[Tango-L] Cabaceo, again

Sat Jun 24 10:54:46 EDT 2006

Hmmmm, I guess I better go to Ga Tech and get my rocket science 
credentials.. I didn't even know that men were now called "leads" (maybe 
some are a little heavy, but really...) and women are called "follows"..... 
;-)

Manuel (or should it be "Leaduel"?)

>From: "David Hodgson" <DHodgson at tango777.com>
>To: "Tango L list" <Tango-L at mit.edu>
>Subject: Re: [Tango-L] Cabaceo, again
>Date: Sat, 24 Jun 2006 01:54:50 -0600
>
>PS: If you want some really tremendous loud boom and lots of amazing colors
>for the 4th. Make me the Rocket Scientist.
>
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: tango-l-bounces at mit.edu [mailto:tango-l-bounces at mit.edu] On Behalf Of
>David Hodgson
>Sent: Saturday, June 24, 2006 1:36 AM
>To: Tango L list
>Subject: Re: [Tango-L] Cabaceo, again
>
>Look this is not rocket science, it is easy and as simple as this. Why try
>to map this out.
>
>I am a Lead.
>You are a Follow.
>We dance together in Tango.
>What is there to figure out.
>
>D~
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: tango-l-bounces at mit.edu [mailto:tango-l-bounces at mit.edu] On Behalf Of
>TangoDC.com
>Sent: Friday, June 23, 2006 9:09 PM
>To: tango-L at mit.edu
>Subject: Re: [Tango-L] Cabaceo, again
>
>JK,
>
>Even if all us teachers did our best to teach the cabaceo, it would
>still be two years or so before you'd see the impact on the social
>scene. I'll do my part as often as I can. But I really suggest you get
>craftier on your end of the equation, if you want things to improve.
>
>Here's a gambit I haven't tried, but will next time I'm out of town...
>
>1.
>ME: "Hi, are you a local?"
>HER: "No, I'm from out of town."
>ME: "Me too, let's dance."
>
>2.
>ME: "Hi, are you a local?"
>HIM: "Yeah."
>ME: "Listen, I'm from Denver, and don't know any of the women here. I'm
>also a shy bastard. If I want to dance close embrace, who's good and
>will give me a shot?"
>HIM: "I often wonder that myself."
>ME: "Come on, give me a hand, dude."
>HIM: "That one there in the sequins."
>ME: "What about open embrace?"
>HIM: "Look pal, this ain't Providence."
>ME: "Yeah... well, thanks then."
>
>3.
>ME: "Hey, nice mustache."
>HER: "I beg your pardon?"
>ME: "Uh... uh... Didn't I meet you in Denver?"
>HER: "Never been."
>ME: "Ah. My mistake. I made a mistake, see; I thought you were someone
>else, ha ha. Halloween thing, you know. Inside joke. SO, uh, you dance
>open?"
>HER: "Fuck off."
>ME: "Right, so... close?"
>HER: "Psssh..."
>
>4.
>ME: "Great sequins."
>HER: "Thanks."
>ME: "You like this song?"
>HER: "I could."
>ME: "Shall we?"
>HER: "You can ask."
>ME: "I'm looking you in the eye..."
>HER: "I'm looking you back..."
>ME: "Wanna dance?"
>
>5.
>ME: "Hey, I like your cortinas."
>DJ: "Thanks."
>ME: "Do you ever dance while you're DJing, or should I resist the
>temptation to talk you into it?"
>DJ: "No, I just danced. But check back in a tanda or two."
>
>Shy is shy, sure. But are you generally shy, or is it just a dancing
>thing? You might be better off making small talk with bystanders and
>such folk, rather than just sitting and waiting. If the locals see
>you're engaged and personable, they might notice you more. Try to put on
>your dance shoes where people can see you, if the event's in a bar or
>other public venue, so the locals know you're a dancer. Do whatever else
>you can to non-verbally tell people you want to dance. I mean, shit--
>you know it's gonna be a challenge, so come up with some solutions. The
>cabaceo's just one way to do it.
>
>Hope that helps while we've got the new batch of dancers learning to
>shoot their glances--
>
>Jake Spatz
>Washington, DC
>
>
>Tango Mail wrote:
> > Yet again, let's talk about the eye game.
> >
> > I was recently out of town, and experienced something that I've
>experienced before in other cities and in Canada.
