[Tango-L] Cortinas (not the old car from the '70s)

[Alexis Cousein]

nina at earthnet.net wrote:
> To say that people have a different dance  
> experience in the US and therefore can throw away the customs that  
> promote respect,

There is more than one way to promote respect. Courtesy exists in many
cultures, and I sincerely prefer it to any form of codified politeness.

Yes, we can "throw away" customs - if there's something else that take
their place. Social conventions aren't the same in Europe, the US,
and BsAs, so the effects of one particular set of customs on an
audience isn't the same - I routinely observe people acting exceptionally
rude even in a setting that observes traditional customs, and they
aren't punished for it (whereas social control in BsAs would soon make
minced meat out of them). Perhaps there are alternatives to be developed
that are better embedded in the local social context.

*In Belgium*, the more loosely flowing milongas tend to be the more
friendly ones as well - where people actually enjoy themselves and
appreciate the fun other dancers can have; the atmosphere is
the result of genuine respect rather than codified social conduct.

It is those milongas that try to follow the form (but not the soul)
of BsAs milongas in which you tend to see the most conniving, gossiping
and back-stabbing.

And then there are a couple of milongas (not coincidentally, usually
organised by Argentines) that manage to give the best of both
worlds.