[Tango-L] San Diego close embrace festival 2010

[hbboogie1@aol.com]

Jan
I just returned home from the so-called  “close embrace festival” in San 
Diego and here are my observations:
The  milongas have turned into a battlefield rather then a close embrace 
dance as  advertised. It’s pretty much chaos as the young “nuevo’s” take to 
the floor.  It’s hard to put into words the disrespect they show for other 
dancers and the  line of dance but I’ll try to paint a picture. 
No regard for a crowded floor  with endless  colgadas and piernazos and 
lets not forget the boleos and of  course if you haven’t seen it yet the front 
and back karate kicks? They seem to  have only two speeds passing everyone 
at 100 mph or the dreaded endless idle  standing in one spot and either 
striking a ridiculous pose or turning endlessly  like a lizard on the end of a 
stick.
Another trait is looking down at the  floor or they might be looking at 
their feet I haven't figured that out yet  perhaps someone who knows why they 
do that could post it on Tango L.
One  other curious observation: When they run you down or kick you or your 
partner  you get a nasty look as if it’s your fault for getting in their 
way. Go  figure?
So lets review: Crowded floor 100 mph head down endless boleos and  
colgadas moving against the line of dance blocking the line of dance by stopping  
posing spinning intimidating the poor close embrace dancers in order to 
secure a  large area of the floor. Yep that’s about what went on at this “by 
dancers for  dancers close embrace festival”
I’d like to repeat what Jan said in a  previous post “As to the rights of 
the "true tango" community, I just can repeat  myself from an earlier post - 
the milonga organizer determines and enforces the  dancing style”.
So on a positive note I would like to make a suggestion in  order to retain 
truth in advertising a name change is called for because this is  not a 
close embrace festival.