> Date: Thu, 26 Feb 2009 00:18:23 +0000 > From: Jay Rabe <[email protected]> > Subject: Re: [Tango-L] Shocked > Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" > > OK, here's a contrary opinion: > I disagree with the hard rule about teaching at milongas. I believe the > "rule" that should > be focused on is to be respectful of and avoid disrupting other dancers at a > milonga.
I believe that Jay has hit the nail on the head. The whole point of all the codes is to try to encourage an environment that is pleasant for everyone involved. The teaching prohibition discourages the problem of unwanted advice (often bad) being forced upon people (usually followers) and the problem of couples blocking traffic in the ronda, and of loud conversation disrupting neighbors. It is not difficult to image a situation where some instruction might be given where none of the above problems occur. Say, two good friends, one new to tango, quietly working in a corner of a large dance floor at the beginning of a milonga, after the lesson. The cabeceo allows both men, and women more control over picking partners. The same with the rule about women verbally asking men. Does this mean that it is wrong for me to verbally ask a friend next to me when a Biagi tanda starts, with whom I have enjoyed many Biagi tandas? Most certainly not. The same thing with open embrace dancers mixing with close embrace dancers. If environment is such (large floor, sparse attendance) that dancers can do their double-flying-gancho-backflips without disrupting neighbors, and their skill level is high enough that they are actually able do it without disrupting neighbors, is there a problem? I think the problems occur because the people without the experience, skill or care, are the ones who verbally ask women who don't want to dance with them, teach them on the floor, and do big dramatic movements while they kick and run into their neighbors. And it takes all 3: experience, skill & care. I've seen some very skilled dancers (often teachers) not care enough about their neighbors, do their big dramatic movements and bump, kick or simply scare them. I think I heard it best put at the San Francisco Tango Exchange last year 1) Respect your partner 2) Respect yourself 3) Respect the music 4) Respect the people around you. Can't we all just get along? _______________________________________________ Tango-L mailing list [email protected] http://mailman.mit.edu/mailman/listinfo/tango-l
