[Tango-L] dark milongas

[Michael]

I think the dark milongas comes from ballroom where ambiance is so 
important. I don't like dark ballrooms nor milongas. I used cabeceo a lot 
the first year I went to the Atlanta tango festival. It didn't work because 
it was too dark so I didn't dance a lot. The following year the organizers 
had a session on milonga etiquette where cabeceo was discussed. A lot of the 
women just looked forward into the dance floor and not around when not 
dancing. Nevermind the custom, I had to get into their range of vision 
otherwise I wasn't going to dance. As flight attendants say before take off 
"The closest exit may be behind you." The same thing applies to milongas. 
The closest partner may be behind you but few look.

For cabeceo to work, milongas have to be well lite and has to be practiced 
by 80% of the attendees or it doesn't work. I'll start using cabeceo  as 
Plan A. If it doesn't work because of insufficient light or the women aren't 
using it, I'll go to Plan B (the ballroom "direct" approach). Plan C is to 
bring a flare gun.

The bottom line is "it takes two to tango." Asking for and accepting a tanda 
is only going to work with active effort on both genders. I don't like 
interrupting a conversation for a dance. Maybe the women would rather talk 
than dance.

4 weeks to the Atlanta Tango Festival and two weeks after that to BA (where 
I have to use cabeceo) and the milongas are fully illuminated, I've been 
told.

Michael
Washington, DC

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Steve Littler" <sl at stevelittler.com>
Subject: Re: [Tango-L] dark milongas


> Excellent question Ilene! And why don't they segregate the men and women
> so you can look across at them in the eye?
>
>
> Another part of this lack of cabaceo is that I have to be  very skilled
in  politely interrupting conversations to  ask for a dance without
appearing rude.
>
> Also, I think some women can't say "No" to a dance and some guys who
> have been dancing badly for years and don't take lessons to improve, get
> away with murder, causing collisions, stepping on feet, throwing ganchos
> on beginners, etc.