[Tango-L] Can somebody shed some light on the subject?

[Michael]

Alex:
Thank you for adding a description of the room layout and that the ladies sitting in the front row had their backs to the leaders behind them. It's impossible to use cabeceo when you're standing behind them.

I received a private message that I didn't accurately describe the class planned for next year's Atlanta festival. The class deals with how to get dances, not limited to cabeceo. I haven't seen the syllabus so I can't describe the class. The instructor probably hasn't decided what to include and how to teach it.

Based on the responses I've read, cabeceo is just about an all or nothing proposition. It's not going to work if only 20% of the attendees use it, because you'll never figure out who the 20% are. I'm theorizing there's probably a critical mass where 80% of the attendees have to use it or it's not going to work. 

I regret I wasn't more assertive in asking women to dance. I know I missed out on some great dancing. Thank goodness I spoke to two women at a class. One couldn't stay for the last milonga but we had a great tanda of waltz at the practilonga. It was like skating on ice. (It doesn't get better than that.) I was upset I didn't ask her to dance on Thursday, Friday, nor Saturday and waited for the last day. That's my fault. I guess the moral of the story is to first use cabeceo. If it doesn't seem to be working, go to Plan B and ask directly or use cabeceo at close range. 

Michael
I'd rather be dancing Argentine Tango
Waiting to find out if I need surgery to repair my partially torn Achilles tendon

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Alex" <alex at tangofuego.us>
To: <tango-l at mit.edu>
Sent: Tuesday, April 03, 2007 2:15 PM
Subject: [Tango-L] Can somebody shed some light on the subject?


Michael wrote (re: the Atlanta Tango Social): "I spoke with the festival
promoters about cabeceo. One of them told me that an out-of-town instructor
has suggested for years that they teach a class on cabeceo at the festival."

 

Michael, I just returned from the Atlanta event as well. I know what you
mean about the dim lighting hurting opportunities for cabeceo. It also
didn't help that the front row of "single" followers had a fantastic view of
the dance floor, but had their backs to most of the leaders interested in
dancing with them (who were leaning against the back wall scoping things
out). There were couples & groups table on either side, so it was a long
jaunt from one side to the other - impossible to lay any cabeceo on someone
way over there. So, the size and layout (and lighting) of the venue is key
for cabeceo to work.