[Tango-L] taxi dancers

[Crrtango@aol.com]

Just another perspective on this:

Victor wrote: <I know from personal experience that it is really difficult to 
get dances initially in BsAs (and sometimes in other places too!) typically 
if you are not well known by the local dancers.>

Yes, and there have been horror stories of spending two weeks in BA without 
dancing at all by some people.   It isn't just that they don't dance with 
tourists or people they don't know; it's more a question of waiting to see if you 
really know how to dance tango, meaning traditional, social tango and not 
performance and open embrace stuff, which is basically just showing off to them. If 
that's all you do, don't expect your glances to be returned, because it will 
be obvious you are a tourist. I dance and teach traditional tango ("close 
embrace" for the historically challenged) and I have never had a problem getting a 
partner there, although I did have to get on the floor and convince the women 
that I did know how to dance. I just grabbed the nearest woman (who was a 
beginner) and managed to struggle through, but at least I was able demonstrate to 
those watching that I knew. Please heed what iis often repeated on this list. 
Open embrace tango is not danced in the milongas there (with rare 
exceptions). Don't expect to impress anyone with ganchos or back sacadas or whatever is 
the step of the month. You will just look foolish and obviously be a tourist.

re taxi dancing; it is hardly a new phenomenon. There were taxi dancers here 
during the big band days and is not a bad idea if you can afford it. I have 
been approached about being a taxi dancer for someone who lives in Buenos Aires 
and comes to New York to visit and doesn't want to sit around at the milongas 
waiting to be asked. However, if you hire one, you should still know how to 
dance traditional tango. The real problem is that people, in the U.S. at least, 
can't even agree on all the different names for the various styles of showing 
off that is passed off as tango. "Salon" and "tango liso" (which evolved 
during the time of Di Sarli's orchestra and is called that because of it's elegant 
smooth style - "liso" means smooth or polished) are often confused with 
performance, while "close embrace" which is basically traditional tango (as is 
"milonguero" with a little variation) is just considered by people here as another 
style among many. Go figure! 
Ironic isn't it, that all these tango stars make all this money by teaching 
steps that you can't use down there. Caveat emptor.
Okay, so dance whatever you want, to whatever music you like, but don't be 
surprised when you sit around at the BA milongas.
Cheers,
Charles


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