[Tango-L] Tango in the Spring - festival report

[Trini y Sean (PATangoS)]

To Myk Dowling's question, the Ann Arbor tango group initially started May Madness as just social dancing and a BBQ, but workshops were eventually added on.  This is an event that people will drive from at least 4 hours out, so perhaps they figured that adding workshops will make it more worthwhile for those coming in from far away.  To be honest, if it was just social dancing, I'd be less likely to attend.  


For Mario:

>   I once spoke with a woman who had attended a festival in
> Wash. D.C. (she from Phila.) and was very disappointed
> because no one asked her to dance. 

So why wasn't she asking men to dance?  My observations are that "cliques" form from personal friendships, not classes.  

And what about the rank newbie,
> the person who never danced before? Are they uninvited by default?  I've never been to a 'festival' and so, my questions could seem
>   ignorant but thems my questions. 

I don't feel that most festivals are a good place for a complete newbie who doesn't know anyone else there.  In a lot of festivals, you'll find friends trying to dance first with other friends that they only see at festivals (hence, the cliques) or their regular partners.  A man can still ask a woman to dance, but women can have a more difficult time getting asked to dance.  But if a woman dresses well and looks like she could be a fun person on the dance floor, then she can still get asked.  If she's sitting there sulking, no one is going to want to ask her to dance.  If the newbie participants in the classes, he/she can find people who may be more willing dance partners.

Women can have a more difficult time getting dances unless they're "young and blond", so to speak.  But there are lots of things she can do to still get dances - like asking the men to dance.    

Trini de Pittsburgh