[Tango-L] cabeceo

[Balazs Gyenis]

> Balazs asked for advice concerning a card and how to introduce the cabeceo into a difficult environment.  I think we’ve established that using the card as originally presented pretty much sucks.

  :)) It's always a relief to see a conclusion, although I've yet to
hear valid arguments establishing it. (Although I have the sense that
the discussion should continue privately.)
  Incidentally I don't think it is the argumentation which really
matters. An idea to change social defaults had been presented and only
practice would really tell whether it works. I put in effort to clear
up what I saw as initial misunderstandings about what the proposal
actually is, and hoped for constructive proposals, but I rest my case
here. (I'm told that the discussion here was discouraging enough for
enough participants - the Pittsburgh and surrounding area forms a
tight community - that the implementation was put on indefinite hold.
In case anyone in other communities got interested, contact me, I'm
happy to help with technical details.)

> We have not addressed the issue of his idea of a “policy”.  I don’t think that concept would apply on a personal level.  It would on an organizational level to avoid discrimination, etc.  But I think someone who says “it’s my policy to refuse all dances not asked by cabeceo” would just be seen as inflexible and weird.  Besides, I know people who said they had that policy, couldn’t get dances, and caved.

  I think dealing with the social pressure of keeping a personal
policy is a very valid concern. I'm not surprised at all to hear that
individuals who tried to follow such policy needed to cave in
eventually; a lone acting follower indeed would come through as weird,
especially in a community where such policy is practically unheard of,
and where the fact that she is following a policy can be easily
mistaken for something else. Therefore I don't think that even a
partial implementation of cabeceo-for-some could work unless it is
based on an attempt by a sufficient number of sought-out followers so
that leaders who want to get good dances can't get around them anymore
and need to adapt, and unless it is made very clear and credible, in
this or that way, that this group starts to adopt it (and that
exceptions are only made for specific reasons, such as "first time
violations"). Only then would the social pressure of keeping a policy
be reduced and only then would it actually be helpful in avoiding
unwanted dances. (I'm a bit confused to hear, though, that on one hand
followers need to grow up to deal with social pressure and on the
other hand they can't be expected to follow a policy.)

> As for addressing a difficult environment, I’m not sure what constitutes a difficult environment.  Are organizers totally opposed to the cabeceo?  Are the men pushy?  Are they just not informed?  My experience is that if people are informed by someone seen as an authority figure, they’ll follow along.  All it usually takes is information.  Information can be disseminated by emails, discussion, word-of-mouth.  The best bet for introducing the cabeceo into a difficult environment is to enlist the organizer(s) and have them announce the change.  They can also ask a visiting instructor to introduce it in workshops.  Teachers can make a game of it in a pre-milonga lesson (or regular lesson).

  Good points. I'd add that lot depends on the venue (can we actually
see the other? do we need to walk around for the cabeceo to work?)

  Thanks! Also thanks Tine again for the useful analysis and all
others for suggestions. I loved Michael's remark that leaders caring
about cabeceo should take a more active role; it addresses a different
concern, but maybe I'll make a card to serve that as well :) .
  Yours,

         the card guy

-- 
Balazs Gyenis
Department of History and Philosophy of Science, University of Pittsburgh
1017 Cathedral of Learning, Pittsburgh, PA 15260, USA
http://www.pitt.edu/~gyepi