[Tango-L] Navigation (was: Using the social dance as THE model)

[Tango22]

Hey Anton, we have consistently taught students to enter the floor  
respecting to the ronda, preferably with the lady's back to the  
tables.  Marching to the centre of the floor, following or followed by  
the lady is really ugly, but I think comes from our old social dance  
tradition where the men invited the lady and then escorted her to the  
floor.  The difference is that, back then, the dance brackets were  
announced, so everyone was on the floor before the music (usually a  
band)  started.  So it does not work very well with Tango, when  
couples enter the floor after the music has started.     BUT, I am  
guilty of passing.....I just hate tittering around behind couples  
rooted to the floor while they go through figures.  Maybe you'll have  
to give me a yellow card.  Oh, and I can't abide the way we all feel  
bound to affect the "Buenos Aires" interminable chat at the start of  
every song.  Sorry, I like to dance, so I just listen for the music  
and go.  That usually results in passing 5 couples, deep in  
conversation.  Guys, it's not like the women are chaperoned by their  
mothers any more, or that you must leave them at the ladies tables,  
BsAs style.  Can't you chat somewhere else?
John


From: "Anton Stanley" <anton at alidas.com.au>

 From a recent post:	"in the video is a good example), the men start  
the dance facing the tables, with the woman with her back to the  
tables."

I can't say that I've noticed this as being the norm at Lo de Celia or  
anywhere else in Bs As. ....... The greatest impediment to good tango,  
in my opinion, is overtaking. (I'm sure most dancers at Lo de Celia  
would agree).   ------ Again in my opinion, anyone guilty of either,  
except in the most extreme situations, should be banned from the  
floor. They are a menace. These practices, very typical in Australia  
and US and increasingly so in Bs As and I suspect elsewhere in the  
world makes good tango very difficult. If you can't trust the people  
around you it's just not tango!

Anton