[Tango-L] floor craft -2

[Roger Edgecombe]

Jack Dylan said:

< I was also told that one reason why milongueros always dance in the outer
< ronda is because of this 'blindness' on their right side, i.e. they know
< that there are no dancers there to disturb him or his partner.

In theory, that is sound reasoning. In practice, the way some people enter
the floor (mid-dance), removes any supposed advantage - bum first, and with
complete disregard for those already dancing. In many cases, then taking 
all
the time in the world to finish their conversation and start moving in
the line of dance (or more likely back-stepping).

There has been prior discussion of those demonstrating their figures 
prowess on
the spot, blocking those behind, with an ever growing space to their front.
There are also those who consider that the floor is the perfect place for a
leisurely conversation - ignoring the existence of chairs and tables 
provided,
one would think, for that purpose. It seems "dance floor" is a misnomer.
centre across the floor into the ronda. While that  /manoeuvre /seems to be
gaining in popularity it is being supplanted by an even more lunatic 
approach
of disappearing from the ronda in a south-west/7 o'clock direction and 
later
returning suddenly from that blind-spot back into the ronda, regardless of
whether there is space or not.

This possibly stems from the teaching of figures which generate angled or
inappropriate exits, without mention of the need to work out how to 
fit/modify
them for social dancing. No mention of "you need to enter this from here,
so that you exit, that way". But - some teachers demonstrate downright 
lousy
floorcraft themselves, possibly due to spending their working day as the
sole occupant of the floor. So - perhaps it is a foreign concept anyway.

Back steps can be a problem. However, (surprise, surprise)  back-back-back
steps are worse. If you must do most of your dancing backwards, could it 
not
be done in the line of dance, at least? It will still involve dancing 
into a
blind void, but at least travelling in the same direction. One out of 
two is
an advance.

It is very true that the leaders are not dancing only with their 
partner, but
with everyone else in the room. However, relying on the follower as a 
second
set of eyes is a dodgey proposition, given how many followers dance 
eyes-closed.
Better to dance with an awareness of what is happening around you, and 
avoid the need for someone to look after you while you are looking after 
them. It's
your job. (The down-side, of course, is that every collision you avoid, 
leaves
someone with shoddy floorcraft oblivious, and free to carry on as before.)