[Tango-L] Surplus Tanguera - Not

[Stephen.P.Brown@dal.frb.org]

Many years ago, rumor had it that a milonga organizer in a major North 
American city would run out onto the floor and give people tickets for 
breaches of tango etiquette.  People ridiculed her for the behavior.  I 
would have found such behavior funny (both humorous and odd).

I don't think it makes much sense for an organizer or a group of community 
leaders to impose a set of rules on those attending milongas.  People go 
to milongas to have fun dancing tango, not to have a bunch of rules 
imposed on them, and that includes a forced rotation of partners.  Various 
communities have drafted social etiquette rules which are intended to be 
informative rather than requirements.  For some examples, see
http://www.portlandtango.com/faq.html
http://www.tangovita.com/page.php?page=14
http://www.tangomuse.com/TangoManners.html
http://www.close-embrace.com/invitingetiquette.html
http://www.tejastango.com/faq_dallas_tango.html

Of course, severe breeches of what is considered acceptable social 
etiquette may require intervention on an individual basis.

I don't think it serves the milonga well for the dj to force everyone off 
the floor with a second cortina or a lengthy cortina.  The cortina should 
be long enough to allow the floor to clear--not to force it cleared. 
Dancers know what the cortina means.  If they want to stay on the dance 
floor that is their choice.  (If one of them is being coerced to stay on 
the floor that is another issue.)

Some ideas that I've seen work at milongas (that had the right spaces) to 
promote more positive social interaction (not force rotation).

1)  A milonga has a break zone--an area where people could sit or stand 
and talk without being asked to dance.

2)  A milonga has two dance floors--one for practicing and one for dancing 
the ronda.

3)  A milonga has three seating zones: single males, single females, 
couples.  Couples who want to interact as singles may sit with their own 
gender in the singles area.  The cabeceo is used as a matter of social 
etiquette--not rules.  Anyone is always free to reject invitations that 
have not been properly offered.

With best regards,
Steve