[Tango-L] Socio-ethical behavior and protocol - Summary

[Sergio Vandekier]

1- Cabeceo and other milonga codes are alive and are in use at most milongas in Buenos Aires. They are not always used at Practicas or in certain specific milongas.
 
2- The custom of asking permission to a male companion of a lady to request a dance from her is always used.
 
3- Some men may ask foreign ladies for a dance going to her table because they have been told that is the custom in their countries.
   They would not impose themselves on any Argentine lady in that fashion unless they are very good friends.
 
4- The invitation to dance with cabeceo is essential for both partners in the dance to feel free to chose.
 
5- There is no worse blind that the one that refuses to see, there is no worse deaf that the one that refuses to hear.
 
  (No hay peor ciego que el que no quiere ver ni peor sordo que el que no quiere oir).
 
 
Patricia reports:  "I returned last week from B.A. Among some milongas I attended such asGricel, Canning, El Beso, Nino Bien, Cachirulo (Sat. night), Maipu 444(Sun. night) Confeteria Ideal etc., I noticed that the cabaceo was usedabout 95% of the time."
 
Gordon reports: "we invited people from our table directly and people sitting elsewhere with the cabaceo. However, I also witnessed people inviting others directly by going to their table."
 
Sherrie reports: "This type of behavior can happen with foreign people, but never with a Porteño couple."
 
Dubravko reports:  "On three  occasions (out of four visits to that milonga), men (each older than 60, I estimate) signaled me from a distance to see if it is okay to invite my partner to dance; I affirmed, they then connected with my partner with a cabeceo and danced. "