[Tango-L] Talking on the floor (was Labor Day Festival: a complaint)

[Tango Mail]

Jack,

I typically chat with old friends in-between the songs, because we usually only 
meet at Festivals, and neither of us is going to be sitting down to chat.  So, in
order to catch up and to be interested in each others lives and developments,
that occurs in-between the songs.  Typically this chat gets put on hold and 
dancing begins at that 2nd measure mark, much like in BsAs.

What I've read about the chit chat in BsAs and it's origins, was that was the 
only chance for a young suitor to talk to the girl with whom he was dancing with, 
because it would not have been proper to sit next to her after the dancing;  
she was there with a chaperone.  Remember the strong Catholic roots of
South America and how difficult it is/was for a young man to get to know
a young, proper, woman, and to impress her.

JK
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Message: 5
Date: Wed, 3 Sep 2008 22:43:13 -0700 (PDT)
From: Jack Dylan <jackdylan007 at yahoo.com>
Subject: Re: [Tango-L] Labor Day Festival: a complaint
To: tango-l at mit.edu
Message-ID: <101579.97398.qm at web59916.mail.ac4.yahoo.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1

I also dislike this 30 seconds of chit-chat?on the dance floor. Just what is its
purpose? Someone told me it was so that the dancers could hear the music 
before starting to dance but, IMO,?that just doesn't ring true.. Firstly, they're 
chatting, not listening and, secondly,?the 5 seconds to make the embrace 
is surely enough to 'hear' the music.

Of course, I might be missing something and I'd appreciate any enlightenment
on the reason for this tradition in Buenos Aires. I don't think it happens in other 
partner dances.

Jack