[Tango-L] Rate of movement on crowded floors

[HBBOOGIE1@aol.com]

“This brings up a question of how do we change  things in the U.S. to 
encourage a moving floor, even if it's crowded? Obviously,  this would need to 
start a local level. Your thoughts?”
Trini,
I would say  that in most cases it would be impossible to expect the floor 
to move at a  reasonable rate crowded or not. On rare occasions I have been 
to milongas where  the floor craft and the movement were good and that made 
the dancing enjoyable.  The problem is it only takes one couple to slow down 
the movement of the floor  and create frustration and aggravation amongst 
the others. 
I think the  biggest problem is the long pauses or endless turning in one 
spot. Leaders need  to learn to pay attention to the couple in front of them 
and maintain a  reasonable distance. Another problem is the couples that 
head for the center of  the floor to display their ability to perform I have no 
problem with this but  evidently no one told them they need to stay in the 
middle of the floor. When  they get tired of taking up that middle space 
they tend to start dancing in and  out of the outside line of dance and of 
course there goes the  momentum.
Another problem would be the couples that never learned to look  both ways 
before crossing the street. How many times have you been dancing along  and 
a couple entering the floor in the middle of a song steps in front of you  
causing you to stop? Frustrating isn’t it. 
You said, “Obviously, this  would need to start at a local level” I agree 
100% and it would have to start  with the teachers educating the students. 
The Japanese auto industry has a  philosophy: “If the student isn’t learning 
the teacher isn’t teaching”
I know  some of you might say you taught them but they just don’t listen. 
Okay if that’s  the case either you need to change your teaching habits or 
find a new  profession. In my opinion a lot of teachers I’ve seen not only aren
’t qualified  to teach but they shouldn’t be allowed on a social floor 
because they cause a  lot of the problems. 
So will things change in the US and will floor craft  get better? I don’t 
think so you just need to get out there and try to have fun  and enjoy 
yourself as much as possible without causing injury to  others.
David


In a message dated 2/9/2010 6:38:55 A.M. Pacific  Standard Time, 
patangos at yahoo.com writes:
Hola listeros!

Seeing that  I'll be getting hit with another big snowfall on top of 20 
inches here, I  thought'd I'd spend my snowed in time on Tango-L.  Here's my  
question.

I've heard from a couple of people that there's a big  difference in the 
speed at which people travel on the dance floors in BsAs  versus the crowded 
festivals in the U.S.  Basically, in the U.S., the LOD  slows to a crawl.  In 
BsAs, however, the LOD continues at its usual pace,  even if it's heavily 
packed.  One reason why this is that in the U.S.  leaders tend to wait for 
the person ahead of them to move before they go into  the space.  In BsAs, 
people just dance along.  One leader described it  as being pulled along.

This brings up a question of how do we change  things in the U.S. to 
encourage a moving floor, even if it's crowded?   Obviously, this would need to 
start a local level.  Your  thoughts?

Trini de  Snowburgh




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