[Tango-L] SA - Re: Milongas by age difference?

[Tony Rathburn]

I am not surprised that Biran wrote what he did.  I am surprised that it is being twisted into something negative... 

Knowing Brian, and reading his posts carefully, he has gone to great lengths to avoid offending anyone... 

I no not believe this needs to be an 'us' versus 'them' situation... but, it can easily be twisted into one unnecessarily... 

>From what I've seen, and what has been written here, people do go to milongas to relax... to socialize... and to dance... not to get 'better'...  

I have been taught by my teachers... and by my teachers teachers... that a milonga was where you go to dance.  At a milonga, you were expected to know what you were doing... including navigation, floor craft, respecting line of dance... as well as executing your movements reasonably well.

I've been taught that at a milonga... you do not try out your cool new moves that you really haven't mastered yet... you do not teach your partner... you do not interrupt the ronda by taking space and practicing.

some people, myself included, spend many hours practicing outside of the milongas... working very hard to correct movements... to master new ones... working on musicality... working on improvisation... doing drills and exercises... i also work extensively on reducing the space required for any given movement... and varying the rate of speed and energy at which they are done... and ensuring that each movement is distinct... that i can stop at any point in a combination... to adapt to the situation around me.

Alexis, Sandhill, Jack... and anyone reading this thinking the same thoughts... isn't this what you would prefer?  what you would actually like to see more of?  isn't people coming into a traditional space and disrupting it by being out of control... lacking the skill to execute a movement appropriately in a crowd... really the issue?  or is it actually just the style that you object to?

at some point, this work needs to venture into a group situation... or may occur in a group situation initially... these are the practicas... as i've been taught.  a place to learn... a place to explore and improvise... a place to work with your partner without intruding on the environment of the milonga... a place to get better...

i don't believe this distinction has anything to do with the style of dance being practiced... or that it should be used as yet another artificial barrier to fracture the tango community.

yes... i do understand that this is not completely consistent with the way the terminology is used in Buenos Aires... both from a common usage perspective and from a legal perspective.  i would argue that many of the legally distinguished 'practicas' in  Buenos Aires are just as much milongas as are the traditional milongas... when looked at this way.  At Practica X, Loca! Milonga, Milonga 10, La Catedral... are all legally practicas... however, you are expected to know what you are doing.

do people get better when dancing at milongas?   absolutely.  among other things, you dance with much wider range of partners... learning to to adapt to the nuances of each.  you typically dance in a more crowded environment... and learn to refine your floor craft... (i've already learned to minimize the space i need... and control my movements... before i take it to the milonga).

but... i've done my work before i go to a milonga.  i go to the milongas to dance... not to drill... not to practice.  i make a point of not evaluating my technique when dancing at a milonga.  i want my attention focused primarily on my partner... taking care of her in the ronda...and, enjoying the dance...



> From: Alexis Cousein <al at sgi.com>
> 
> > --- On Mon, 12/21/09, Brian Dunn wrote:
> >> My main point is that people tend to go to classic
> >> milongas to RELAX, and people tend to go to
> >> practicas to GET BETTER > 


Sandhill Crane replied:

> > Something yanks my chain here -- it's the implication that
> > people who go to the milongas aren't GETTING BETTER.> 

Alexis Cousein then commented

> Yeah, it yanks my chain as well. If you dance in a confined
> place, it can be to improve your connection (to your partner
> or to the music) by practicing "less is more" rather than
> steps; it can also be to improve your improvisational and
> your navigational skills ... > > 

I competely agree with Sandhill and Alexis and am really 
surprised that Brian wrote what he did. Yes, practicas are 
useful for improving. But, IMHO, dancing in the milongas is 
absolutely ESSENTIAL for improvement to take place and, 
again IMHO, most improvement actually takes place in the 
milongas.

Perhaps this is just another difference between nuevo 
dancers and those who dance more traditional tango.

Jack