> > People don't know the eye game!
> >
> > I am a slightly shy person who is a little insecure about his own 
>dancing,
>appearance, etc.
> > I try to avoid the dreaded "walk" at any costs (When you walk to a woman
>to ask them to dance and they decline,
> > and you have to walk back; usually you'll see most men plop down beside
>that woman to talk to them as making
> > it appear talking was the reason they went over in the first place, to
>save face).
> > As a result I end up only dancing with those who accept my cabaceo or 
>that
>I know from before.
> > I remember few years back when I went to NY and ended up sitting for 3
>hours, before someone I knew from
> > Denver showed up, and then I danced the rest of the night not sitting
>down.
> >
> > A little bit back I visited L.A. and went to two milongas; El Adoquin 
>and
>El Encuentro. I probably would have sat down
> > even longer than I did on Friday, had an unescorted woman not sat down 
>at
>my table (place was crowded despite the
> > heat and lack of A/C).  But after her, it was still a little difficult 
>to
>get dances, since I refused to walk across a room to someone. Meanwhile
>local guys walked up to a woman a whipped them onto the floor not so much 
>as
>asking if
> > they wanted to dance.  I was asked to dance way more often than I got to
>ask a woman.
> > There were many follows there that I kept looking at and trying to catch
>their eye, but to no avail.
> > They either glue their eyes to the floor or when they see you looking
>toward them, quickly look the other way.
> > And I know some of these women would have wanted to dance with me since
>some of them were the ones asking me,
> > by walking up to me to ask.
> > Saturday was better since I knew Jaimes, the visiting teacher and DJ, 
>and
>one of the local women from Denver.
> > So on Sat I was on the floor right after I got my shoes on. But later on
>it was same problem as Friday. I got asked more
> > than I did, and again there were a few follows I did not get to dance 
>with
>that I really wanted to dance with.
> >
> > What I propose is that community leaders and teachers talk about what
>cabaceo is. People don't necessarily have
> > to do it on a regular bases, but that all would know what it means if
>someone is staring at you and nodding toward
> > the dance floor; especially if the person doing it is not known to you.
>This isn't an American dance and when someone
> > stares at someone it isn't to judge how they're clothed (unless that
>judged is on the floor, then they're free-range
> > chicken to be critized and complemented all you want, as is often done,
>for their shoes, dance style, clothing,
> > even hair style. Good O'le gossip).
> > Even at home and in Denver I get 90% of my dances using cabaceo. It was
>someone extremely brilliant and assuredly a shy person who came up with
>asking for dances using eye contact and I wish more people would use it /
>understand it.
> > Yeah-yeah you can always say get off yer arse and walk up to someone, 
>but
>the person saying that doesn't
> > necessarily have any insecurities and is probably not a shy one.
> > I remember how little I danced when I was still doing ballroom, and
>dreaded the walk; I would only ask people from
> > my own studio (at social dance events), and rarely asked someone across
>the hall. There, of course, isn't cabaceo in
> > ballroom; People stand, bow, offer their hand, and ask the woman for a
>dance, ideally.
> >
> > I'm not looking for a ton of people telling me I'm lazy and all that 
>good
>List sh*t. I just wanted to offer my perspective
> > on the issue and hoping to promote cabaceo a little more.
> >
> > Ciao
> >
> > JK of CS
> > _______________________________________________
> > Tango-L mailing list
> > Tango-L at mit.edu
> > http://mailman.mit.edu/mailman/listinfo/tango-l
> >
> >
> >
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