[Tango-L] Elitism

[Gordon Erlebacher]

Why not dance with the better dancers for the first 40 min, then ask the newbies? By that time, your abilities will have been noticed. But surely, your scenario is only true in a venue where you do not know anybody. If you have a "clique", they would dance with you, even after your "newbie" dance? 

    Gordon



----- Original Message -----
From: "Nussbaum, Martin" <mnussbau at law.nyc.gov>
Date: Thursday, February 3, 2011 2:04 pm
Subject: [Tango-L] Elitism
To: tango-l at mit.edu

> There is another problem with elitism that hasnt been discussed 
> yet, and
> that is typecasting. I have had the following experience in NYC, 
> but it
> may be universal. Lets say some nights I'm feeling in a better mood 
> thanothers, feeling genenrous,  I want to spread good tango karma, 
> give back
> something to this dance that has enriched my life.  I see a newbie not
> being asked to dance. I ask her to dance. We do the best we can, 
> nothingflashy, just a simple dance. But now better followers, 
> especially those
> who are visiting from out of town  who dont know me well, ignore my
> cabaceo, assuming that the previous partner i had is "the best i can
> do." They didnt see me doing any fad or fancy movement in the 
> tanda. No
> attention grabbing open embrace jet down the lane motions that their
> friends gush over in rapt admiration. I confess, i used to be 
> guilty of
> the gymnastics myself, but I've come to realize that's not the real
> fulfillment of tango, there is no subtlety or emotion to it, and 
> when i
> watch it done, usually poorly, i am bored to tears,  so my dance these
> days is much simpler and quieter.  Anyway, after a tanda with a 
> newbie,the clique followers do not want to chance being seen 
> dancing with me
> for fear of catching the same stigma, and then not being invited by 
> theelite alpha dogs in the room.  So they wont chance a tanda with 
> me. I
> also agree with the prior posts about cliques. Whether its a natural
> sociological phenomonen or not, i dont know, but i do know that there
> are cliques of people who only dance with those in their clique, or
> those introduced by someone in their clique. People dance tango for
> different reasons. For some, partners are chosen on the basis of
> perceived social status, or dance career enhancement, rather than 
> merelyfor a nice tanda. 
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