Hello Jay, >> ... they are still causing trouble: by taking up more room than everybody >> else, by not advancing in the line of dance ... and by charging into any >> open space. >> > > This last, charging into any open space, is particularly disruptive, as it > requires everyone else to pay more attention to which way they're going to > dart next, detracting from paying attention to the music and our partners. > Theeere we go then. I had that distinct impression that this might be the problem. I think I've referred to it as well. This IMO is a very Western phenomenon: you are frightened by their sudden moves, and they are not really aware of their delta-v or the 'flow' of their movements.
To elaborate on this: If you have ever stood in a line at a supermarket in BsAs, you'll know that those guys have no sense of 'personal space' as we know it. In essence, personal space under their understanding is restricted to the volume your body actually fills and not a millimeter more. This has two profound secondary effects: 1) foreigners mostly cannot take this, they're scared shitless when someone passes close, it feels threatening to many of them 2) portenos usually don't use high delta-v (they might be fast, but the acceleration is nothing I am used to, they also seem to be irritated by that). The first one is something that you can get used to. My partner had problems with it outside the dance floor. After two weeks I was quite happy with it as it was obvious that locals DO go for open spaces. Actually, this is the way to move fast through a huge crowd on the street without problems. They do that, but they also slow down when space is scarce, OR if with slightly squeezing in or with a 'permiso' they can make space, they will. As for the second problem it is quite obvious from how portenos drive: during my stays I've never seen anything resembling the sudden and agressive overtakings so natural around our parts, especially in Hungary. They simply know that if they do that could mean a certain accident. As I see it, right of way goes to people whom are more forward (so they can't see you directly, but you can see them - sensible), who have large cars (also sensible in a way) or those who approach a lot faster (happens mainly when a line is standing, with the other moving a lot faster - probably the only occasion they look into a sidemirror - very sensible again). These rules appear to work on the dancefloor as well and you don't seem to need more. Minor planning range is needed but for that you only need to communicate your intention of direction and speed. Admittedly, this is something that may be missing from some nuevo enthusiasts. The concept also includes disregarding a lot of rules you take for granted. For instance: changing 'lanes' (in BsAs nobody is observing the lanes painted on the road, and use 8 lanes on a 6 lane road) without indicator lights, when someone is RIGHT beside you is completely acceptable. In ANY Western country you would be pulled out of your car by the next red light and beaten up on the spot for 'trying to kill' the driver. In Hungary, they wouldn't even wait for the red light, you'd pushed down from the road before, and the other driver, father of two, would kick your teeth in... In general, their customs are malleable, while Western cultures use rules that are not. Sometimes, breaking a rule in Europe that has no impact on anything (not even more than a passing witness) is punished. Customs are only customs. If you break them it is not the end of the world... If you can overcome your fear of couples speeding and trusting them to avoid you, you'll feel absolutely comfortable. It is a scentific fact, that in Western societies most people are raised with a very poor experience in what is called limbic resonance (the reason why having a shrink is a commonplace today). That comes with the relatively crappy ability to react to body language and motion clues, therefore overreaction to any ambigous stimulus - such as speeding youngsters (note: your limbic system is the key to all non-verbalizable, emotional communication, and limbic effects are inherently non-conscious and cannot be made conscious which is a feature not a bug). Obviously, you need to train yourself to be less jumpy. Also, youngsters should be taught that they should be communicating their long term lane of movement more efficiently to allow planning for you. Cheers, Aron -- Ecsedy Áron *********** Aron ECSEDY Tel: +36 20 66-36-006 http://www.milonga.hu/ http://www.holgyvalasz.hu/ __________ Information from ESET NOD32 Antivirus, version of virus signature database 4516 (20091016) __________ The message was checked by ESET NOD32 Antivirus. http://www.eset.com _______________________________________________ Tango-L mailing list [email protected] http://mailman.mit.edu/mailman/listinfo/tango-l
