Vince wrote: > http://www.close-embrace.com/invitingetiquette.html > Should be required reading for newbies Hi Vince, et al. I agree that Ney's article is an interesting discussion of dance invitation situations, and it's certainly worth reading. I don't know if I would make it "required reading for newbies". Some newbies can take a document like this as a set of absolute rules, and obey them whether they make sense or not. I don't agree with everything Ney mentions. And I think it is misleading to say that these viewpoints come from conversations with "milongueros". ... I don't really agree with the "penalty box" rule, for example. I don't see why a woman has to sit out a tanda or even just one song because she turned somebody else down. I think women can say "no thanks" without needing to explain why and dance with who they want. If you're at a small milonga and all the women are turning down guys (or maybe just one persistent guy) by saying "I'm resting", and then they all sit out in the penalty box, you can start to have a pretty empty dance floor. I have had it happen where several women in a row told me the same thing: "I want to dance with you but I can't right now because I just turned somebody else down." I was apparently following the well-trod path of a rejectee. Meanwhile, time's winged chariot is delivering the close of an all-too-brief milonga. ..... If women feel like they have to give a reason (suppose the guy says "really? why not?"), in my view they should give the real reason, and not claim to be tired or resting. I have heard women say, for example, "I would dance with you if you would towel off and change into a dry shirt, but I don't want to get soaked in your sweat." I have heard women say, "I would love to dance with you, but you hurt me. You need to learn how to lead better before I'll dance with you at a milonga." Guys can deal with this (I think) because it's honest and it identifies the thing they need to fix if they want to dance with that particular partner. .... It is true, though, that if a woman turns me down with an "I'm resting" excuse, and then dances a few seconds later with somebody else, I will not ask her to dance again (probably ever). Because I have to assume that she just doesn't like dancing with me, and is too courteous to tell it to me straight. Or maybe she has an amazing aerobic capacity and can recharge after 20 seconds rest. If she says "not right now" or just "no", on the other hand, I won't be as likely to interpret that as "I don't like dancing with you". .... I think it's gauche to take your shoes off as a signal that you don't want to dance. But I suppose that's just me. .....
What are the best and worst rejection lines you have ever heard (or used yourself)? - Joe _______________________________________________ Tango-L mailing list [email protected] http://mailman.mit.edu/mailman/listinfo/tango-l
