[Tango-L] Taxi dancers

[Janis Kenyon]

Melinda Sedo wrote:
<<A lot of Milongas wither and die because of the women staying away out of
frustration, which results in the men not coming again, because there are
not enough women. A vicious circle...>>

After several years dancing in the milongas in Buenos Aires, I've learned
that if there are more women one week, there will be an abundance of men the
next.  The ratio of women to men changes at any milonga.  One day with
double the number of women to men is never a reason to stay away the
following week.  This was the case last week at Emilio's milonga in Lo de
Celia.  There were two women for every man.  So we all took turns dancing
with the men.  It was great afternoon with no more than 12 couples on the
floor during any tanda of Dany's music.  This weekend the women stayed
home, perhaps because of the weather, and those of us who braved the cold
were delighted to dance tandas with Hugo, Jorge, Julio, Mario, Ismael, Pepe,
Pedro, and others.  The number of men to women was equal.  As everyone
commented--poco pero bueno.  It's hard to find a place to dance well these
days in BsAs.


Alberto Gesualdi wrote:
<<Good dancers from the 40`s and 50`s  , are now .... around 70 to 80 years
old people, living on a pension fund very small . They like to dance and can
t afford the cost of a milonga ticket two or three times a week, as it is
his amusement to do this routine. Therefore is understandable that they are
invited . Also some old time teachers. However I have seen tango teachers
going to a milonga , and paying the ticket at the entrance as anyone .>>

That's right, Alberto.  Those on small pensions can't afford to go everyday
to the milongas.  Men pay more than women at most milongas.  At Emilio's
milongas, the men pay 7 pesos, the women pay five.  Men used to be invited,
but that's no longer the case where even milonga organizers and teachers are
required to pay the entradas.  The milonga situation has changed.

A client of mine had her first visit to Buenos Aires for two weeks.  Her
main objective was to dance.  I took her to a group class with an
English-speaking teacher I met years ago in the milongas, because I felt he
would be a good teacher for her.  She felt comfortable dancing with him, and
the next day she arranged for a private lesson with him.  I suggested that
she arrange time to dance with him in a milonga.   She had four private
lessons with him and twice arranged to dance with him in a milonga.  She
gained confidence dancing with him in the milonga, and then had invitations
from others.  This kind of business arrangement isn't available with every
teacher in BsAs.  They sat
together in the milonga and danced for two hours.  She paid him for dancing
with her in the milonga.