[Tango-L] Report from Buenos Aires #5

[Michael]

When my father taught me how to drive (I took driver´s education for
the 10% insurance discount), he taught me more than how to make the
car go and stop. He taught me NAVIGATION! I remember going to a
deserted shopping on an early Sunday morning to learn parking and
stopping distances.

Much the same happened when I learned tango, except it wasn´t from my
father nor in a shopping center. Joe always told me about small spaces
on the dance floor in BA and to be ready for anything. (In reflection,
that was an understatement.) My final exam to come here was a 2005
Denver Tango Festival. Could I maneuver through the MERC? I managed
quite well because everybody followed the line of dance. In fact,
there were 2 lines of dance; one around the perimeter and another one
inside that one. Both lanes moved independently but they MOVED and
there was room for everybody. It was a sight to behold!!

Down here, in the home of tango, it´s terrible. There´s a perimeter
and then there´s the inside, I call the VORTEX, where powerful forces
pull dancers all over the floor. People dance clockwise and diagonally
across the vortex.

The Argentines could find the line of dance if you gave them a map,
compass, radar, and GPS!!

I have a theory on the cause. I already wrote they love to talk when
the music begins. I timed how long it takes for the line to move. It
usually take a full MINUTE. Some begin to move at :15, :30, :45 and a
few need the whole minute. A musical selection lasts about 3 minutes
so 1/3 of the music is wasted on chatter.

In the States, Americans are off to the races when the music begins.
It´s rare you see a couple talking instead of dancing. And if the
dance was exquisite, the couple will silently embrace between the
musical selections. Couples don´t do that down here, but that´s
another dispatch.

Argentines don´t have a monopoly on poor navigation. It´s also in the
States, but I don´t think it´s as bad. Nevertheless, I think teachers
and milonga promoters should teach navigation instead of figures that
can´t be danced in small spaces. But of course, ´Moving with the
traffic' will never draw attention like "Colgadas-the missing
ingredient from your dance." Alan Forde of the Atlanta Tango Festival
said more than once "You´re not just dancing with your partner. You´re
dancing with everybody in the line of dance.¨"

Gricel has a rectangular floor. Tables face the front wall, seating 6.
The tables are so close to each other, you can have trouble moving
away from your table to dance. Your legs can get caught up in the
chairs legs. (Mine did.) Dancers in the vortex were going clockwise
and counter clockwise. Then tried to change direction at the end of
the floor. BUT there were people behind them so the end just got
jammed, like people getting on a bus but nobody wants to move to the
back.

Another problem is Argentine leaders can´t do spot turns to lead
molinetes.The man moves over to the next lane and the woman slams into
anybody who in the way. For me, I can´t tell is the man is going to
try to return to his spot in front of me.

I hope the Argentines drive better on one-way streets than they
navigate on the dance floor.

I´m probably finished for the night. I danced at Arranque and I want
to take a walking tour of Recoleta tomorrow. I´ll try to send a
milonga review before I leave. Just listing names of milongas really
doesn´t help anybody.

To paraphrase Garrison Keillor of A Prairie Home Companion

That´s the news from Buenos Aires
Where all the women dance in close embrace
All the men need navigation lessons
All the children speak Spanish

Michael Ditkoff
Washington, DC

-- 
I'd rather be dancing Argentine Tango