[Tango-L] Respect

[Huck Kennedy]

On Wed, Oct 6, 2010 at 10:08 AM, Nussbaum, Martin <mnussbau at law.nyc.gov> wrote:
>
> The problem isnt the
> style, there has been stage tango around for a long time, but in the
> past people knew the difference between stage and socail dancing and
> were more respectful of the rhonda, now so many want to do stage tango
> on the dance floor it disrupts the flow.

      Well that *is* a problem with the style--as you point out, stage
tango is not appropriate for a crowded dance floor.

> But I don't believe you can
> blame the teachers for teaching what the public demands. They have to
> eat.

      I've never gone along with that common flimsy excuse.  In much
of the past, most of the "public demand" has been out of sheer
ignorance.  When teachers do come and advertise workshops with
"authentic social tango as danced in the milongas of Buenos Aires,"
they usually get good attendance from what I've seen.

> You can blame the milonga hosts who allow "anything goes", to be
> all things to all people.  in the wish to attract as many attendees as
> possible.

       In Phoenix, our most popular milongas are the ones that
advertise strict adherence to classic tango music and Buenos Aires
style dancing.  The better dancers refuse to attend the milongas where
"anything goes," or where alternative music is played.

> If anyone in any style is interfering with the enjoyment of
> others, really interfering, the hosts should have a conversation with
> that person.

      Alas, in my experience, that rarely happens.  Everyone sits
around gossiping about the offender in their absence, but nobody wants
to go through the unpleasantness of actual confrontation.

Huck