feel friendly welcoming ambiance when they don't get the dances and experiences that they would like to get, maybe none at all?

I don't know, maybe we are agreeing, but no one is obligated to dance with you, period, regardless of how well you dance or don't. The problem is having expectations about what we deserve or should have or would like.

 

[Rabbit]

I don't know, maybe we are agreeing, but no one is obligated to dance with you, period, regardless of how well you dance or don't. The problem is having expectations about what we deserve or should have or would like.

Of course no one is forced to dance with anyone, but maybe we should make more of an effort collectively to make new people feel welcome and grow the community.

 

[ArbeeNYC]

Of course no one is forced to dance with anyone, but maybe we should make more of an effort collectively to make new people feel welcome and grow the community.

Oh, I absolutely agree with that.

 

[Tango Student]

Why didn't you simply go to a practica and spend a few hours a week there?

Almost all the local practicas I went to were either lead heavy (with most of the leads being a great deal more experienced than I was) or people brought their own dance partner and didn't rotate. Occasionally I'd luck out and get some dancing in but it was hit or miss and not worth the effort.

When I started, I didn't step into a milonga for more than a year and didn't try to dance in one for two at least.

Telling someone who's taken several dozen classes that they need to spend time, money, and energy to watch other people dance for a year or two before they're allowed dance themselves is no way to make people feel welcome and grow the community.

 

[ArbeeNYC]

Almost all the local practicas I went to were either lead heavy (with most of the leads being a great deal more experienced than I was) or people brought their own dance partner and didn't rotate. Occasionally I'd luck out and get some dancing in but it was hit or miss and not worth the effort.

That's not uncommon. That's just how it is, but the longer you work at it and the better you get, the easier it becomes. Having a practice partner simplifies things greatly.

Telling someone who's taken several dozen classes that they need to spend time, money, and energy to watch other people dance for a year or two before they're allowed dance themselves is no way to make people feel welcome and grow the community.

Perhaps, but it's not kindergarten or a garden party. You can always dance at a practica and when you've got some experience, you move up to a milonga. Why is that problematic? Tango is time intensive (and requires a financial investment, unfortunately), there's no way around that and there are no substitutes for experience. Taking "several dozen dance classes" doesn't really mean much in tango.

 

[Tango Student]

Why is that problematic?

If you don't see why what looks to new people to be arbitrary and unnecessary gate keeping is a problem then I don't think I can explain it to you.

Taking "several dozen dance classes" doesn't really mean much in tango.

I guess the quotes are there to express doubt? If classes once a week for a year and then three to five classes a week for nine months "doesn't really mean much in tango." I suggest that some of people dancing tango might want to reconsider what "means much".

 

[Rabbit]

Perhaps, but it's not kindergarten or a garden party. You can always dance at a practica and when you've got some experience, you move up to a milonga. Why is that problematic? Tango is time intensive (and requires a financial investment, unfortunately), there's no way around that and there are no substitutes for experience.

Yeah, but people have to get the experience on the dance floor somewhere. Not all practicas are necessarily welcoming either - Tangostudent already explained that he didn't have a satisfactory practica locally.

 

[Bailango]

Yeah, but people have to get the experience on the dance floor somewhere. Not all practicas are necessarily welcoming either - Tangostudent already explained that he didn't have a satisfactory practica locally.

I divide practicas broadly into three categories.

Freewheeling ones where people change partners and mix more easily.

Closed one where people come in couples to practice and it may not be easy to find partners due to gender imbalance

Practicalongas which are more relaxed version of milongas and people are not taking themselves too seriously.

The first two can be either guided or non-guided.

Almost all the local practicas I went to were either lead heavy (with most of the leads being a great deal more experienced than I was) or people brought their own dance partner and didn't rotate. Occasionally I'd luck out and get some dancing in but it was hit or miss and not worth the effort.

Are you in Pacific Northwest?

I have been to practicas like the you described. Those are my least fav ones to go to. I will usually leave them early.

While there I will switch the role. I can follow well enough in practise settings. It gives good sense of what works in leading and what doesn't. It also tells me who are good leaders and who aren't.

I don't go with a practice partner. Unless a couple is practising to compete, I think practising with same partner for two three hours is not best. If I went with a practise partner I would still like to practice with others. I often see that couples who come for practice have mismatch in their skillsets. That means one of the two is spending more time bringing the weaker one upto their level. It is rarer and harder to find someone at a similar level. If you do, then they have to be willing to be a practise partner. Lastly you two should be able to make time for the same practica. That's why those who can practice with different partners will gain more from practica.

If it is guided practica, have the instructor work with you. It is like a 15 minute private lesson for almost no cost. It is best to work on cleaning up one element at a time.