[Tango-L] Dark milongas prevent Cabeceo (was Invitation and refusal)

[Tango Mail]

Martin N. touched on this topic in his post and I'd like to re-post my 
question from
a few months back.  This is directed to all and any who host/organize 
milongas in the US:

    Why do you feel it necessary to keep the room so dark?

I never received any responses to that question so I'm posting it 
again.  I almost solely ask
for dances via cabeceo; about 95% of the time.  The remaining 5% I may 
ask someone I
know well, that I am sitting next to, if they want to dance or kind of 
nudge them, as even uttering
the words sometimes seems too hard a task for me.  Maybe 5% of the time 
out of that above
5% I will be asked by the woman.  I was asked just at the last milonga I 
went to, but I declined
because a live band was playing, and I don't dance to live music (unless 
I have a partner lined
up that _Wants_ to dance to live music and I don't want to miss out on 
_that_ person).

I've gone as far as deciding not to attend any more milongas or 
festivals that have in the past
been kept too dark for cabeceo.  One of these is the Baltimore tango 
fest.  I won't return until
assured that the lighting has been taken care of.  The "barn" was so 
dark last year that you could
have fornicated in the corner without much notice or attention.  I 
wasn't even able to make a
cabeceo work from 10-feet away, so I left after one or two tandas of 
dancing and lots of sitting.

Has no one else noticed how different peoples behavior and energy levels 
are at daytime or
well-lit milongas, be they traditional or alternative music'ed, rather 
than dark cave-like environments?
People are a lot more lethargic when the room is too dark.

For myself I've found a good measuring stick the digital camera.  If I 
can take a photo where you
can tell who's being photographed without the flash, the room is 
properly lit.  If you have to use a
flash the room is too dark.

Ta.