Deby Novitz wrote: <The milongas here are much different than the U.S. Here the milongas are social events. If you don't dance you can always enjoy the company of your friends.>
I disagree with you, Deby. I believe that those who really love to dance tango go to a milonga to dance. I usually go to a milonga alone. I may share a table with another woman, but we don't talk. She is there for the same reason--to dance. We greet each other and refrain from any conversation. It's quite different when you and I share a table. We converse. I'm there to listen to the music whether I dance or not. I feel this holds true for the majority. Even couples rarely talk because they are there to dance, observe the dancing, and listen to the music. The noise level from conversation in the milongas is worse than ever. There are people who keep talking while dancing. The exception: professional teachers who go to be seen in a milonga by foreigners (i.e., Nino Bien on Thursdays). They are there to socialize rather than dance. Afterall, they've been teaching all day and have no need to dance. <We cannot ask men to dance. We can look at them all night long and if they do not want to accept our invitation they won't, regardless of who we are or how well we dance.> If I never make eye contact with a certain man, it's because I do not want to dance with him. He knows it and doesn't take it personally. That's why the cabeceo works so well. It requires patience on both our parts. A man cannot invite me to dance unless I give him the opportunity. That's fine with me. It's all about how he dances and how he holds me. I may want to dance a particular tanda with a certain man, but he has the freedom of choice. There will always be another day, another tanda, another milonga. _______________________________________________ Tango-L mailing list [email protected] http://mailman.mit.edu/mailman/listinfo/tango-l
