[Tango-L] D.. Novitz, the good life in buenos aires milongas

[Nussbaum, Martin]

"With many more women than men, he can dance with who he wants."  

Ahh, let's raise a toast to the good life. This makes me think of taking
early retirement and moving to BA. :).  Sounds like tango heaven for
this mid-life male dancer in NYC, where the number of skilled leaders
outnumbers the skilled followers.  Not just my opinion,  enough local
teachers have concurred with me on this. 

Debby,  Is your statement really true, or just a perception?     I have
often found that people have skewed perceptions when it comes to these
matters.  Entonces, I do a simple empirical count when deciding whether
to pay an entrada if I go to a social milonga without my usual practice
partner.   Many times I've walked into a milonga after work, count 8 or
10 extra men sitting around, and do a rebote out the door before you can
say "arrependita."  And yet, when talking to a woman about the very same
milonga, the woman will complain that it was "all women."   I've also
observed that as time passes in a milonga, the ratio of men to women
becomes ridiculously high, even if it were evenly balanced at the
beginning of the milonga.  Perhaps women want to get home earlier.  The
men then develop a sixth sense about it, realize there are more men not
dancing than women, and will say anything to their follower to keep her
from rotating.  Unfortunately, NYC does not have the wonderful custom of
BA of clearing the floor between tandas.  Indeed, some milongas dont
even employ a cortina.  Here's a suggestion for all US milonga hosts:

1. Have enough lighting to make cabaceo possible.   2. Play a cortina
between tandas long enough for the dance floor to clear.   3.  Do not
start the next tanda before the floor clears.  4. Announce this policy
in advance.       

Martin